Hey all, is anybody interested in a weekend of grease, grime, beer and relaxation in the woods near lake Huron?

I need to drop my engine to crack open the transmission and fix a leak, plus repair any damage I might find while I'm in there, and I'm going to need a few hands to help, especially if those hands have been involved in dropping an engine and tranny before!

I'm not looking to do this until March, partly because temperatures will be a bit warmer (though the garage will be heated) and partly because I just won't have time to do it until then. I also need to do it soon enough that I've got time to diagnose the transmission, order parts, fix it and get everything back together in time for the driving season. But I figured I'd post it now to see who's interested and available, then hammer out exact dates closer to the time.

The old girl just went away yesterday for the winter at my folks' cottage just outside Grand Bend, on Lake Huron. It's about 45 minutes north of London, 2 1/2 hours west of Toronto. I'll have all the tools required, so no need to bring anything. This would of course be on a weekend, and there's room to sleep 8 people (though much of that is double beds, but hey, we're all friends ) plus a few couches. And of course all meals will be provided, lots of beer (or whatever your beverage of choice may be). Figure drive Friday night or Saturday morning, get the engine out Sat. afternoon, then drive home Sunday. (is that too optimistic?)

Interest now doesn't mean commitment then - I just want to get an idea if anyone wants to come.

Thanks!
Chris

 

If I am not working I will most likely be in. Not that I have ever dropped an engine.

 

Chris, it's not a big deal really. When you're finished you'll wonder why you didn't attempt it earlier.

I dropped the motor in my SC in March by myself in a day, working at a relaxed pace. I had to replace the clutch.

I left the tranny in place because I didn't have the patience to deal with CV bolts - they were REALLY stuck.

Reinstalled it myself too.

The one thing that can totally screw up your day though is stuck fasteners, nuts, etc.

That can eat up tons of time.

Kirk

p.s. Oh yeah, and I forgot to disconnect my reverse light wiring.....ripped that in half with the drop. Oops!

 

Put me down as a maybe day visitor. You'd have better response in Pcar weather. That's a painful drive in the beater.

Ian

 

I'll help out. If 944 work is an asset. If not I can help with requisite cursing and swearing.

 

Thanks for the responses so far. Kirk, stuck fasteners ALWAYS screw up my day. Bra, button, zipper, condom wrapper... But seriously, I know exactly what you mean. They do tend to take up more time than anything else. Especially when you have to be careful with them, like brake line flare nuts.

Ian, you're right that more people would be interested if it were a combo gtg, fun run, etc. but after the engine and transmission are out, I need to take it apart, diagnose what's wrong, order parts, fix what's wrong, then put it all back together. I'm guessing this entire process will take at least a month, considering I can't put in an hour here, an hour there, like I could if it were at home in my garage.

Still, it should be a fun weekend. Despite crappy weather typical of March, it's a beautiful area. We're about a 10 minute walk from the beach, and at that time of year (assuming we don't get an early major thaw) the waves lapping up on the beach create ice walls. The process is like icicles in reverse, but they don't look at all like that. If you've never seen one before, it's an absolutely spectacular sight. Giant banks of ice sometimes as high as 2 metres .

Anyway, sometime in February I'll try to peg down a weekend. Until then, I've got a ton of research to do, and a bunch of little things to fix on the 944. I drove it home from London yesterday in pouring rain, with only intermittent wipers. How fun is that?

 

use rainex until it is fixed.

 

I can bring my hi lift floor jack wtih custom trans adapter and compressor and airtools if that would help. It will cost a lot of beer though.

 

It would be worth a lot of beer!

 

You are now my friend.

Ian

 

I'll try to make it up for a day.
Why don't we stuff a bigger motor in while we're at it.

 

Funds. If I had a spare $5K for 3.0 or 3.2, I'd be doing just that. Unless of course anybody has a donor kicking around...

 

Christien, you are going to find that the drop is, as others have mentioned, a relatively small deal.
When I did mine, working alone, I had it out, the gearbox off, and the engine on a stand within about 5-6 hours. Getting the motor onto a stand is tougher than the drop. I managed alone but there were a few moves involved that would not pass any safety scrutiny.
Putting it back in is worse, but neither requires nearly as much effort and focus as the gearbox.
Have you got the tools you need to take the gearbox apart? iirc, there are some gotta-haves.
Take advantage of the high lift jack and the transmission adapter, especially for the re-install.
You really should pull the motor apart just for fun, you know.
And, as long as you have access, rebuilding the rear suspension is a good idea. Oh yeah, a lightweight flywheel and clutch should happen when you are in there. And don't forget new shocks - they are easier to replace without the motor in place. And, of course, the clutch and throttle cables, the handbrake cable, and the fuel lines. Might as well beadblast and refinish the engine tin also. Sway bar mounts, engine bay insulation pad, taking care of any corrosion, repainting the engine bay, ....
Well, the list can go on.
Have a great time.

 

Hey Bob, thanks for the encouragement, and the shopping list! I don't have any of the tools yet, aside from what's already in my toolbox (mostly just standard stuff - the only "special" tool I've got is the feeler guage for the valves). I'm just starting reading about everything now, from dropping the engine to what to look for in the tranny, right down to just basically how a transmission and clutch work.

I don't have time, experience or frankly inclination to pull the motor apart. My thought with this car has always been to drive the original 2.4 until it needs a rebuild, then replace it with a 3.0 or 3.2. Compression and leakdown tests from this summer (chasing down a hp problem) indicate it doesn't need a rebuild yet.

I just put new shocks in last year, so that's done. I'm going to have a look at the clutch while I'm in there, which might need some parts replacing, and of course the cable for the clutch and throttle. Fuel lines should be fine. Sway bar mounts may or may not happen, that's dependant on budget. Repainting/cosmetic stuff I'm not interested in.

My "policy" about budget for upgrades (as opposed to fixes) is that, generally speaking, I'd rather spend it on seat time and improve my lap times that way, rather than through upgrades. However if you've seen any of the pics I've posted of me in corners, sway bars are getting more and more needed!

 

I am in for sure, sounds like fun (your car and all.....lol).