Hello all, I hope you are doing well.

I had a question regarding dropping the engine. I have a 1972 914-4 1.7L. Is it possible to separate the engine from the trans before dropping it so that I don't have to drop the trans as well? I looked at the article on the pelican forums and it only shows the procedure dropping the engine in tandem with the trans. Some Google searching yielded no good results either... and I'd rather not mess with the CV joints.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Its pretty easy to pull the trans while leaving the engine in, never seen someone try to do it the other way. Would probably be more trouble then it is worth as without the engine the trans would pretty much fall on the floor anyways.

Short answer, NO!

Although it may be possible, it will add so much additional work there is no way it is worth it.

The engine has to move back away from the front of the engine compartment because of the cables and yet it would have to move forward away from the trans to separate them.

Jim

Ok great thanks very much for the quick responses. Looks like I'm dropping the trans too.

Edit: Thanks you as well Jim, you snuck in before I could post

I just pulled the tranny while leaving the engine in the car for the first time last night.

One trick I learned:After removing the bolts.
Use a large chisel or drift pin and tap on the cv on the tranny end to drive the CV away from the tranny.
Some CVs even have a ridge that seems like it was made for that.

Just taps, no gorilla and no prying.
They popped off nicely and I immediately put the ends in ziploc bags and tie wire them up to the coilover springs to a ziptie.
It gets them out of the way.

It's actually much easier if you leave the two together.

McMark wrote a great tech article on how to drop the engine:
http://www.914world.com/specs/tech_engdrop1.php