attempting first engine drop...couple of questions

[randytrish]

Hello all,
I'm getting ready to do my first engine drop on my '75 911S. I believe that I have a bad internal thermostat. When reading over the procedure in the tech section I had a couple of questions. After removing the motor mount bolts, and starting to lower the engine, the transmission will drop with the engine a few inches to enable the engine to pull directly off? There is enough flex there? Nothing is mentioned about the other mount at the transmission. I have purchased new seals for the oil cooler along with sealing washers and a new oil pressure sender to replace while I have the engine out. Is there anything else I may be overlooking? Is there any issues on installing the engine back, transmission shaft to the clutch? Anything to be cautious on installation?
Thanks in advance,
Randy

[fred cook]

Don't forget to disconnect the shifter coupler! It is located under an access plate on the "hump" just ahead of the rear seats. You will probably need to at least loosen the tranny mount bolts to get some flex.

Good Luck!

[Rot 911]

make sure you disconnect the shift rod in the tunnel or you will bend it. You do not have to loosen the tranny mounts.The engine drops down and you can pull it off the tranny. When reinstalling just make sure you already have the pressure plate and clutch disk properly installed and lined up with a clutch alignment tool. When sliding the engine back onto the tranny take your time and if you lean way over the engine you can keep checking to see if the clutch fork gets properly engaged with the throw out bearing.

[al lkosmal]

disconnect the battery 1st, double check that all fuel lines, oil lines, wiring harness wires, accelerator link, clutch cable and throwout lever. Those are the things i always double check prior to dropping. When re-installing the tranny to the engine a common thing to miss is the mating of the throwout fork to the bearing groove.

P.s. i've nerver droppoed the engine without dropping the tranny at the same time. I think that it may be easier than dropping the engine only.

regards,

al

[RichMink76]

It sounds like you are removing the engine and not the trans. It is easier to just drop both at the same time.

Rich

[randytrish]

I'm not removing my clutch and pressure plate so an alignment tool shouldn't be necessary. I'm still confused on the tranny mount. I hadn't thought about the throw out bearing. Also what height do I need the rear of the car prior to starting this. I don't want to drop it and then be a couple of inches low and have to raise the car. I only have one floor jack. Are the oil cooler seals prone to leak and is it a big deal to remove it from the engine while the engine is out. I have a small oil leak back there somewhere, can't pinpoint it.
Randy

[SWISSMADE]

I agree with RichMink, you'll save yourself time and a lot of frustration by dropping the engine and tranny as one unit. It's easier to separate them and put them back together out of the car.

Good luck, Mike

[moneymanager]

Measure the height of your motor as best you can to get the height you need. Mine needed about 32 inches. Probably your jack won't get the car that high without putting it on blocks.
The advice to pull both the motor and the tranny is sound. It's a lot easier to mate the clutch and tranny on the ground than in the car, especially if you are alone. Remove all four bolts with the jack under the motor. Carefully pull the jack and motor rearward while lowering very slowly. (Do this after disconnecting everything, including of course the shift rod.)
You should make one of those u-shaped carts with wheels to accept the motor and tranny when you get it down. It will save a lot of aggrevation. The motor-tranny assembly weighs 500 lbs and is a bear to move around unless on wheels.

[moneymanager]

One more thought: if you do pull engine without the tranny, which I wouldn't, support the tranny at its rear end at all times. Otherwise it is held only by the two big mounting bolts and the shift rod with the tranny's weight full on the shift rod...exerting a lot of pressure. You don't want to bend or distort this rod...think thousands of $.

[alphie]

This is a bit unorthodox, but when I did my first drop, I removed the intake system while the engine was still in the car. This reduced the height I needed to raise the car and it pretty much ensured I had removed all the connectors properly.

Now, I was doing a CIS to EFI conversion so that came into play with my decision, but it did make my first drop pretty easy.

[Patrice911]

More easy to pull both at the same time I think. Always done it this way. I actually I pull them out last weekend to work on the tranny. I'm using a dolly to pull them out. Lower the car until the engine sit on the dolly, remove the 4 bolts holding the engine/tranny, lift the car until I can pull it out. I remove the rear bumper to not have to lift the car too high. See picture.

[Eagledriver]

I've pulled engines both with and without the tranny. I don't think that the people who are recommeding both together have tried it the other way. I find it easier to just remove the engine. It's easier because you don't have to disconnect as much stuff, you don't have to control both items as much when connecting and disconnecting the transmission from the engine. The transmission is in one spot and you just manuver the engine to get them reattached.

You can measure to see how high you need the car. Measure how tall the engine is, measure how tall your floor jack is when lowered all the way, then do the math to see how high you need the car. If you don't have enough room start removing tall things on the engine until you can pull it out.

I always back the tranny mount bolts out a couple of turns to help with the flexability and to make sure the shift rod doesn't hit the top of the tunnel. Support the rear of the tranny with a jackstand or floor jack when you are pulling the engine.

I find I need to remove the clutch lever on the tranny so the fork on the throughout bearing will turn enough to release. Mark the position on the shaft so you know how it goes back on.

The leak behind the oil cooler is likely on the case itself. There is an area where the case has a steel tube running through it that is hidden by the oil cooler. When you remove the cooler you'll see it. It looks like a defect in the case and will be wet if leaking. I clean it up and epoxy over it to stop/control the leak. Someone on here posted pictures of it before.

-Andy

[moneymanager]

Patrice, I'm interested in your approach above. I'd think that reaching the four tranny/engine bolts with your approach would be nearly impossible. But apparently not? Jim

[9dreizig]

I"m in the pull them both out camp.... for the few extra steps it's much easier IMHO..

[RichMink76]

You have to get the car pretty high up as you can see from Patrice's picture. It helps if you remove the valence also. I would see if you can find another floor jack just in case.

Rich

[randytrish]

Will I need to pull the engine/engine tranny all the way out to get to the internal thermostat? Or is it diconnect everything like I'm doing a full drop and disconnect the engine from the tranny and when it starts to drop down I'll have enough acess to get to the internal thermostat. I don't know.

[alphie]

If you can remove the intake system with the engine in the car I don't think you have to drop the engine at all to get at the thermostat.

[the]

Originally posted by Eagledriver
I've pulled engines both with and without the tranny. I don't think that the people who are recommeding both together have tried it the other way. etc.

Totally agree.

If your goal is to just get the engine out (i.e. you don't want/need the trans out), it is much, much faster and easier to leave the trans in. Just being able to leave the CVs alone saves a lot of time and mess.

I agree that the myth that pulling both is faster or easier is perpetuated by those who have never tried doing just the engine.

No professional shop in the world would ever do all that extra work to pull out the transmission (for example, if they were doing a clutch job). Because it's just needless extra work, nothing else.

[randytrish]

Maybe I should have titled my post "How do I replace my internal thermostat?" You know I thought about that. I would think it would be easier. I hope someone will post if that is an option.

[Patrice911]

Originally posted by moneymanager
Patrice, I'm interested in your approach above. I'd think that reaching the four tranny/engine bolts with your approach would be nearly impossible. But apparently not? Jim

Before I lower it on the dolly I loosened the 2 bolts at the engine end and the 2 at the tranny end by about 1.5 turn. Then I lower the engine on the dolly, when the weight is on the dolly I can remove the bolt by hand. If you make a dolly that's is lower than mine the tranny bolt might be difficult to reach, car being too low to the ground.