This is interesting for me as I've never separated these engines and trannies, but may eventually. I know there are 3 locking positions on the crank pulley so you can lock the engine in position to remove the TC bolts. I wasn't aware, however, that you lock the TC too. Did I read that correct?

With all the engines I've replaced, the TC can spin freely so you can align the bolt holes.

First of all, once you lock the front pulley at TDC, do not even think about removing the pin and rotating the engine. The correct way to unbolt the TC is to do that BEFORE you lock the engine at TDC, NOT AFTERWARDS. Once the IMS retrofit is complete and the engine is back together, you can install the trans with the TC on it and rotate the engine by hand to get the bolt holes to line up. It is all a matter of sequence.��

I think he's got that, he's trying to reinstall the tranny after the IMS and RMS has been done. What I can't understand is why the TC is locked up. Do you lock the TC when removing the tranny? Why isn't it spinning for him, unless it's not seated all the way in the tranny and putting too much pressure on the flex plate. :confused:

Yes you have it correct. Part of the procedure is to lock the transfer case in position before you separate the transmission from the engine. And keep it locked until you rebolt the transfer case to the flex plate after reinstalling the transmission.

As you said, after I reinstalled the transmission, I expected to be able to turn the motor with the transfer case still locked. I expected the flex plate to be able to turn against the locked transfer case. It does not, it appears the be a very strong friction fit between the two. I can get it to move a bit, but it takes much more force than I car to impose on my crank bolt for the roughly 30 degrees I need to rotate the crank.

I did find one reference on the internet to this happening to someone else, and his solution was to resplit the transmission from the engine by an eight of an inch and then move the crank and flex plate into the proper position.

Also note there are four holes in the crank pulley - three corresponding with the locations of the flex plate mounting bolts when they are in the starter hole area and one representing tdc.

Update. I eased the transmission back about 1/4 inch, which allowed the crankshaft to turn.

To get this much play, I had to remove the cross brace and cables, undo the transmission mounts and the bolts holding the transmission cooling hoses.

Of course I also had to reinstall the engine and transmission supports too. Total delay, 2 hours.

So are those multifunctional holes? I used those three holes to insert the wristpins into the pistons as they also lock the crankshaft at a specific position when this is doable.

One reason would be the converter has moved forward and out of the front pump.

That's what I was wondering. It happened to me once doing a Subie. Turning the TC to realign the splines allowed me to push it back in. Not sure if that applies to the Porsche Tip.

Glad you got it. It sucks that it cost you 2 hours. So for future reference, realign the crank BEFORE you mate the tranny?

Yes! Make sure both the transfer case and the crank / flex plate are in the exact position they were in before you split the transmission from the motor. In my case I marked which of the three holes on the crank pulley that I used, and I never unpinned the transfer case.

Note that when you insert the locking pin in the bell housing to lock the transfer case in place, it looks to me likes it locks the transfer case in three dimensions. I'm not sure how it could slide forward as hypothesized above.

There are a couple of pros that have been on the thread, perhaps one of them will weigh in and let us know if it's normal with the tip to not be able to rotate the engine when the transfer case is locked, or if this means that the transfer case slid forward during the procedure as posited above.

I got everything reassembled and the boxster did not explode when I started it, so good progress.

It was a bit difficult to reattach the resonator box to the intake plenum just in front of the throttle body. Silicon lube wasn't enough.
Hitting it with my heat gun expanded the fitting enough to get it on.

Af first startup I have P and 4 flashing on my gearshift indicator. Tomorrow I will do some research and read codes on what this might mean - I did nothing to the transmission internals during the project, so we will see what happens...

That hose is a pain to get back on. Just no easy way to get enough leverage while leaning over the engine.

Update. To try to resolve the flashing p4 error, I cleaned the two electrical connectors to the transmission with electronic contact cleaner and compressed air. No change.

I noted that the flashing warning lights match the gear selector and fourth gear. So if you are in park you see p4 flashing. If you are in drive you see d4 flashing.

I let the car run for a while in drive up on the lift. No change to the flashing transmission warning lights.

Then I read the codes with torque. No stored or pending codes. I do realize torque does not read transmission codes on the boxster. Then I cleared the codes to reset the ECU and boom the flashing p4 went away.

Victory!