12 replies to this topic

[Todd Tagget]

I've dropped porsche engines many times but have never done the engine pull things. Duncan's post has me motivated to get started on my engine bay clean up project.
I did a quick search and didn't find anything does anyone have a step by step list to pulling an engine ?

[Alberto]

Couple of useful links:
http://www.miata.net...0035/aindex.htm
http://www.thebogart...eplacement1.asp

It's pretty easy. I prefer to remove while the trans is attached since mating the input shaft to the pilot bearing is a challenge for me. Some notes from memory:

• Acquire an engine hoist, a load leveler and a 2' - 3' long 2x4 (piece of wood).
• Get the car up on 4 jackstands. Doesn't need to be too high. ~15" is good.
• Drain the trans oil, engine oil and coolant.
• Remove the hood and hood prop.
• Depending on your engine hoist, you may need to remove the bumper. The Harbor Freight engine hoist that I have required removal of the bumper to get close enough to the engine.
• Get all the fuel out of the tank if you can or it will want to leak out. Use the fuel test port to drain.
• Remove the gas cap and loosen the fuel lines from the hard lines at the frame rail. If you were not able to drain the fuel, insert a bolt into the end of the fuel line to cap it. Do take note of which fuel hose goes to which hard line so you don't forget. Some painters take and a sharpie helps here.
• Remove all the intake bits before the throttle body.
• Remove the radiator and fan.
• Remove the coolant hoses that are attached to the pipe that bolts to the driver side frame rail.
• Remove the heat shield. Unbolt the downpipe from the cat-back exhaust. Then unbolt the header / exhaust manifold from the head and remove the header and downpipe from the engine bay as one piece.
• Unhook all the electrical connectors.

Actually, I just realized that first link has most of these steps so I'll stop here.

Just take your time and take pics if you feel anything will be confusing for re-assembly.

[Todd Tagget]

Thanks!!! that was exactly what I was hoping for!

[Keith Novak]

I've never had to remove my bumper with my HF picker but it's a tight squeeze. The best thing is someone to help pull down on the ass end of the trans and keep things from whacking other things, especially the hood latch. That greatly reduces time with the load leveler and inching things, checking clearances, inching again... (note: If you have one of those HF load levelers lube the hale out of it.) Before you lift too far, double check you didn't forget to detach something. Sounds obvious but I've forgotten something more than once. One handy tip I've picked up is that once I pull the shifter out, I cover the hole in the turret with duct tape for the pull. That prevents the oil in the turret from coming out and crud from getting in. Overall it is a pretty easy job but has it's annoying bits. Solo I can probably have the engine on the floor in 2 hrs

[FTodaro]

at lease one friend with a good back and two six packs of Pale ale to start.

[Doug007]

+1 on the painters tape and sharpie. You can't label too much stuff.

I had an issue when reinstalling my engine because I didn't label the grounds near the fuel rail.

Pretty straightforward task esp compared to other cars. About as easy as dropping a Porsche motor.

[Duncan]

I'll add it helps to put a bag over the tail shaft of the transmission to catch any residual oil that'll want to come out when you tip it up on end during the removal.

[SaulSpeedwell]

Couple of useful links:
http://www.miata.net...0035/aindex.htm
http://www.thebogart...eplacement1.asp

It's pretty easy. I prefer to remove while the trans is attached since mating the input shaft to the pilot bearing is a challenge for me. Some notes from memory:

• Acquire an engine hoist, a load leveler and a 2' - 3' long 2x4 (piece of wood).
• Get the car up on 4 jackstands. Doesn't need to be too high. ~15" is good.
• Drain the trans oil, engine oil and coolant.
• Remove the hood and hood prop.
• Depending on your engine hoist, you may need to remove the bumper. The Harbor Freight engine hoist that I have required removal of the bumper to get close enough to the engine.
• Get all the fuel out of the tank if you can or it will want to leak out. Use the fuel test port to drain.
• Remove the gas cap and loosen the fuel lines from the hard lines at the frame rail. If you were not able to drain the fuel, insert a bolt into the end of the fuel line to cap it. Do take note of which fuel hose goes to which hard line so you don't forget. Some painters take and a sharpie helps here.
• Remove all the intake bits before the throttle body.
• Remove the radiator and fan.
• Remove the coolant hoses that are attached to the pipe that bolts to the driver side frame rail.
• Remove the heat shield. Unbolt the downpipe from the cat-back exhaust. Then unbolt the header / exhaust manifold from the head and remove the header and downpipe from the engine bay as one piece.
• Unhook all the electrical connectors.

Actually, I just realized that first link has most of these steps so I'll stop here.

Just take your time and take pics if you feel anything will be confusing for re-assembly.

#12 is where a lot of people goof, even if they've done it 10+ times. Esp with other people's cars, where they have extra sensors, remote-mounted oil pressure, etc., and things routed or tie-wrapped where you didn't expect. Under and behind the intake manifold is where 95% of these gremlins seem to hide.

And tell the guy that helped drink the 12-pack: "Guard the windshield".

[Randy Thieme]

13. Disconnect the ground cable from the battery. Just because the kill switch is off does not mean there won't be a wire somewhere around the alternator or starter which still has 12V on it. It depends on how your kill switch was wired. Not a lot of fun when a wrench gets grounded against that wire. Ask how the people who helped with my first rebuild know.

[Glenn]

Find an old drive shaft and cut off the output from the the gear box and us it to stop fluid from running out. NEVER seen the bumper taken off to do an engine, maybe the front sway bar. You do NOT have to drop the entire PPF, just use a strap and pull it off to the passenger side. You also do NOT have to remove the header from the block on either a full pull or engine only pull.

Just my $.02

[Jason J Ball]

#14 Remove the CAS and the Coil Pack. Allows you to tilt the engine a little more during re-installation mostly.

[Jason J Ball]

#15 Label fuel lines. I always get them backwards on re-installation.

[Anthony Ralston]

#15 Label fuel lines. I always get them backwards on re-installation.

+1. Had that happen to me on my first engine swap. Spent 2 days before realizing what I did.

Also, take lots of pictures! They can help you remember where stuff goes.