Engine Installation, Question Options

[Randal]

I am going to be putting my engine in by myself, so trying to get everything lined up so it will be a smooth process.

My throttle bodies and fuel rails are wider than the stock sheet metal, so will be removing one of them so I won't have to use crazy angles (again) to get the engine back up in there. My engine is about as high as one with Webers.




I've built two large wide ramps and extra blocks so that I can have the rear wheel about 14" off the ground.

Don't have my car here so can't test it out, but figured all you jack stand / car ramp guys will know if that is high enough for my engine to fit under the bumper.

If not, some more 2 x 6's are going to get cut up for blocks.

[J P Stein]

For my weber carbed 2.7L I needed 32 inches from the ground to the rear bulkhead. The lifting gear under the motor was about 8 inches tall.

I permanently removed all the sheet metal from the motor and the engine shelf (both sides) without causing any heat problems......the engine room did get dirtier, tho.

After pushing the motor /trans in rough place and jacking the thing to full extension, I'd block the cradle in place then add a 10 inch box on the jack and take it the rest of the way up. I got good at doing it solo but extra help is good JIC.

[Borderline]

I don't like having the car that high in the air, so I remove the carbs and air cleaners and leave the intake manifolds with some tape over them to keep any crud out. then after the engine is in, I re-assemble the carbs. Also, I leave the headers off until after the engine is installed. Personal preference, I guess.

[ChrisFoley]

One of our lift plates gets the engine down to about 4" from the floor, on a jack that will raise it 14" or more (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
With the TBs out of the way you have a chance with the car at the level you mentioned Randal. You may have to get creative lowering the car a little bit to meet the engine before any of the bolts will go in.

[Randal]

One of our lift plates gets the engine down to about 4" from the floor, on a jack that will raise it 14" or more (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
With the TBs out of the way you have a chance with the car at the level you mentioned Randal. You may have to get creative lowering the car a little bit to meet the engine before any of the bolts will go in.

Thanks Chris.

As you suggested the TB's will be out of the way.

I'd cut the sheet metal, but Paul (built my engine) would be unhappy given all the effort he took to maintain engine cooling.

After carefully looking at one of the HF transmission jacks I decided to buy one for this job. It has the ability to alter angle fairly dramatically basically North, South East or West.

It is made pretty well and I think it will do what is needed. We'll see how it works when I have the motor, along with the transmission, on it. BTW I made a block to protect the special oil sump and that fits precisely into the top of the jack plate. I'll strap the engine to that plate with tie down straps.

So I should be able to get the engine to the right height to allow the bolts to go in.

Just waiting until this rain goes away and then the motor is going in. We need that T-Shirt weather that was here last week!

[ChrisFoley]

BTW I made a block to protect the special oil sump and that fits precisely into the top of the jack plate. I'll strap the engine to that plate with tie down straps.

The balance point of a 4 cyl. engine/transmission ass'y is very close to the rear of the engine.

[draganc]

Great looking engine and very interesting setup!!

Do you mind sharing some information about the “crank” sensor (I believe you have mounted it next to the fan) and the fuel rail set-up?

Thanks,
Dragan

PS: Are those Tangerine headers?

[Randal]

Great looking engine and very interesting setup!!

Do you mind sharing some information about the “crank” sensor (I believe you have mounted it next to the fan) and the fuel rail set-up?

Thanks,
Dragan

PS: Are those Tangerine headers?

Tangerine headers, yes. Chris Foley made them and they work well.

When first testing the engine couldn't get the bounce out of the Mallory distributor, even with several changes, blueprinting, etc., so the engine builder set up a crank sensor that has very little bounce. The Mallory is the backup.

I'll take some closer pictures of the fuel rail set up, along with the fuel regulator and filters.

[draganc]

Great looking engine and very interesting setup!!

Do you mind sharing some information about the “crank” sensor (I believe you have mounted it next to the fan) and the fuel rail set-up?

Thanks,
Dragan

PS: Are those Tangerine headers?

Tangerine headers, yes. Chris Foley made them and they work well.

When first testing the engine couldn't get the bounce out of the Mallory distributor, even with several changes, blueprinting, etc., so the engine builder set up a crank sensor that has very little bounce. The Mallory is the backup.

I'll take some closer pictures of the fuel rail set up, along with the fuel regulator and filters.

Thanks for the info!

Yes, Chris makes great stuff. I have a set from him as well. They look great and I hope they will work even better. I'm still working on my crank sensor setup and did not run them yet, hence the engine is not installed yet :-(.

I'm using McMark's crank disk between the flange and cooling fan. How did you mount the the disk and sensor?

Dragan

[McMark]

Dragan, looks like a Hall Effect sensor (mine is VR) and magnets mounted in the fan. Lots of FI systems use the Hall sensor because they require less 'effort' of the ECU. I'm sure either one works well.

At the risk of hijacking Randal's thread, here is the hall sensor mount I'm using on Rob Sime (ConeDodger) 's engine. Magnets are drilled and epoxied into the back of the A/C pulley.

[draganc]

Randal sorry for the highjack and thank you Mark for your input and pic.

