Started My First Engine Drop
 

I'm on my way to doing my first engine drop. I have most of it done at this point. I have to disconnect the hard oil line, heater hoses, and cv bolts. And then drop.

Does anyone have any methods for removing the cv bolts? Is it easier with the tires off and a long extension or just do it under the car?

Also, with the atv jack, how much room do I need to pull out the engine? I currently have 24" in the photo below.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315698336.jpg

If you have a second person it's a little easier. They can be in the car on & off the parking brake while you rotate the axle shafts and undo the cv bolts underneath the car. Also, don't forget to undo the shift coupler.

You will need more than 24". I shoot for about 39". Undo CV's at the trans.

Thanks for the tips. 39"? Wow, its going to be really up there. I guess I'll get it up there right before its time to drop. In regard to the cv bolts. I know that they are disconnected from the transmission. I was looking more for tips on technique. What's the easiest was to get them off?

2 people with a foot on the brake as you clock around. Or, one person using the emergency brake. Beyond that, they are socket heat bolts. Be carefull to engage your allen socket well- you don't want to strip one.

Keep in mind, it is the height of yor engine plus your jack that has to roll out.

I'm getting ready to do my first drop too. I was going to use jackstands and the engine/tranny tool for my floor jack that is sold here.
I started jacking my car up to get the needed 39 inches of clearance at the rear bumper and couldn't believe how high it was. I wasn't comfortable at all (getting old I guess), so I checked craigslist for a mid rise scissor lift and found a great deal on one that was originally sold by Snap-On. ($800.00 delivered)
Tried it out today and it is slick. I'll be able to use the floor jack adapter to position the engine and tranny just right, then just hit the button and the car goes up as I lower the jack and pull out the whole powertrain. It's really nice to be able to work on everything else at that height too.
I'll be taking some pictures as I proceed and post them in my "Back in the game" thread.
Good luck, 25 inches on jack stands at the rear torsion bars with the front end sitting normally is what you'll need to get the height at the rear bumper.

Yes its the best way to remove or putting them back.

I only find out when I put them back... From under, you get them started by hand and finish the torquing from the side with the tire off and doing the one at the top. That way the rubber sleeve is out of the way and you got a direct line of sight/work.

When I did my drop, we didn't so much as lower the engine from the maximum height, but raised the rear end while keeping the engine as low to the ground as possible.

Watch for a 12 pin connector located on the drivers side. It's mounted on the fire wall (forward of the blower motor).

I considered doing my first drop in my garage. Thankfully a friend of mine has a lift and was extremely kind in letting me use it. Although the catch was I have to help him put his 912 back together when the time comes (I won't complain at ANY chance I have to work on Porsches!).

But you definitely need to get some height on that puppy. Having a lift made it about a billion zillion million times easier. Not to mention it was nice not to have to be on my back working on one of my cars for once.

One site I found had a great suggestion to use one of those nifty jacks that is like a mini platform. Basically a 4 wheeled hydraulic table. Looked very stable, although they were taller than a standard jack but it would be very stable. You can still roll your engine out on a jack if you can get a good piece of wood on it and can stabilize it but be careful! That puppy is heavy.

Yeah, the rubber boot seems to get in the way. Seems kind of tedious getting all those out.

It won't be in the way if you go the "tire off with long extension".

Spend some time cleaning the bolt recess to ensure a good contact with the bit because you don't want to round them off.

Take wheel off and remove the top bolt cv wise. Spin wheel and do the next one so rubber boot does not get in the way.

That's why you clock it around as I suggested. Depending on where the axle is rotated to (assistant with foot on brake, or set emergency brake) you can typically get a straight shot at 2-3 bolts. Again, don't mess around with trying to be lazy and get to all 6 without rotating the wheel. If you strip one of them, it'll just add a lot more time dealing with it.

That is an ATV jack, and is what many use to support the engine these days.

A garage lift is indeed the easiest way (best tool I've ever bought!), but certainly not necessary. I think everyone should experience an engine drop on jackstands at least once! :cool:

Ok. I'll follow the "turn the wheel method". Truthfully, I don't see how you could do it any other way.

No lift for me right now. I have an ATV jack. I wish I could be working on it now, but I had to come in to work today to set up a crane.

Great advice has been given here for the cv bolts.;)

I just removed the CV bolts this morning using a socket drive hex key and a foot of extensions, undid the top 3 with brake on, rotated and reset brake and took out the other 3. No problems. Took about 15 minutes to do both sides. (Wheels off of course)

Everything else is disconnected and I'm ready to drop engine and tranny, car is just sitting on my lift. Now I'm "patiently" waiting for the jack adapter to arrive "by Wednesday" according to tracking supplied by our host...

I could drop it onto my ATV/motorcycle lift, but I ordered the right tool so I'm gonna use it!:eek:

Then I'll do a 3 point pick and hoist it onto my MC lift for working on the leaks and other goodies....:D
My engine stand is currently being used by a behemoth Olds 400 engine...:mad:

I think you will be less likely to strip the heads if you don't use a long extension on the CV bolts. When you get them off, use plastic grocery bags and zip ties to hold the ball bearings inside. Trust me, you do not to reinstall those ball bearings...nightmare.

yes, and clean the internal wrenching fixture out carefully first

you can also hit each one a nice smack with a steel hammer flat on the head to shake it up

this is a good time to inspect & service the CVs

most importantly, that 2nd person should have a cell phone handy just in case

is your driveway slanted or flat? if the former be even more careful

Who needs 2 people... Just kidding.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315779213.jpg

I just use a long bar with a handle shoved into my lug bolts to hold the wheel while she is on the lift, works great.

