Gearbox removal with engine still in?

JRWhybrow · Post by **JRWhybrow** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:53 am

DDK'ers can you help?

I've searched the forums but can't find a topic covering this although I'm sure there must be, please point me at the link if you know where it is.

I've got a 1973 911T 2.4 Targa and I need to get my gearbox rebuilt as it cunches badly on 1st, 2nd & 3rd - any recommendations on specialists near London gratefully received.

But to save some cash I want to take it out and clean it up myself then drop it off somewhere for the proper work to be done.

I've been told that you can take the gearbox out without removing the engine. I'm working in a small lockup with no pit and have jacked the car as high as possible. Driveshafts, gear linkage, rear anti roll bar and starter are off, and the main bolts all loosened.

Now before I stuff something up

can someone help with the top tips to make sure I don't break anything?

Cheers,

John

davidppp · Post by **davidppp** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:12 pm

Hello, John.

Its really not worth it..just drop it all together..

kind regards
David..

davidppp · Post by **davidppp** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:14 pm

Hello, John.

Its really not worth it..just drop it all together..

kind regards
David..

Lightweight_911 · Post by **Lightweight_911** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:18 pm

Virtually impossible to remove the gearbox without the engine - especially in a restricted space...

Gary71 · Post by **Gary71** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:20 pm

Hi John, Take the whole thing out!

Sounds like you've done the hard bits anyway.

It's really not worth the struggle for the sake of a couple of fuel/oil lines and electrical connectors. I made up a wooden trolley to make things really easy, although you can just do it on a trolley jack with a couple of helpers to stabilise things. Whilst your box is off you can do valve clearances in half the time and all the other things that are so much easier with it out.

If you keep it all on the trolley you can wheel it outside, do the work then park it back under the car when you are finished. Good luck

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 2:36 pm

Gary, silly question, how did you get it onto the trolley?

Gary71 · Post by **Gary71** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 4:42 pm

Instructions!

1.Jack car up
2.Get everything off ready to come out expect the box mount and the 2 rear mounts.
3. Slide the trolley underneath.
4. Lower the car down until the engine/box assembly sits flat on the trolley. I put a peice of wood under the front to level things up a bit. Take the weight on the trolley.
5. Take the four bolts out.
6. Jack the car back up again (super high this time!)
7. Slide out!!

Then you can rebuild the box using the engine as a stand.

hot66 · Post by **hot66** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:10 pm

Gary, I assume you missed the bit off about makeing sure you remove the rear wheels so you can lower the back end down far enough so the engine / box rest on the trolley?

Lightweight_911 · Post by **Lightweight_911** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:32 pm

Sounds like a good idea - what's the approx length of the trolley ?

Gary71 · Post by **Gary71** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:46 pm

I assume you missed the bit off about makeing sure you remove the rear wheels

....and the rear panel!

I guess the trolley is about 1.0m square, but this just happened to be the size of the play table I made for my son (hence the green top for his trains!)... He was glad to donate it to a good cause

Oh and I missed the bit about frigging about with the gearshift rod as you jack the car up to get it out of the body!

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 7:48 pm

And how are you jacking the car up? Usually I go under the engine, which may present a bit of a problem with this method

.

Good plan.

Gary71 · Post by **Gary71** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:55 pm

I jacked it on the engine first time up, then came back down again one step at a time each side using a trolley jack under the rear trailing arms.

The whole job took 1 1/2 hours including the time taken to convert my son's table into a trolley, and the longest part was the jacking. Two trolley jacks and a mate would take 20 minutes off!!!

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:29 am

I suppose the alternative would be to widen a trolley jack, or put outriggers on, and have a second head for it, that completely supports the engine/box. That way you could lift the car right up by the engine, axle stand as usual, then drop the engine/box, knowing it is all supported, rather than the exitement that is 'I wonder if this is about to chop my supporting hand off/crush my feet/generally fall off the jack' etc (

).

Sod's law would then say that you would then need the trolley jack (now it's got an engine/gearbox on it)

.

Gary71 · Post by **Gary71** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:04 pm

about to chop my supporting hand off/crush my feet/generally fall off the jack'

Is that not part of the fun

The other thing I considered was making the engine trolley high enough to get the trolley jack under. You could then jack it down/up and withdraw the jack leaving the engine free on the trolley. The car would have to be really high though to clear the carbs/MFI, although you could pull them off first.

JRWhybrow · Post by **JRWhybrow** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 1:57 pm

Thanks for all the advice, instructions and motivational photos guys. I'll drain the oil and get stuck in with the engine too.

Think I'll need a bigger trolley jack though. My poxy Halfords one took four attempts with increasingly obsure padding materials to get the car up as high as it is now. And it looks like I'll need to get rid of the windsurfers hanging from the garage roof for the extra clearance!

I'll let you know how it goes.

Cheers.