Engine Drop Clearance Question
 

Here's a simple (maybe stupid) question: Is there anything sacred about pulling the engine out from under the front of my 85.5? Could I pull it out sideways - under a wheel well (lots more clearance!) instead? If I could do this, I'd have much less of an issue with lifting the car high enough.

Alternately, if it does need to slide out forwards - could I at least pull the cam, intake, and even cylinder head first...to lower the profile a bit? (Knowing I'd lose the rear lifting ring by removing the cam assembly...perhaps I could wrap a chain someplace?)
Thanks!

i did it out the bottom with 22 or 24" of clearance. had to remove the radiator and bottom support bracket too.

i also did it out the top after removing the head and the hood. u don't need any bottom clearance obviously if u do it from top.

Ive went out the bottem.. on its side. It was a 2 liter though, took it all apart pretty much
so i could handle just the block and the crank. I did it so i wouldnt have to mess with
getting my buddies engine hoist.

Dropped it out the bottom. Was really quite easy. Pulled the front suspension too. Lowered it with a jack. Had a few friends over to help but they were too busy getting beers at go time so I did it by myself with a floor jack under the crossbar. Dropped it on a bit of cardboard and pulled it out the drivers side wheel well.

I will see if I can locate the pics.

I picked the front of the car up using the engine hoist attached to the frame rail. I was able to lift it plenty high enough to get the engine out. I drug it out through the front.

Speedy:)

I have pulled engines out the top and the bottom and have come to the conclusion that out the top is faster. We just pulled my race car engine out the top in 3 hours. Granted, I was helping a professional Porsche mechanic who knew what he was doing. My hood hold down bracket is cut off which makes the job easier but it can be done with the bracket in. We disconnected the torque tube from the bell housing, removed the radiator and pulled the engine with the hood on. We used an adjustable engine tilt bar with an engine hoist (cherry picker).

To pull the engine out the bottom, I have jacked the car up and set it on the big 6 ton jack stands sitting on 4 x 12 wood blocks.

Good luck, it can be done either way.

Removing the cam tower will gain you some clearance, but removing the head will not give much more due to the head studs and then you are at a higher risk of getting crap in the cylinders or having something fall on them and damaging them. It may be better to just remove the mount braces, alternator, A/C, and accompanying brackets and just laying it on the driver side if clearance is an issue.

Jim,
We had this debate at Nationals. I was late to that party so did not really jump in.

I like to remove the engine from the bottom.

I drop front suspension and using the hoist pull the engine forward and down. I put it on wheeled cart. To get it out from under the car I so something very simple.

I take the engine hoist at attach it then front bumper. Then lift the front of the car high end to roll the engine out. The limit is hitting the exhaust in the rear.

Once cleared the car goes back down to the stands. Installation is reverse of revmoal of course.