Not really if you are perfectly align. I lift the car to just above my waist line then I able to put a good pressure on the bit before torquing it.

I do it with the wheels off, from underneath the car, with a crowbar (or similar) in between two wheel studs to hold the axle still. Piece of cake.

What did you jack under, when raising the car, with the engine disconnected?

Not sure if it is the "right tool" in as much as it is "a tool". In my mind, the adapter on a floor jack takes a big back seat to using the ATV jack. The ATV jack is a lot more stable.

You lift the entire car, then lower the front to raise the rear. You still need approx 25-26" under the t-bars at the rear, so that the ass is ~39" AFF.

Are the front wheels on the ground when you do this or is the front still on jack stands? I think my front spoiler would prevent me from having the wheels on the ground if I was to lift the rear up that high.

Ed, your process involves a lift, correct? I'm asking because I have my engine out currently, but my car on the ground (put the wheels back on). I had it up on jack stands, then lowered the engine out like I always do, but I didn't have one of the jack stands in properly and the car started to lean really badly (scary as hell, first time in hundreds of times lifting the car that's ever happened). I jammed some temporary jack wherever I could, slapped the wheels back on and lowered the car down. Problem is, now I have no idea how I'm going to get the car back up :)

Unless you have some custom splitter, you won't have a problem. Yes, the wheels are on the ground, and on my car never created an issue with a factory spoiler.

What I just described is done when you DON'T have a lift. You are on jackstands, and is the safest way to drop an engine, IMO. You are working with everything level, then when the motor is free and ready to drop, you slowly drop the front to raise the rear off the engine. This way you aren't way up in the air with the motor, especially if one uses a normal floor jack. I've done several drops this way. Nowadays, I use the lift. ;)

I don't understand why you can't raise your car back up?

I usually lift the rear of the car by the engine, under the sump plate. That's the way I've always done it, and I'm not sure where else to lift from, if the engine's out.

You should have spots on each side for jack pads.

[QUOTE=efhughes3;6248984]Not sure if it is the "right tool" in as much as it is "a tool". In my mind, the adapter on a floor jack takes a big back seat to using the ATV jack. The ATV jack is a lot more stable.



When "the Tool" arrives I will assess. If I feel the need I will fab something to make it work with the ATV/MC lift and have the best of both worlds. Stability and the ability to adjust the angle of the powertrain without shimming with wood blocks or other dangerous for pinch point methods. I've managed to work on 500KV electrical for 25 years without an injury. I'd hate to have something like a motor drop on me! :D

Well, I did two drops in 2 weeks. ( don't ask :-( )

I purchased a 1500 lb Motorcycle Jack at HF, with a piece of 1"X12"X36". I dropped both Trans & Engine.

I raised her on to 6 Ton Jack Stands until wheels were off the ground.

Then placed the Motorcycle Jack with piece of Wood under the center point of the Engine and Trans, about a foot where I normally raise the car. Raised the engine until the engine mounts came up about an inch.

Disconnected/Removed as Bentley/101 described.

After initial separation, I raised the chassis at the wheels ( engage E Brake ) one side at a time, gradually for safety, until high enough for my heater blower to clear my rear valance.

Grabbed the engine mount cross member and polled back, Voila, Engine Out :D

INSTALL, I lowered the chassis to the engine, raised the engine about 6"s+/- and slipped right in.

All this by myself, took her for a spin today, could not take the silly grin off my face.

NOTE: Keep organized, use shoes boxes to keep thing in order or use sandwich bags. The first time I did not do this and kicked my pile of nuts/bolts, What a nightmare :eek:

Jim

PM me if you have any questions.

As far as the CV bolts, I removed the wheel and used a piece of 1.5"X 48" OD wooden dowl and jammed it on the wheel studs. Used the same dowl to rotate as I loosened each bolt.

Just make sure the allen tool is seated all the way in before wrenching on it, YOU DO NOT WANT strip it. It is easier to loosen from the top or side position, there is zero room trying to get to the bolts when they are in the lower (6 o'clock position )

I was lucky I only stripped on on 2nd install. I ordered 6 back ups and CV gaskets from our Host. If a pre 85.5 915 it is only 30 ft lb torque. Like you wheels, torque in a Star Fashion.

Hope this helps!

Just curious, why did you lift at the wheels and not the rear jack pad location?


Picking up a 20" long 3/8" extension bar from Sears on the way home from work for the CV bolts. And also borrowing the special Pelican oil line wrench from a fellow Pelican who lives close by. I'll hopefully have the engine out soon.

Why not just stick a screwdriver in the vents of the brake rotor to prevent it from turning?

This is what my car looked like when I dropped my engine. I did have a little bit of a clearance problem. It worked out as soon as I removed the valence.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1209141877.jpg

This is what my car looked like when I dropped my engine. I did have a little bit of a problem.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1315865750.jpg

Anything else that goes wrong with your car seems minimal compared to this-dang! Hope no buddy was hurt.

that was just a joke - also an admonition to be careful ---> note the too small fire extinguisher

I don't trust them - there's some rust in there, and I wouldn't feel comfortable sticking jack pads in there.

Nobody has mentioned removing the bumper. A few nuts and some electrical connections and the whole thing is off. Gives you many much-wanted inches of clearance. Here's my drop with nothing lifting the front, jack stands and wood lifting the rear torsion bar to about 25 inches. ATV jack lowering the engine.


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Just realized you already have your bumper off. Good luck with the drop and be careful.