Swapping engines

[KevinH1990]

While celebrating the 25th anniversary of my car's production data (aka it's birthday) I calculated that it's $48,000 cost in 1999 would be over $92,000 in today's dollars. It sounds like your total investment in your car including the replacement engine is about $10,000. While you are banging your knuckles and possibly saying "bad words" tell yourself that your sweat equity is worth $82,000.

I changed the spark plugs and spark plug tubes in my car yesterday. Since I had the rear wheels off, I decided to bleed the brakes. I will be finishing that task today. I hope that I never have to replace an engine, but I will be watching and learning.

[LoneWolfGal]

The new engine will be here Wednesday. it weighs 570 lbs,, according to the seller, and it was shipped sturdily covered and strapped to a pallet. Good thing the diamond plate-steel engine dolly I bought from Amazon is rated at 1000 lbs. Even so, It's gonna be a bear to wrestle around. (I'm sure master-swapper Grant will attest to that.) Fortunately, I have a couple of strong lads I can press into service. I wanted to have the new engine in hand before I started unhooking the old one. I'm the slowest mechanic on the planet, so the swap is likely to be a lengthy process. If it becomes a winter project I might have to fire up my Mr. Heater 75 - 125,000 BTU torpedo heater. (Yes, the area I'll be working in is well ventilated.)

[Gilles]

IMHO, if you disconnect the drive shafts from the tranny, and unbolt the gearbox mounts (to lower the complete assembly), it would be way easier than trying to install the engine with the tranny still attached into the car.
Good luck, and looking forward to your pictures! :-)

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by Gilles

IMHO, if you disconnect the drive shafts from the tranny, and unbolt the gearbox mounts (to lower the complete assembly), it would be way easier than trying to install the engine with the tranny still attached into the car.
Good luck, and looking forward to your pictures! :-)

Sounds logical. Anyone else care to chime in on this question?

[spinjockey]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

Sounds logical. Anyone else care to chime in on this question?

Yes dropping the whole unit is the way to go. It ensures that you can properly torque all of the bolts in the bell housing. You can leave the slave cylinder attached to the line in the car.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

Sounds logical. Anyone else care to chime in on this question?

Dropping it as an assembly is both easier and much faster.

[LoneWolfGal]

I spent the entire day yesterday with my nose pressed against the window, waiting. But 6 pm came and went with no engine forthcoming. What kind of cruel hoax was this? A quick check of tracking revealed that the delivery date had been changed to the 19th. No stranger to disappointment, I merely shrugged. But if TForce Freight lets me down again, there's gonna be big trouble.

[tcoradeschi]

The good news on the triple spline tool front is that if you own a fairly (like in the last 20 years) recent VW, you already own most of the ones you’ll need!

[JFP in PA]

Try some Kroil, puts PB and WD 40 to shame......................

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Try some Kroil, puts PB and WD 40 to shame......................

Hey, thanks, JFP, I'll do that. It would probably be wise to replace the IMS bearing (and clutch plate) before I stick it in. Do you have a recommendation as to which IMS to get?

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

Hey, thanks, JFP, I'll do that. It would probably be wise to replace the IMS bearing (and clutch plate) before I stick it in. Do you have a recommendation as to which IMS to get?

I am partial to the IMS Solution because it is a once and done deal, never needing to be replaced again. I've installed a lot of them, never had any issues over a lot of miles.............

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

I am partial to the IMS Solution because it is a once and done deal, never needing to be replaced again. I've installed a lot of them, never had any issues over a lot of miles.............

Wish you were here, because the IMS Solution's installation instructions made my hair stand on end. For example, by drilling and sawing, "cut a notch in the crank case for the pressurized oil line that feeds the IMS Solution." Yikes!

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

Wish you were here, because the IMS Solution's installation instructions made my hair stand on end. For example, by drilling and sawing, "cut a notch in the crank case for the pressurized oil line that feeds the IMS Solution." Yikes!

It really isn't all that bad; you need to set the Solution flange loosely in place, mark the line fitting location with a marker on the bellhousing flange, then using a couple of increasing drill sizes, drill out where the fitting will sit, then use a metal saw to saw into the final hole you drilled out. A little bit of filing to break all the sharp edges from the drill and cutting and presto, a perfect slot for the flange's fittling to drop into, the slot being a little large is fine. Only takes a few min. to do.

