Cluch replacement question

[pdub2]

hey i have a ' 79 911 and i need to put a new clutch in it i was reading the tech article and it said that i had to remove the engine from the car is that true? cant i just go under the car and pull out the tranny? if anyone could let me know that would be great
thanks

[Rodsrsr]

I suppose it could be done, as that is the most common way for non Porsche's, but its actually easier to just drop them both as a unit. In thinking about it, it would be really hard to just dop the gearbox with the engine in on a 911 but you are more than welcome to try.

[pdub2]

hard but not impossible right?

[Fishcop]

Originally Posted by pdub2

hard but not impossible right?

Wrong!

pdub2, welcome to the board.

Honestly, the easiest way to pull any part of the drive train from these cars is as an engine/transmission combination. You then split the two on the floor and work on them.

In thinking about your question, the actual answer I have is that it's impossible... the gearbox has to come forward so the selector rod clears the chassis before lowering. If you left the engine in place, you'd never have the room to move the gearbox forward. Also the engine has the mounting studs - therefore even if you undid the four connecting nuts and the two bolts from the transmission cross-member, you couldn't back the gearbox off the engine. Make sense?

I was amazed at just how easy it is to remove the drive train from these cars, and can now remove my early engine/tranny in less than half an hour (I don't have the complications of fuel injection etc...).

Have a good read of the board on how to do it, or buy Wayne's 101 book; then grab a mate to lend a hand and you'll be fine.

Cheers

[Jim Sims]

I can't imagine dropping the transmission only without having to cut sheet metal out of the body/pan at the back of the body centerline tunnel (very bad idea in terms of structural integrity). Recall that the transmission has "shafts" protruding from both ends: one, the input shaft at the rear, into the clutch splines and the the second, the shift rod at the front, protruding into the tunnel. Just drop the engine or the engine and transmission together.

[mca]

Originally Posted by Fishcop

I can now remove my early engine/tranny in less than half an hour (I don't have the complications of fuel injection etc...).

Seriously? Less than half an hour?

[Fishcop]

Originally Posted by mca

Seriously? Less than half an hour?

Honest to God! I even timed myself last time

I have an early car with a glass one piece rear bumper, I jack it high and prop it on jackstands under the torsion tube. The early cars only need fuel disconnected, wiring harness disconnected and oil breather tube up top. I use a home-made platform (with wheels) that drops into my jack (remove the round pad). Underneath undo coupler, speedo, earth and starter. Undo oil lines, disconnect CVs (takes the most time) undo gearbox cross-member and engine mount bar (four bolts), and lower to the ground

I've done it a lot now and recognize a first time drop with CIS and other plumbing is likely to add an hour or two.

[Fishcop]

Edit: I drain the oil the night before