Lifting Points and Engine Removal
 

Am buying a 73 - 914 and have seen videos with the engine removed.
How do you jack up the car and do this?

There are lifting points (like donuts) both in the front (front of the sills) and in the rear (in front of the engine mounts/rear of the sills).
This is one way of dropping the engine:
Pelican Technical Article: 914 Engine Removal Made Easy


/Lars S

To add on, is there anyway to drop the engine with only one jack?

One jack and a couple of jack stands? Yes. Just a jack? Not safely.

I've used jack stands to support the car up high enough to get the engine out the rear. Then use you jack and a couple of large blocks of wood to support the engine/transmission while you remove the transmission mount and engine support bolts. It's a bit tricky to get the jack at the balance point, but it can be done. Then, carefully lower the engine and slide it out.

Two jacks or a jack and a transmission jack makes it a whole lot easier.

Gary

I've done it with one jack and a bunch of scrap wood. I have figured out the balance point of my engine/transmission assembly, and can stack the wood pieces such that the whole shebang balances on the one jack.

It's not perfect, and I have dropped the front of the engine on the ground before. Fortunately it has so far been from very low heights. The drivetrain can be a challenge to handle while you're lowering it, since you have to use at least one hand to steady it and one to release the jack...

Better to use two, or a transmission jack, or a jack plate specifically designed for 914 engine drops.

--DD

I've lowered the engine on a couple of wood blocks under the heads then jack up the car as high a you can to get the engine out.

Anything can be done. Just take your time and be careful.

You can make stands out of sections of 4x4 or 6x6 wood about 12 inches long. I used them for years and had some depressions in the top of each set so the car sat in them and was very solid. For many years I used a single manual floor jack and then finally bought an air operated jack like the ones sold by Northern Tool and made by Esco (I think). It was very handy at the race track to get the car up in a hurry and it locked which was nice.

If you're really crazy and have space in your garage, construct a Hillbilly lift like mine...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-914-914-6-technical-forum/767721-yet-another-rescue-porsche.html

Just make sure your home insurance is up to date if you break your roof joists :eek: