Engine Removal, Rebuild, and Re-installaion

[woodsman]

I too am enjoying the great pics!

[Jamesp]

More progress made now that I can take a little time off work.



Two things I would do differently are 1) Take many more pictures. I took maybe 50 during disassembly, 3 times that amount would have been better. Wide shots of the whole engine from every possible angle, and close ups of everything before it is taken apart. 2) More blue tape - I labeled every bolt and put them into ziplocks for each item removed and labeled the items for general assembly, but I did not label every connector in the wiring harness. I'd strongly recommend doing that for assembly. I finally figured it out but took a most of an afternoon to do it. I also tried to cheap out and reuse the brittle plastic vacuum balance tube. Crack! Pelican Parts, here I come. :ah:

After receiving and replacing a few items over the next few days, it will be time to put the engine back in the car.

Here are "before" pictures



Note the oil on the manifold under the power steering pump and all over everything else in that area



I intend to post pictures of the installation as well.

[Jamesp]

Originally Posted by dbergondy

Your project looks good (just saw your 12/23 post)!

I have a 2001 Boxster S with IMS failure ... trying to figure out what I should do!

Thanks for all of the pictures and information.

I've learned a lot in this process - The members in this forum have been great and I appreciate all the advice and knowledge they gave to me. If you have the time, space and money to rebuild the engine, it is worthwhile if you have that interest. I drew the line of rebuilding at whether or not the valves hit the pistons. If the valves contacted the pistons it would be time for a different engine. I would make that same decision today.

[Jake Raby]

Congrats!
You accomplished something that many professionals are afraid of, and even more try and fail.

I would think that after this accomplishment you have a new found respect for what it takes to work with these engines at an in depth level everyday.

Love to see people tackle issues and win!

[Jamesp]

So after chasing down and correcting a wiring error and a related missing standoff / clamp, the clutch alignment tool ordered over a week ago, with two day shipping, finally arrived. It says "Ford 03" on it, what a surprise. Additional progress has been made:



I'll be installing the engine in the coming days. I have identified 18 connections between the car and the engine and made a checklist. after I have verified it, I'll post it for future reference.

[MFozz]

Great thread!

[woodsman]

Yippee! A fantastic accomplishment. Thanks for posting.

[AP328]

Very impressive, well done and excellent thread!

[Jamesp]

Details of the rebuild:
Everything touched was cleaned and repainted as necessary
Heads sent out .010 out of flat corrected, new seals installed, valve job
All timing chains replaced
Chain ramps replaced
Main Bearings replaced
Thrust bearings replaced
Rod bearings replaced
Clutch disc replaced
Clutch pivot in transmission replaced
Engine seals replaced
Air oil separator replaced
Pistons and rings cleaned. Original piston rings reused
Plastic balance tube replaced
Intermediate shaft replaced with a modified IMS to reduce the chance of IMSB failure
Pelican parts IMS bolt/sealing parts used
Nachi high temp Viton sealed IMS bearing installed
New connecting rod bolts
New front motor mount

Non engine items:
New horns
Both window regulators fixed with the bicycle cable adjuster trick
Birds nests and other trash deleted from the front radiators
Broken plastic tabs on the rear wing plastic cover glued with epoxy and plastic cover re-installed
Headlights polished to remove yellow haze
Car detailed

[Barteur]

Wow just saw this thread, congrats on the rebuilt I wish I have the guts to do this one day! I am pretty sure its an awesome learning experience and you probably end with a different view of the car when driving it.

