The spline that wouldn't, er....spline.

[Blondie]

The engine dangles from nothing more than a hoist. My good friends at Haynes are telling me to 'lower the engine down and forward'.

So far Haynes hasnt led me astray.

So far.

So why cant I seperate the engine from the driveshaft??

I dont mean to say that its rooted right to it, I mean there is a good bit of play, but (I hate to admit it,) reefing on that dang engine trying to slip it off the spline is getting me nowhere...at the last second, it always seems to catch...like something inside that tube is holding the engine from slipping off the spline.

For the life of me I cant figure it out...am I simply not lining the engine up with the shaft enuff first? Bloody hell...

[Brando]

Unfortunately you have to take the bellhousing off, as well. Otherwise you will have forward clearance issues... Not fun. Then the tip of the shaft won't clear. Also, it would be a good time to remove the trans and rotate the driveshaft 180º and pull it back about 16". Then it should clear just fine.

Are you trying to go under the car, or out the top? Please say out the top...

[Razorback1980]

Brando, if I remember correctly, both manuals say to take it out the bottom. Have you taken it out the top before? Is that the best way?

[seaboltman]

taking the engine out of the top is the easy way. I've done it twice, and it was a piece of cake.

Just to be clear, is your car an automatic or a manual?

[yieldsign2]

You don't have to take off the bellhousing.... if you take the radiator out.
Taking the headlight bar off would make it easy as pie, the most difficult part is maneuvering the front of teh camshaft aroudn the headlight bar. Yes, you have to go that far forward to get the torque tube out of the engine.

[Blondie]

Thanks for the replies.

When I say that theres nothing but the hoist holding it, I mean it lol

As it stands now, that engine bay is wide open from top to bottom. (Minus the headlight bar, and yea, I've long since thought of poppin that out so I could take her out the top.)

Its not that I cant bring the engine forward, its just that something seems to grab it at the last minute. I bring forward about two inches, and I can whip it around that point in any direction I please. It just feels superglued to some unseen pivot point. Damn...its kinda tuff to explain this one lol

The rad is long since removed. So no worries there. The original plan was to take it out the top, but I didnt think the oil pan would clear anything underneath it, so I decided to drop the engine out the bottom. Hence the reason everything top and bottom, (minus the headlight bar,) has been stripped/dropped.

I just need to figure out what the hell is still grabbing at the motor...am I just not tuggin it forward hard enuff??

[Razorback1980]

Seaboltman, it's an automatic.

[Granite 944]

IF its an automatic tranny in car, you WILL have to remove starter, the nine bolts holding the plate to flywheel, leaving the plate and bellhousing on the torque tube. There will be a snap ring that you will see on the end of the torque tube holding everything from seperating, and you'll only see it after seperating the engine from bell housing this way. That could be the problem. I just don't remember if you could really get 2" movement out of it if the snap ring is still in place. I've only removed one engine from an automatic before, and that was some time back. Good luck!

[Blondie]

IF its an automatic tranny in car, you WILL have to remove starter, the nine bolts holding the plate to flywheel, leaving the plate and bellhousing on the torque tube. There will be a snap ring that you will see on the end of the torque tube holding everything from seperating, and you'll only see it after seperating the engine from bell housing this way. That could be the problem.

Awesome...

Thanks for shedding the light. I'll give it a shot today and we'll see what happens..

[Brando]

Originally posted by Razorback1980
Brando, if I remember correctly, both manuals say to take it out the bottom. Have you taken it out the top before? Is that the best way?

I have not had to pull an engine from a 944 before. It makes the best sense, and saves you money down the road.

To drop it out the bottom you need a lift as there is nearly no other safe way to raise the car up AND drop the front suspension crossbar (which the engine is directly mounted to). Out the top is much easier... Only extras to remove are the hood and headlight assembly if you have clearance issues.

[Granite 944]

Originally posted by Brando
I have not had to pull an engine from a 944 before. It makes the best sense, and saves you money down the road.

To drop it out the bottom you need a lift as there is nearly no other safe way to raise the car up AND drop the front suspension crossbar (which the engine is directly mounted to). Out the top is much easier... Only extras to remove are the hood and headlight assembly if you have clearance issues.

I STILL haven't taken one out the top yet, myself (someday I will, just to experience what I really DON"T think, I want to see). As far as "safe way" to do it out the bottom.............you all just haven't gotten creative enough yet. It can be done "safely"........if ya use your head....... with, or without a lift, or a long frame floorjack. I know, I've done it about 5-6 times (though, I do now have a long frame floorjack, after about the 2nd one). Jackstands........that high up........scare the crap outta me! Do a search on engine removals.......you'll get ALL kinds of suggestions/methods.

IF, you do take it out the bottom, than make sure you scribe/mark the relationship of the aft end, front control arms to the frame mount, and the engine crossmember to the frame mount real well, and pay close attention to those markings BEFORE AND DURRING RE-INSTALL, THEN, you won't have to be so concerned about getting the front end re-aligned after you've put it all back together again. If, your planning on an alignment soon afterwards anyway........who cares about that. Good luck!