Pulling Engine Help

[Harlan Halsey]

For me the hardest part is getting the engine out from under the car. The usual floor jack has a 19" lift which is insufficient, when placed under the hoop, to allow the engine to clear the rear of the body. So now I replace the rear bumper with a sling and suspend the body from above. No more balancing the car on a 6 x 6 on a 2 x 4 on the floor jack!
I like John Brooks solution. (I too like modifying cheap tools to do a custom job. I have an extended, modified, floor jack with which to reach the quick jack mounts on my Ginetta G4.) But years ago I made a low as possible wood dolly which the jack will just slide under. I remove the engine with the jack under the dolly, then roll the engine on the dolly out from under. Then I just roll the engine over to the bench mounted engine stand, and lift it with the same come-a-long I bought from Sears in Boston about 1964. I would not recommend a cheap engine stand.
We used to change race engines by just pushing them off the jack onto cardboard, grabbing the exhaust, tilting, and sliding them out. But that was then when there were more of us, in both senses.

IMG_0863 A Lift.jpg (889.51 KiB) Viewed 580 times

[Vic Skirmants]

One comment on removing the two top bolts: you can't remove the starter side bolt all the way without pulling the starter back.
Personally, I don't remove those bolts.

[Steve Hatfield]

One more little tip: to aid in reconnecting the fuel line hose onto the engine pipe outside the front flywheel shroud, insert a short ‘collar’ length of hose onto the exposed pipe. This will allow one-handed installation of the supply hose from the tank where there’s only room for one hand anyway. The ‘collar’ remains despite the originality cops.

[Steve Turino]

Thank you all very much for the comments and tips. I don't think I would be doing this job without the Registry community's help. We got the lump out easily yesterday afternoon. I had everything disconnected, even managed to get my hand and a wrench over the top to the starter side bolt and stuff some rags in there to hold the wrench while I took off the nuts behind the fan shroud. Then my friend came over and we did the removal, took maybe twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of work and 2.5 hours of yakking!!! Gonna have to change this paradigm.
Just a little background- as far as I can tell from the spotty history I have on the car I don't think any drive train work has been done since 1994. I don't know how many true miles were on the car when I got it in 2017 as the odometer was not working but was stuck at 89271. I got speedo/odo rebuilt late last summer, a working odometer is very nice to have for records and maintenance.
With a working odometer I could ascertain oil consumption at about 1 quart every 500 miles give or take. Seemed like a lot. Engine didn't smoke too badly and idled and ran pretty well (rebuilt carbs electrical tune up etc.) I did a recent compression test with results of 90psi cyl 1-2 and 95psi cyl 3-4 which seems quite low. Also a lot of oil leaks. So.......... time to rebuild. Really looking forward to the process. Now more dismantling and coming up with a rebuild game plan. She's just a little B coupe and she ain't perfect but she's mine.
Now I am looking at the transmission and wondering if "while you're in there" I should have this rebuilt as well. Wasn't giving me any real trouble but did have a mild "milling " sound in all gears at all speeds especially if I rest my hand on shifter, (seems to pick up more vibration). I don't know if this milling sound is typical. When I changed trans oil last summer it wasn't full of metal just some hair on the magnet. In reverse it has a kind of ringing/clicking sound which again I don't know if this is unusual. Seems to me my dad's 65 beetle had this sound in reverse but we are going way back for this memory. The nose seal is definitely leaking.
Anyway sorry for the long post, but I want to again thank everyone for taking the time to help me with tips, book suggestions, Pellow tapes (thanks Mike W!) and all. I hate to say it but I am going to be pestering you all insufferably, in the weeks to come. Oh, and Al Z. I already got your "Torque Dude"

[Doug McDonnell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-6bUQT8iaE Here is Franny's recent youtube change of front trans seal. I have always heard that resting your hand on the shifter is one of the worst things you can do to Porsche synchros. PS "Just a little B coupe" is one of the best handling 356s ever made. But if you add Vic Skirmant's Camber Regulator and John Willhoit's front 17.5 MM front sway bar you won't be disappointed. I love spending other peoples money :>)

[Mike Wilson]

I attach a long length of fuel hose to the metal fuel line on the engine before installing it. That way you don't have to be a contortionist to attach it after installation. If you are going to install an in-line fuel filter under the car, just cut and install it. Much easier to install the fuel hose on the tunnel line than the one on the engine.

Mike

[Geoff Fleming]

Doug, you mean Vic's camber regulator, not compensator. Quite a difference in function between the two. ( Vic's unit does resemble an old compensator a bit.)

[Martin Bruechle]

" I have always heard that resting your hand on the shifter is one of the worst things you can do to Porsche synchros. "

When I was 18 I was giving this VW shop owner that also built transmissions a ride about a mile to look at a customers car that broke down.
In my VW bug he yelled at me " Get your hand off the shifter your going to ruin your transmission " that was in 1978.

[Doug McDonnell]

You are correct Geoff I will amend my comment.

[Steve Turino]

Just to clarify, I don't make a habit of resting my hand on the shifter as I have always heard that it's no good. I only meant that I noticed more sound from vibration in those moments of contact. Any comments on reverse "ringing/clicking" sound or mild milling sound? Normal? How about oil consumption of 1 quart/500 miles and compression in the 90's

[Steve Turino]

Doug thanks for the link to Franny's video.

[Martin Benade]

That’s not really bad oil consumption, many much younger German cars call that acceptable, but less would be possible and better.

[Harlan Halsey]

+1 I seem to recall that Porsche said that consumption of 1 qt. / 600 mi was not cause for concern.
Compression tests, depending as they do on battery, connection, and starter health. are relative, not absolute. It is the similarity that counts, not the absolute number. But today, the leak down test is much more informative.

BTW, VW made a special starter bolt which would pass the starter body.

[John Brooks]

I would do a leak down test while it's out 95 psi is low but it might be cranking slow

[Steve Turino]

John- yeah I should've done a leak down test but the engine is pretty much stripped down now. This is a good thing as it is giving me a good education and understanding of the workings of this motor. It was time for this old gal to get some love. By the way that is a snazzy engine jack you built.