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Posted by: 914-Kazoo Jul 16 2022, 06:19 AM

I'm planning on dropping the engine out of my 1974 2.0 liter 914. I've got my car on a BackYard Buddy drive on lift. I have a concern that the clearances between the ramps could interfere with engine removal.

Does anyone know the measurements across the engine? Thanks for the help.

Posted by: mepstein Jul 16 2022, 07:50 AM

A lot of times you need to angle the engine so the engine tin clears everything. Not hard.

Posted by: mgphoto Jul 16 2022, 11:22 AM

Factory manual says the body should be 27 inches off the ground, remove air cleaner and auxiliary heater fan if it’s there, might help to remove the rear valance.

Posted by: GBX0073 Jul 16 2022, 12:33 PM

+1 remove the rear valance

Posted by: NARP74 Jul 16 2022, 02:35 PM

I think he is talking width, not height.

Posted by: 914-Kazoo Jul 16 2022, 05:22 PM

Yes, that right. Im looking for the width across the engine, dont want the tire ramps to get held up on the engine when I lift the car body off the engine.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

Posted by: rgalla9146 Jul 16 2022, 06:15 PM

Measure the width of the cast iron engine support.
I think that's the widest part.
Also, If you're lifting the body above the engine the tire ramps will be free to be moved away.

Posted by: bkrantz Jul 16 2022, 09:03 PM

If you remove the cross bar, the widest dimension will be across the front corners of the sheet metal. You can measure this from the top, in the engine compartment.

Posted by: davep Jul 16 2022, 09:28 PM

Here is one really good trick. I have done a lot of single handed engine drops with just a trolley jack, and the rear of the car on jack-stands or ramps. Get some sheet metal or similar material about 6" wide and a couple of feet long. These are fitted between the engine tin and the inner suspension consoles when the pivot shafts with nuts on the end interfere with the engine tin as it drops. The sheet metal helps to guide the engine tin over the ends of the nuts making for a smooth drop.

Posted by: Amphicar770 Jul 17 2022, 05:54 PM

I ran into this issue with my 4-post lift. Here is what I had to do.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=274995&hl=

When putting it back in, the tangerine racing plate attached to a transmission jack was a huge help.

Posted by: 914-Kazoo Jul 25 2022, 07:26 PM

Amphicar770, thank you for the suggestions. I've got 37" clearance between rails so the tin does not clear. So would you suggest removing tranaxle first then drop engine onto lift cart spin cart and then lift car to clear engine? Thanks again for your help.

Posted by: VaccaRabite Jul 26 2022, 08:38 AM

Take it off the lift/ramps and use a jack and jackstands.

If it does not clear your lift, you are going to make it a LOT harder then it is if you try to separate the transmission.

Its 4 bolts and lower if you keep it as one unit. It is NOT hard to do using a jack and jackstands.

Zach

Posted by: Superhawk996 Jul 26 2022, 09:39 AM

Even easier if you happen to have the Tangerine Racing lift plate. Back in the 80's, I spent years dropping the engine with nothing more than a K-mart socket set, two jackstands, an Allen Wrench for the shift coupler, a pair of Vice-Grips, and a tiny K-mart 2-ton hydraulic jack.

Given the thread started 10 days ago, the engine could have been in and out 10 times by now.

This is a case where nice equipment is making a job harder than it needs to be.

Posted by: 914-Kazoo Jul 30 2022, 07:26 PM

Thanks for the replies, your right I'm overthinking this. Got everything apart except for the last 4 bolts, rolled off the lift and will finish the removal once I receive my freshly ordered Tangerine lift plate.

Thanks to everyone for your help with my first engine/trans drop.

Posted by: ChrisFoley Jul 31 2022, 04:41 AM

Hi Malcolm.
Not sure why the USPS couldn't deliver it Friday. Tracking shows that it was in Grand Rapids by Thursday morning.