[jedblanks]

Originally Posted by Jamesp

Details of the rebuild:
Everything touched was cleaned and repainted as necessary
Heads sent out .010 out of flat corrected, new seals installed, valve job
All timing chains replaced
Chain ramps replaced
Main Bearings replaced
Thrust bearings replaced
Rod bearings replaced
Clutch disc replaced
Clutch pivot in transmission replaced
Engine seals replaced
Air oil separator replaced
Pistons and rings cleaned. Original piston rings reused
Plastic balance tube replaced
Intermediate shaft replaced with a modified IMS to reduce the chance of IMSB failure
Pelican parts IMS bolt/sealing parts used
Nachi high temp Viton sealed IMS bearing installed
New connecting rod bolts
New front motor mount

Non engine items:
New horns
Both window regulators fixed with the bicycle cable adjuster trick
Birds nests and other trash deleted from the front radiators
Broken plastic tabs on the rear wing plastic cover glued with epoxy and plastic cover re-installed
Headlights polished to remove yellow haze
Car detailed

As an engineer in Houston area who purchased a 2001 Boxster 3.2S recently, I would love to get together and talk 986 items and shoot the breeze if you have the time/inclination...

[NewArt]

Interesting that this thread came up again today, as I was just thinking about doing some major surgery on my 3.2. I have had the engine out once to do the chain guides ( mine's a 5 chain) but I've not gone deeper. It is a very rewarding as well as educational experience.
Congratulations on you successful endevour and thanks for posting your update!

[flaps10]

Jamesp! Why did I have no idea you had an engine thread on here? I knew you'd been inside for sure but didn't see the pictures or get the story behind the tear down.

One thing I cringed for a moment on was when I saw that pic of the wrist pin clip. The phone pic was very clear but it looked to me like the clip wasn't seated properly (some sticking out at the top). Could be the angle I guess. Obviously it's in just fine if it hasn't popped out in all this time.

Your main bearing description sounds identical to mine, at about the same mileage.

[Jamesp]

Originally Posted by flaps10

Jamesp! Why did I have no idea you had an engine thread on here? I knew you'd been inside for sure but didn't see the pictures or get the story behind the tear down.

One thing I cringed for a moment on was when I saw that pic of the wrist pin clip. The phone pic was very clear but it looked to me like the clip wasn't seated properly (some sticking out at the top). Could be the angle I guess. Obviously it's in just fine if it hasn't popped out in all this time.

Your main bearing description sounds identical to mine, at about the same mileage.

I did a double take when I saw the photo too. Look closely and you can tell it is the lighting.

[NewArt]

IIRC, I think that 24" clearance is needed to drop the engine and slide it out on a furniture cart.

[Lapister]

What a great idea, those furniture moving Dollys. Maybe reinforce it a bit with plywood over it. Never owned a mid engine car so it's nice to know the options we have for those without fancy garages with lifts. But for those average Joes like me how does one get a Boxster up to 24 inches? I'm asking those that have done it to replace an engine, just for future reference. I've come from the world of 350Zs or other front engine cars and by the way never looked back after purchasing my Boxster. Don't mind wrenching and just want to know how others have approached this issue.

[jsceash]

I believe you'll need a little more space than 24". The 2.7 motor in storage in my garage is 23.5" top of manifold to bottom of oil pan. My dolly is 4"

[madmodz]

The thread came in handy to look at some hoses after I pulled my intake off.

[Gelbster]

The invaluable part that James the OP offered is :
"I'll be installing the engine in the coming days. I have identified 18 connections between the car and the engine and made a checklist. after I have verified it, I'll post it for future reference."
The tangle of vacuum hoses and wiring is bewildering to reconnect. And trouble shooting it when the engine is installed but won't run/runs badly is a nightmare because of access.Beware brittle plastic vac lines and connectors ! This subject is worthy of a Pelican DIY upgrade article !There is a lot of info/diagrams available that each tell part of the story but the info is scattered and fragmented. We could start with a recommendation for silicone, small diameter vac lines?
Update - there is a new link to a primer on vac line repair/install !
http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/62979-vacuum-confusion-solved.html
The other useful point to make for future rebuilders is - at what stage do you fit the engine wiring harness? I guarantee most of us had to redo some of our work to fit it correctly. James is correct - you need lots of high definition photos.No, there are not any Internet giudes that I found to answer all the wiring harness questions - so make your own photo album !

[flaps10]

Agreed that as these cars age the vacuum lines will be a common issue. Plus for anyone, uh, "fortunate" enough to score one of these cars as a project it would be invaluable information.