[JFP in PA]

Similar; the DOF system, contrary to the advertising, draws some of the hottest and dirtiest oil from the cylinder head to feed the bearing. This oil feed has also caused problems with the Vario Cam system on some cars that immediately went away when that oil line was disconncted and plugged. The reason they went this route is because the oiling system of the IMS Solution is covered in a patent. Injecting pressurized oil into the factory bearing also tends to flood the entire IMS shaft, which is problematic at best. The IMS Solution system uses a plug in the shaft behind the Solution to prevent this, and this plug is also covered under one or more of the various patents Jake got on the system.

As for the costs, "you gets what you pays for" in these systems. the Solution is the only one that is well thought out, extremely well designed, and totally permanent. The Solution is also the only iMS retrofit that can be removed from one engine and installed into another without any concern. I have them in both of my personal cars.

[elgyqc]

And then there is replacing the original with the same bearing (123bearings.com (NSK BD20-17-A-DDUA17NX01-NSK) $57.79 US plus shipping), but with the outer oil seal removed during installation. The original bearing was in good shape after about 145,000KM (90,000mi) despite having grease that had the consistency of cheese and little oil for lubrication. I can't see why this bearing cannot last a lot longer than the original.

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

And then there is replacing the original with the same bearing (123bearings.com (NSK BD20-17-A-DDUA17NX01-NSK) $57.79 US plus shipping), but with the outer oil seal removed during installation. The original bearing was in good shape after about 145,000KM (90,000mi) despite having grease that had the consistency of cheese and little oil for lubrication. I can't see why this bearing cannot last a lot longer than the original.

That would certainly be an economical way to go, Grant, and I'm all for economy. It's your contention that removing the outer oil seal will allow circulating oil to lubricate the bearing? Being from the sump, the oil would be unfiltered. You don't see that as a problem?

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

That would certainly be an economical way to go, Grant, and I'm all for economy. It's your contention that removing the outer oil seal will allow circulating oil to lubricate the bearing? Being from the sump, the oil would be unfiltered. You don't see that as a problem?

Better than no oil, but I cannot agree with the bearing choice.

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

That would certainly be an economical way to go, Grant, and I'm all for economy. It's your contention that removing the outer oil seal will allow circulating oil to lubricate the bearing? Being from the sump, the oil would be unfiltered. You don't see that as a problem?

In posts 7 to 10 of this post there is a discussion on this and other aspects of the IMSB replacement
https://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/81929-my-ims-bearing-replacement-thread.html

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Better than no oil, but I cannot agree with the bearing choice.

Is there another, better bearing that is "plug and play"? That is the advantage of the NSK.

[pilot4fn]

Originally Posted by elgyqc

And then there is replacing the original with the same bearing (123bearings.com (NSK BD20-17-A-DDUA17NX01-NSK) $57.79 US plus shipping), but with the outer oil seal removed during installation. The original bearing was in good shape after about 145,000KM (90,000mi) despite having grease that had the consistency of cheese and little oil for lubrication. I can't see why this bearing cannot last a lot longer than the original.

Where to get the original style locking wire to keep the NSK bearing in place?

[JFP in PA]

I have a problem, particularly with single row engines, of replacing a bearing with a pretty well defined failure rate with brand new copy same thing; statisitically, you are still in the same probablity of failure, so I don't see what you accomplished.

Anytime we replace a know failure point component in these cars, we always try to replace it with something that is better. In the case of the IMS bearings, the once and done forever Solution is the optimal item. If budget constaints preclude the Solution, I would go with one of the LN hybrid bearings long before I would put another factory bearing in the engine. More than once, I have told a prospective customer to take their car somewhere else when they insisted on using the Pelcian kit, roller bearings, or some internet identified factory replacements; we simply have absolutely no confidence in any ot these units, and I will never put my shop's name on a questionable repair.

I recently got into a dialog about trying to find cheap aftermarket main cats for one of these cars, which is pretty much a total crapshoot. I told the poster we only use the factory replacement cats because they are legal in all 50 states, and will always pass both sniffer emissions testing and visual inspections. When the poster complained that the factory cats cost $2K each, I pointed out that one of my customers wacked one of his cats on his Italian super car going over a speed bump, requiring a factory replacement that set him back $14,000, and that if he wanted to drive a cheap to repair car, sell the Porsche and buy something else, these cars are not cheap to buy, much less repair properly.