docmirror

Usually once you get the car up on the stands, and you have a decent creeper, the job proceeds pretty well. You'll find yourself out there after the kids are in bed, about 11:30 with the shop light wrenching away smoothly for 2 hours or so. Or, if you're a morning person, you'll hop up at 5-ish and go out and lay under there and fiddle with stuff before the day gets going. After a week or so, you'll realize that you are only a few days away from being done, then you'll take a full Sunday and close it up.

It's the getting started that gets in the way, but once it's up, things move well. I did my first MM job under the car on stands and it wasn't fun, and it wasn't pretty, but if I can do it at my age, anyone can. Plan to buy some tools along the way, and lots of cleaning supplies. I can recommend a GTS baffle upgrade while the pan is off, and if you didn't get the stud kit, that's a nice option.

bureau13

You're so right. It usually takes me one or two attempts to actually start working even on small jobs, if I haven't done them before.

I did not get the stud kit..I wasn't sure what the benefit was, to be honest, although I've noticed that a lot of folks have done it. The GTS baffle is one I'm not familiar with but I will look into it.

Crumpler

You know I did use the stud kit, the benefit (and opinions will vary) is that you can only torque screws into the aluminum block so many times... Until you can't.

I'm going to have the same problem the next time I do my WP, actually. Has anyone every done studs on that I wonder?

dr bob

WP Stud kit discussion has been brought up a couple times by me, casually though, with no significant response. Proper prep of block and the right bolts makes studs 'nice' but not really a benefit.

Studs on the sump are almost essential if you use the silicone gasket. The pressure needed (or tolerated) is less than the cork or composite gaskets, to the point where you do better counting turns on nuts vs any particular torque spec.

Jeff:

There are several excellent guides to doing the MM project. I share on MM/OPG threads the need to do enough pre-job cleaning that you aren't working through crud and slime. Otherwise, it's just a matter of unbolting things in a particular order, keeping careful track of the pieces and fasteners in order as you disassemble, then reassemble with the new parts. It's not rocket science by any measure, just a matter of doing things in the correct order.

Most 'narrow' garages are narrow because the walls have grown in towards the middle over time. Take the opportunity to un-grow walls a bit, back towards original dimensions. With the taller 6T stands and a good creeper, you'll be fine if there's room to slide out and get up. You'll need room to use a jack to get the car up, plenty of room to get the job done.



I use plastic dishpans or trays (think WalMart for a few dollars each...) to help keep track of project bits. I work on a section of a project, dropping parts pieces fasteners into a bin for that particular part of the project. Bins get pushed out of the way in order, so I end up somethimes with a line of them. Parts in each bin get cleaned, inspected, replaced as needed, and the bin goes back into its spot. Then the next bin and the next until all parts are clean, inspected, maybe new. Then back underneath and start working through the bins in reverse order, putting those parts pieces fasteners back in place on the car. Can't start on another section/bin until the the previous one is completely empty. You can gauge your progress based on the number of bins remaining. This means no parts left out or left over, a comfort for me. It also means that if the project is interrupted, I can come back later without worry about where that big pile of parts and nuts/bolts needs to go. They are still in order, safely in bins so they don't end up on the floor or lost forever under that dusty exercise machine stacked into the corner there behind the boxes.


On your lift access and concern for taking too much time: Coordinate with the person with the lift and outline your plan and schedule. Offer a donation for the extended use, something that will end up being a fraction of what the project would cost at a local specialist. Then Invite Folks To Participate. There are a few steps that are a little easier with another set of hands, like lifting the crossmember back into place, while aligning the fit of the heatshields and getting the pins of the mounts into the holes or something. I used my floorjack and blocks to do that singlehanded the first time, easier with help for sure.

z driver 88t

I did mine over a weekend using a friend's lift. It took me about 12 hours and it helps having a second set of hands to get the rack back in place. I did both the pan gasket and mounts like you're doing. After doing it I understand your reluctance about doing it on jack stands. It would have been a pain, but many have done it. Now that I've done it once I would probably tackle it on jack stands since I'm over the learning curve.

