Engine removal, is really everything disconnected?

[elgyqc]

After having seen a few engine removal fails that occurred when a cable or hose was not disconnected before lowering the engine I decided to be sure this time around.
It took a piece of string, a nut and about an hour of time.



I attached the string to the engine support eyelet and dropped the nut end down to the floor. Working from both under and above the car I pulled the string all the way around the engine/transmission unit (they are coming out together). You really have to understand what parts are staying with the engine to properly route the string. At the end only the A/C compressor hoses were in the strings loop... they are cleared as the engine is lowered.
I found the secondary air pump wire was still connected, even though it was checked off my list. and the 2 fuel hoses were in their clips just above where they are separated under the car. Definitely worth the effort.

[flmont]

How long did it take to drop the engine ,..Iam considering doing it for chain rails maybe Len hoffman head work..? Thanks Frank

[flmont]

How long did it take you to drop the engine ,..Iam considering doing it to replace all the chain rails,and Vario Cam pads maybe some Len hoffman head work..? Thanks Frank

[elgyqc]

Originally Posted by flmont

How long did it take you to drop the engine ,..Iam considering doing it to replace all the chain rails,and Vario Cam pads maybe some Len hoffman head work..? Thanks Frank

Ha! How long should it take... or how long is it taking me? The engine is finally ready to be dropped, about an hours work remains to have it sitting on the ground. I have been at it for a week and a half, but you have to understand I don't do long days, I have several other things going on at the same time and I have done a couple of other tasks on the Boxster to clear my head when I run into a problem. But the biggest problem that I have on this particular car is that all the steel fittings are rusted and many of the aluminum parts have a enough corrosion that they stick together. A couple of examples, it took me a day to get the headers off, four bolts unscrewed, three broke off in the block and the other 5 had to be ground or drilled out. Taking the rear bumper cover off, should take about 30 minutes. First, it seems the spoiler raising mechanism doesn't work (this is a non running car that I just bought), wasted at least a half hour, probably more trying to get it to raise. Then decided with a buddy that it could be removed while down. One of the 2 bolts that hold the base to the plungers came out... on the other one the allan key broke off in the head of the bolt (first time I have ever broken an allan key) so I couldn't even drill out the bolt. We ended up drilling around the bolt and breaking the base away from the mounting point... then we got to the 4 screws hidden under the spoiler. The bumperettes, what can go wrong? Two bolts, pull out the bottom and off it comes, right? Wrong, it took my slide hammer to break them free, nothing broken, but more time lost. Finally the cover came off. Every step has been like this.
Thanks for the opportunity to ventilate...
So I would suggest, on a car without the corrosion problems, a weekend for 2 competent people with a clear idea of how to do it (lots of videos and instructions available). A week of evenings working alone.
By the way, my car is in great shape other than the rusted fasteners, a tribute to the rust resistance of Porsches.

[flmont]

Thanks for the Info..Iam in the Southwest,..Tucson Arizona so mine is just dusty...But I understand what you mean ! Frank

[78F350]

When I do it, I print up a checklist like the one in this article which breaks down Preparation, Engine compartment, Rear trunk, and Under the car:
https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Boxster_Tech/15-ENGINE-Engine_Drop/15-ENGINE-Engine_Drop.htm

I'd recommend using 6 Ton jack stands at a minimum for the height. Early on I used cheap jack stands on blocks - unsafe bad idea.

An engine support bar can be helpful: Not a good idea to put a jack under the oil pan

There are variations such as dropping the transmission separately, Tiptronic vs manual trans. Dropping the rear suspension with the engine is a good alternative if you are swapping an entire drivetrain to another car or replacing suspension components. Tom's Spec Car build: Spec Boxster Build