Ifly951

Hi everyone.

I am in the process of pulling my engine out. I have searched this topic and no answer comes up except that the engine does come out on top with a load leveler. In my situation I need to have it come out on top because of where I live. I have everything torn down to the block, starter is out, radiator too. and everything else is about ready. I have the wiring harness to figure out and the question at hand.

If I pull out the four connecting TTube bolts, what do I do next? Can I pull the engine from the top with the clutch attached? Or do I need to pull the transaxle and Ttube "back" , then get the clutch out, and then pull the engine?

Thankyou for the advice.

Also, I have decided to sell my 16' phone dials with new tires for cheap. If anyone is interested who reads this let me know. They are in good shape (no cracks, chips, etc) but could be repainted to look like new.

fortysixandtwo

You can pull the engine completely out, with the bell housing attached to the engine. For there to be enough forward movement to clear the TT shaft, the radiator needs to be removed, and probably the AC condenser too (I didn't have one, so not sure there).

Van

Why not just put it on jack stands and take it out from the bottom? Remove one of the front struts and there's a bit of clearance in the wheel well to pull it out on a creeper or dolly.

Matt O.

Way easier out bottom. Use jack to lower engine while you use engine hoist to raise car. Easy.

shortyboy

i second pulling from bottom also,first time i pulled my motor, i first hoisted it up and forward a bit and layed it on some carpet, then used the hoist on the bumper support and jacked it sky high until i had enough room to pull the engine on the carpet through.

azbanks

I've helped with a couple out the bottom and one out the top.

I will NEVER do one out the top EVER again. We had to cut out part of the top radiator support.
Go out the bottom. It is 1/10 the work.

reno808

listen to these ppl they have done it millions of times. I have done it both ways.

audiojoe1

I am too in the same situation. I will soon be putting in the engine. I have seen people say plenty of times that putting in the engine through the bottom is easier. However I don't see how removing the steering rack and cross member to remove it from the bottom is any easier than taking the transmission out, and sliding the torque tube out of the way to go in from the top. If anyone can explain how it is easier to take it out of the bottom that would be great and I might go that direction when putting the engine in. Don't mean to hijack your thread Ifly951, I just wanted clarification as to what is easier.

fortysixandtwo

^ The steering and cross member still need to be disconnected when going out the top.

eniac

Its very easy to pull out the bottom. You leave the steering rack attached to the crossmember and remove the crossmember, steering rack, tierods, power steering pump all as one unit. Unbolt the steering linkage(1 bolt), tie rods(2 nuts), ps pump(1 bolt, 1 nut), unbolt the crossmember(4 bolts)... slide the engine forward some and drop.

I have removed and installed about fifteen 951 engines. Follow the factory service manual, it really is the best way.

Droops83

I agree that going through the bottom is the better option, there is a reason that the manual says to do it that way.

In the 951, the front hood latch and the big heat shield near the brake booster are what really get in your way when trying to go through the top.

I just dropped the engine into my future 944 Spec car last week from the top, as it was already hanging from a cherry picker to get it off the engine stand . . . I was by myself and it was almost disturbingly easy to drop in, very strange. Then I remembered that the heat shield is not a factor in a NA car, and I have no power steering crap to get in the way.

That said, from the bottom will result in less cursing.

Tom M'Guinn

Not sure what the issue is where you live, but you can put big sheets of cardboard under the car and slide the motor out on almost any surface. If you split at the 4 torque tube bolts, I think you're pan will hit the cross-member if not removed. If you split at the bellhousing, then you may have a shot. Just speculating, yrmv.

eniac

I just finished an engine swap in my home 2 stall garage from the bottom with only jackstands, engine hoist, and a jack the get the engine in and out. I raised the car as high as possible on jack stands, use the engine hoist to move the engine forward and down onto the ground on a piece of carpet which allowed me to slide the engine out and slide the new back in. Sliding it on carpet wasnt easy but I managed to do it solo.

I really cannot think of any location or situation I would choose to remove a 951 engine from the top. Even if I had to do it in a dirt driveway I'd go out the bottom.

Maybe if I had to remove an engine on the 18th hole green at Palm Beach and had to pay for the grass damage I might consider removing an engine from the top however I don't see that happening in the near future.

Tom M'Guinn

I did mine on jackstands by myself too, in my two car garage. Wasn't terrible, and not sure a lift would have made it that much easier really -- just less rolling around on the floor. I suppose if you were doing in outside on dirt in rain/snow, I might reconsider going out the top. But if conditions are that bad, then not sure I'd try the job at all...

Ifly951

I thought taking it out of the top would be easier because I have the engine torn down to the head already, plus ac bracket out and Turbo bracket also. It's essentially just the block at this point. I was also hoping to avoid the crossmember as it looks to be alot of work to get out. As it is right now I can move the engine slightly by hand because the Ttube bolts are loose, but not out yet.

I just need to see if I can get this engine out without having to move the TTube and transaxle. At this point I don't care which way it comes out.

If I can get the engine out of the top with just taking the four Ttube bolt's out, leaving the oil pan on, and have enough room to clear the crossmember I can have this engine out in 20 minutes.