pulling the engine in an '01 base

I lost the engine in my '01 base a couple of weeks ago and am toying with the idea of pulling the engine and maybe making a Winter project of fixing it. I am wondering what the process is to pull an engine out, does anyone have an idea of how long it takes to do this and how it's done? Maybe even a write-up somewhere?

Thanks,
-Eric

Atlanta dealer replaced my 2000 S engine in less than 10 hours.... so they said. I think it was way less actually. The new engine was a crated unit. All the "stuff" was on the new engine including the A/C compressor.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Eric,
Suggest you do a search in Youtube for 'Boxster engine rebuild' and also search for 'Boxster+Nutrod'. I am currently rebuilding my 3.2 M96. This is way,way more complex and demanding than even a supercharged Jaguar engine. Plus there is very little info on rebuilding. Just the R&R is a significant task. Even if you do it yourself,where are you going to find a machinist who knows these engines? My trick was to find recommendations from the Porsche Forums and then visit the Machinists -look for M96 cylinder halves,bearing carriers and crankshafts in their shop and the equipment to work on them. Not just old air-cooled stuff, the water-cooled. I found some who claimed expertise just subed out the work to the real experts. I actually went with a Machinist who did sub out some of the work because he was way better able to inspect ,for example a crankshaft repair and measure the critical dimensions than I am.
I rejected the option of buying a used"good" engine becaue of the infamous 24 Modes of Failure. The cost of repairing+rebuilding an M96 correctly(as opposed to just 'freshening') is daunting. Figure on at least double what you might spend for the same task on a modern V6 or V8.Financially,it may not be viable because used Boxsters are so cheap.In my case ,the final cost of the rebuild is about what the finnised car will be worth ! Not smart, but I love the car.
I hope this helps you.

You or someone you trust has to be able to make that call. Unless the engine is clearly toast -- there's a hole in the block for instance -- the engine will probably have to come out of the car and be subjected to some degree of tear down to determine its suitability for a rebuild.

An experienced tech can drop the engine in under a day (8 hours), easy and based on what I've seen here and there in probably about half that time.

You are not on a clock, though, and can take your time. In fact I would advise you to take your time. Document -- photograph -- every hose every connection, in short everything. (This really is important. For example I was taught that if in the case of a car like a Boxster had to have its half shafts removed to drop the engine one has to mark the half shaft flanges so when bolting these back to the tranny again they end up the same exact place as before. If not the car may have a very hard to diagnose and correct vibration that feels like it is tire or wheel related but is of course related to the half shafts being installed differently than before.)

To repeat: Document (photograph) everything.You will not remember where everything goes months later. And months later it will not be obvious where everything goes.

Another way of putting it is getting the engine out is far easier than getting it back in again, with no drama and with the result the engine fires up the first time and develops no issues from the installation (or the rebuild for that matter).

As tonyd suggests do a search. There are I'm sure -- I've viewed a few at least part way through -- videos or an album of photos of Boxster engine R&R's, and even a few documenting the rebuild process.

If the engine needs rebuilding you might be better off dropping it and shipping it off to a well-known/reputable engine rebuilder. These are not that complicated of an engine but Porsche has not published clearances/tolerances as far as I know and I've tried to put my hands on this info.There are a few rebuilders who have learned what they need to know in order to arrive at a successful engine rebuild. They are not cheap rebuilds though.

Now this is not to say an amateur can't successfully "rebuild" one of these engines. He can provided the engine doesn't need much in the way of rebuilding. That is to say for example I came across a 996 engine -- at a Porsche dealership -- torn down for repairs for a failed IMS bearing. While the rebuild was done by a very experienced Porsche tech, all the rebuild consisted of was after a through cleaning a new IMS and bearing, probably an oil pump, a couple of chain tensioner rails/guides and new gaskets and supplies.

The tech found the rest of the engine just fine. (The engine only had around 20K miles on it and since there was nothing reportedly wrong with the engine other than the failed IMSB I suspect the tech as per Porsche didn't bother to really check every bearing with a micrometer but I'm sure did give every one a visual check looking for signs of excessive wear.)

If you find the crank mains or rod journals worn this can be a real problem. There are no oversized bearings available so one can't regrind the crank undersized and fit oversized bearings. There are no aftermarket cranks AFAIK and a new factory crank is very expensive. The original crank even if not worn should be checked for cracks. Not too many months ago at least one Porsche engine builder was soliciting for used engines to replenish his stock of cranks.

Anyhow, search out the engine removal and installation videos. View them all. Create your own manual on how to do this. Know it backwards and forwards. (When I prepared for my first solo engine R&R I knew the process by heart, memorized it by absorbing all I could get my hands on on this subject for both specifically my car and its engine but for engine drops and rebuilds in general.) Before you drop the engine though search out and view all the engine rebuild stories, videos and photo essays to see if you want to tackle this.

[www.pelicanparts.com]

For example

Cost savings? Educational? Just looking for a project to occupy spare time? Best to decide that up front so you align your goals with your actions, and your expectations are set accordingly.

For example, if the motor totally grenaded (i.e. lots of metal in the oil filter), then you'll likely need to replace almost *everything* internal, requiring access to special service tools and expertise, etc. Not for the faint of heart if you are not mechanically inclined or on a strict time and money budget. On the other hand, if you are retired and, it might be the perfect project for someone interested in how things work. Just my $0.02. Good luck

... 3 hours or less by himself. Faster with help.
Many times you drop the engine and start the test down and then realize that a rebuild is not feasible.
Be ready for that alternative.
Happy Boxsteting
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

My goal is really education and the possibilities once I pull the engine. I would like to know what happened. I also want to see if it can be repaired or if replacement is necessary. I picked up an '04 Base last week because I need my fix, lol. But, I still want to learn from this one and I think it could be a fun project.

Thanks everyone for your insights and thanks for the link Boxsterra, very good information, it will be well read

-Eric