Can you drop the engine with one floor jack or do you also need a transmission jack. I'm removing the engine to repair possible cracked head, and from reading forums, should also replace the RMS, IMS, and clutch while in there. Anything else that should be done? It has 100k on it but a new or rebuilt engine is not in the budget right now. Thanks for helping me out.
G

 

You will need two jacks. One under the engine and one under the trans. I used an ATV/Motorcycle jack under the engine and a more standard hydraulic jack under the trans. No way to do it with only one jack,

 

Replace the AOS also. It's a PITA to do and don't even ask the drama it can cause you. Mine got replaced at 104k and pretty much all the plastic parts that connect to the coolant and engine broke off as it was that brittle.

 

With the engine out the AOS is a cinch, with the engine in its a *****. The Porsche book time for an AOS with the engine in is more than it takes me to drop the engine.

The first time is always the hardest. I think it took me 8-10 hours, now I can drop the engine is 3-4 hours.

 

Drop the engine in 3-4 hours? wow. My guy took about 3-4h to drop and reinstall the tranny to do the AOS. Once the tranny was out, the AOS didn't take long.

 

Thanks for the AOS suggestion GeeTee. You and others like Dharn55 are a great help for these projects. I will probably have more questions along the way, and I will let you all know how it goes and what I find.
Cheers G

 

One of the hardest things first time around is the rear bolt on the AC compressor. Here is the trick, take the heat sensor out from between the two rear intake runners on the passenger side and use a socket (I think it is 13mm) with a 6" extension, goes straight down onto the bolt. Seems everyone struggles with this bolt the first time.

 

OK Thanks Dharn. I'm not going to work on it tonight because it is about 100 degrees in the garage tonight. Hopefully on the weekend it will cool a bit.

 

Forget the cracked head! Its is 99% the block/cylinder that's cracked my man.

 

Wow, 3-4hrs to drop the engine is impressive....is that with a hoist? Are there write ups on this anywhere?
What does AOS stand for guys? I hope I don't have any of these issues for a while yet....but I always like knowing what to do when the time comes...
thanks

 

Tim941nyc - Not sure what you are basing your statement on. I think it is much more likely that it is a cracked head than the block or cylinder. I base this on my actual experience, and on numerous others that I have worked/talked with that have had cracked heads on their cars, and having searched for a used head that was not cracked and finding many used heads that when checked were cracked. To use a figure like 99% is a little but much.

Sharp - 3-4 hours is in my driveway with jack stands and two rolling jacks. In this case practice make perfect. When I was fixing my cracked head I had a series of issues (bad flywheel sensor, expansion plugs blowing out of cams, noisy lifters, etc.) that had me dropping the engine about 5-6 times. And this time was with a C4 which takes maybe 1/2 hour extra with the front drive components. Hopefully no one else will get as much practice at it as I did, unless they are a mechanic. I have a friend that has a hoise in his garage and he does a C2 in 2-3 hours.

AOS is Air Oil Separator.

 

By fixing 5 N/A motors! if you do a search you will find plenty of people that sleeve these motors to fix the cracked cylinders. Also most of the N/A motor rms leaks are really the countershaft rear bearing letting go.. that problem is address in the 997 motors.. I have seen no coolant in the cylinder and there still was a crack in the cylinder wall. These motors have an open deck and a very sharp rod angle which put a lot of load on the unsupported top of the cylinder. I have to check but I mite have some N/A heads all would be 3.6 if they did not get scraped.

 

Mine was a 3.4, and I had the head fixed at Costa Mesa R&D. But when I was looking for a used head every one I found, and it was 3-4, was cracked in the same spot. I have also worked/talked with 6+ other owners with the same crack, most of whom have now fixed their cars.

I have over 6K miles on my repaired head. In all conversations and experience I have had with intermixes I have not talked with anyone who had a slipped or cracked cylinder, although I have seen a lot of information on this problem. I am just not sure it is more common than the cracked head issue.

I also have one friend who had a 996 with a small pin hole in the head, casting flaw that finally gave way. He had it repaired and the car is now fine.

 

I've been looking for the tools you need when removing the heads and can only find the porsche timing kit which is $670 at Baum Tools. Where is a good place to buy the tools separately, and which tools can be fabricated fairly easily at home? Also, I have bought parts from Vertex in Florida and have been satisfied with their prices and service, but just wondering if there are some other places that you guys like. Man this sure sucks having the car on jack stands for most of the summer.

 

What year and engine do you have, there's a guy selling an engine in Edmonton, out of a 99, with 28k on it. 3.4, I seen the car, there car got wrapped around a pole.