To get back to your questions, figure 12 hours labor at $75/hr sounds about right. Budget $1000 and you'll be safe. Not sure how far south you are in south FL.

soontobered84

It's almost always on the upper end of the time scale due mostly to cleaning and WYAIT stuff. If you have a group of people helping and a designated full-time cleaner, it can be much less time.

Not that I'm in the market for one, but pray tell where are you finding a 928 mechanic for $75/hour?

Whitesands

Did mine last week on my own, with a buddy to help it would make it easier.

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...ings-done.html

Adk46

It's a good time to replace front shocks, since you'll have the lower arm undone. If you're not happy with your ride height, this is also your opportunity to deal with a frozen collar nut on the strut (something I regret not doing). Skid plates go in easily at this time. My heat shields were no good; ordering and fitting replacement material might cause a wrinkle in your schedule. My own adventure is documented here: https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...adventure.html

Perhaps it's already been mentioned, but it might be wise to schedule a half-day with a lift just for cleaning and studying the situation.

dr bob

Can't overstress the comments on pre-project cleaning. It was my one huge regret when I did mine. Since then, folks who bring cars to do mounts on the lift get a few cans of spray engine cleaner to use before their cars appear for a clinic day. One car belonging to a clinic 'regular' was pretty slimy due to extended oil sump and PS system leakage. I sent him off with half a dozen cans of cleaner. When he arrived on clinic day, he proudly announced that he had only needed half a can, and was returning the others to my shelf. It was still a slimy mess underneath, unfortunately. Where I was living, on a hill with a shared private drive, there was no option for local cleaning. So it came apart dirty, and except for the oil pan had to go back together dirty. Not at all fun. What would have been a many-hands effort was much closer to others advising while owner did the dirty work.

Clean things like the sides and bottom of the engine, engine bay sides, crossmember, as much of the rack cavity in the crossmember that you can reach, and the suspension. Plus any other undercarriage spaces where you'll be sliding in and out. Work to eliminate risk of any crud falling into the oil sump on reassembly, by cleaning the engine from below, and also around and immediately above the rim and the crank girdle where the sump bolts up.

ltoolio

I travel a lot for work, and somehow a washcloth or two from the hotel will fall into my luggage as I'm checking out.

I've now got a pile of them in my garage, and there's always one on my creeper, along with spray bottles of water and citrus cleaner that I use to clean up anything I find.

Little by little, things are getting back to metal versus being oily, and it'll make bigger jobs I do in the future (like MM if I ever decide to drop 4 bills on them) cleaner.

5 minutes here, 5 minutes there and good progress is being made.

dr bob

Ryan, I was wondering why my hotel costs have spiked, and why housekeeping give me the evil eye.

Shop rags are amazingly inexpensive at less than $0.25 each. If they seem to get too greasy and you can't get them clean easily, throw them in a bucket with some [pick your favorite caustic degreaser*] while they wait for the laundry. I have a 'utility' washing machine next to the workbay for project grubbies, and that sometimes includes shop rags. The degreaser presoak is quite effective, and the rag wash sometimes includes a cup of Simple Green in a hot wash, with more soak time after the first minute or two of agitation.

* Most degreasers are some combination of caustic soda/lye and some emulsifier. The Purple degreasers meet this definition. Not at all suitable for degreasing aluminum parts you like, but perfect for rags and such.

jeff spahn

I have a utility washing machine also. My wife calls it, "the washing machine"

dr bob

K took a look in my machine after a load of clinic grubbies had gone through, complained about the 'ring around the basket', and was pleased that she didn't need to wash her delicates in such a hostile environment. Plus she's addicted to fabric softener, doses in both the washer and the drier. Doesn't believe that softener-fluffy towels don't do such a hot job of actually absorbing water. They do look and feel nice on the rack though. The garage washer was cheap, really.

FiveElements

I just got done putting in a torque tube, new solid motor mounts and rebuild the steering rack this week. It was a lot of work doing all three.

This past week in California, we have been getting many small earth quakes. Now I'm nervous to get under the car to put the belly pans and small details back together.

bureau13

Yikes...earthquakes are not generally on my list of concerns in South Florida, thank god...