Lessons learned - Get the proper engine yoke...
 

OK - I admit it - sometimes I'm cheap. And sometimes I'm cheap when I shouldn't be. Case in point - I went with the cheapo $60 engine yoke rather than spending what I should have on a proper yoke or borrowing one. (Even after reading all the Pelican warnings...) Issues that I've encountered:

- Can't assemble the oil cooler with the cheap yoke on that side of the motor, and so I swapped the yoke to the other side after assembling the case halves.

- That worked fine until I discovered that I can't install the engine tin on the other side of the motor.

- I can't bolt up the clutch to the flywheel (not enough space behind the yoke).

- I also discovered that I can't install the oil return line (no engine tin that side AND the oil return line hits the yoke).

- Since I can't get the return line on, I also can't get the exhaust on (can't reach the return line fitting once the exhaust is on). (I guess I could get the motor off the stand, mated to the trans, put it in the car, and then add the oil line and exhaust - but what a PITA.)

Learn from my mistakes - Avoid the cheap engine yoke.

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PS - Does anybody in the Portland, OR area have a P201 yoke or an adapter ring they'd like to sell/rent/loan? PM, please.

I built my entire engine on a table. I then put the exhaust on once I got the engine/trans back in the car.

That is exactly what I did with my cheap yoke... Worked great for tearing it down and setting cams etc, and for 98% of assembly. (Is 2% of final assembly work worth an extra $200?, that's up to you)
I was under the car connecting oil lines and exhaust for 1/2 a day. More time than usual for an r&r but I was installing SSI's and a new exhaust so I was checking fit anyways. Sure glad I used my saved yoke money to help buy a mid rise lift!
All in all I'd do it again the same way. (probably will soon if the upgrade bug bites me!)

I've strongly considered it. I'm also installing SSI's for the first time and am somewhat doubtful that I can do that upside down under the car while simultaneously preserving my sanity.

Oh well - how bad can it be?

though for sure that it was going to be a broken yoke, engine on ground thread from the title. Glad everything worked out.

Oh, SSI's are cake to install, it's the removal of the old system that ages you!

If everything is clean and new then it's not horrible. Just be prepared to drop nuts....
One advantage was seeing the need to adjust the clearance of the clutch spring arm against the SSI's. (Bend the lip of the SSI flange a little)
I think installing my muffler was actually easier as it wants to bind against the rear valence going in when attached. I removed my original exhaust before I dropped the engine. (Again using the lift) That was a real PITA...

+100 :eek:

Even with the proper yoke, I cannot install the oil return line and as a result also the exhaust. I'll be doing these under the car. Not a big deal as I've done it before, however; it would have been nice to do this all standing up!

Nothing beats using the proper tools. You're saving money by doing it yourself, but a lot of problems can arise if the proper tools are not used...

-Wayne

Even with the Porsche tool I bought here, I found that the shoulders of the spare lug nuts I used as spacers on the studs interfered with me installing my PP and clutch. Next time I will either use 2 bolts instead of the transmission mounting studs, or get some smaller diameter washers so the clutch etc can be installed on the stand.

Yeah, BTDT and got a few more gray hair :)

Update 1 year later - Finally got the motor in the car this weekend. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be to hang the exhaust and oil lines once the engine was in.

I still recommend the proper engine yoke. Putting those SSI's in while on your back is no fun.

i was afraid you were going to say it broke and the engine fell.