See attached the bracket that I’m working on for a VR sensor set-up. This would bold between the engine and the fan housing. The fan housing mounting points will need to be milled down for the thickness of the bracket.

Dragan

PS: My rear valence is about 25” of the ground and a used a HF lift table to rest and remove the engine. It's been like this for more then a year (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[J P Stein]

I spent 10-12 winters under my 914. I hate jackstands....don't trust em', never will....so I made some alternatives at the get go and never regretted it.
An added plus is their usefullness for other stuff.......worked for Mr.2 also.
Plenty of room to move around under there.

[grantsfo]

Man you guys are fancy. I remember my 914 first engine install 28 years ago was on old floor jack with a piece of plywood on top with car resting on cement blocks.

Of course with Boxster got a little more creative.

This post has been edited by grantsfo: Feb 23 2011, 03:39 PM

[Randal]

I spent 10-12 winters under my 914. I hate jackstands....don't trust em', never will....so I made some alternatives at the get go and never regretted it.
An added plus is their usefullness for other stuff.......worked for Mr.2 also.
Plenty of room to move around under there.

Are those 3/4 plywood boxes JP? How high?

That will be my next project down at my buddies stair company.

[J P Stein]

Without going out to my cold garage, I recall they are made out of a basic 16 inch max cut.......rip a 4 X 8 plywood sheet into 3 ea.16 inch wide strips....less the kerf.
This makes 18, 16 inch (approx) squares. Inside each box is a X cross brace top to bottom & 2X2s in the corners.
Screw & glue the whole works together, some HF swivel casters and ya have 3 boxes.....less the X brace which requires more wood. IIRC, it took 2 sheets of 3/4 plywood. They stand about 22-23 inches tall with the casters......IIRC. It's snowing
intermittently & I'm staying in the warm house.
The 16 inch squares go at the top & bottom and the rest get trimmed to fit as required. When your done you'll have a BS degree in plywood management. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

They are stout.

[Randal]

Without going out to my cold garage, I recall they are made out of a basic 16 inch max cut.......rip a 4 X 8 plywood sheet into 3 ea.16 inch wide strips....less the kerf.
This makes 18, 16 inch (approx) squares. Inside each box is a X cross brace top to bottom & 2X2s in the corners.
Screw & glue the whole works together, some HF swivel casters and ya have 3 boxes.....less the X brace which requires more wood. IIRC, it took 2 sheets of 3/4 plywood. They stand about 22-23 inches tall with the casters......IIRC. It's snowing
intermittently & I'm staying in the warm house.
The 16 inch squares go at the top & bottom and the rest get trimmed to fit as required. When your done you'll have a BS degree in plywood management. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

They are stout.

I'll bet they are stout. When it gets warm enough to make the garage trip please show a picture of how you did the X brace. Thanks.

[J P Stein]

I'll bet they are stout. When it gets warm enough to make the garage trip please show a picture of how you did the X brace. Thanks.

The braces are permanently enclosed in the boxes so discription will have to do.

Once you have the 4 sides on the bottom of your box, measure the inside width.....prolly around 14-1/2 inches. Rip 2 of your 16 inch squares to that width.
Find the center of that width & layout a 3/4 ( actually 11/16 cause 3/4 ply ain't) inch slot X 8 inches deep & centered on that CL. Cut it out on 2 pieces and shove them together.....slot to slot (tight fits are gud)....now you have an X brace.
A couple 2 X 2s where they join for screwing/glueing purposes makes em' solid and locked within the box.

One needs a good table saw with an accurate fence.....a cabniet shop is the perfect place to find one. I built mine.......the build discription would run to pages if I could remember how I did it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) WAG bout 6-700 lbs.....but it's on casters. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

We ended up with 3-4 inches of snow last night so I'm taking vacation today.....to shovel my steep driveway clear.....bummer.

[Randal]

I'll bet they are stout. When it gets warm enough to make the garage trip please show a picture of how you did the X brace. Thanks.

The braces are permanently enclosed in the boxes so discription will have to do.

Once you have the 4 sides on the bottom of your box, measure the inside width.....prolly around 14-1/2 inches. Rip 2 of your 16 inch squares to that width.
Find the center of that width & layout a 3/4 ( actually 11/16 cause 3/4 ply ain't) inch slot X 8 inches deep & centered on that CL. Cut it out on 2 pieces and shove them together.....slot to slot (tight fits are gud)....now you have an X brace.
A couple 2 X 2s where they join for screwing/glueing purposes makes em' solid and locked within the box.

One needs a good table saw with an accurate fence.....a cabniet shop is the perfect place to find one. I built mine.......the build discription would run to pages if I could remember how I did it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) WAG bout 6-700 lbs.....but it's on casters. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

We ended up with 3-4 inches of snow last night so I'm taking vacation today.....to shovel my steep driveway clear.....bummer.

That is a real work of art JP.

I really miss having my table saw with the professional fence. Great tool.

[Randal]

The next phase of the installation begins tomorrow.

Have to sort out the electrics and finish tying together the oiling system.

Pretty exciting. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Of course if this storm decides to hit tomorrow morning all will be put on hold as I have less room, in my garage, than anyone else on the planet.

[J P Stein]

My outside thermometer says 16F this morning........