engine comig out

[tom_babbs]

hello all,

As the title says i am going to take the engine out of my 1983 944 shortly as a result of me chasing an unconfirmed oil problem to the point of having the engine in bits in the engine bay.

I think the problem is that the oilways are just gunked up so i am going to take the engine out and then strip the bottom end and give it a right good cleaning! I have already stripped the head off and it will get a bit of a spruce up and then re-fitted once the engine is out.

The first question is engine out the top or the bottom, i understand that i will have to drop the front crossmember either way but i think i will be able to lift the engine easier than lifting the car. (i have borrowed an engine hoist)

Next i plan on replacing all gaskets etc whilst i've got the engine out, is there a list anywhere of all of the seals and gaskets i need to replace?

Cant decide if i should replace all the belts and pumps whilst it is out any advice?

In the search for a bit more power whilst it is out should i; skim head to raise compression, polish inlets and outlets, lighten fly wheel (buy alloy one or get the existing one skimmed?) is there anything i can do to the fuel system, any other easy power gains to be had?

All ideas /advice greatly appreciated thanks Tom

 

[bighead]

forged the internals will give you power but at a cost !

 

[JamesO]

If your going to the trouble of pulling the engine out of the car, it would be daft not to do the belts at least.

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Drop the engine down and lift the car.!
The engines were put in from the bottom at the factory.
I changed the engine on the drive at home like that.
Drop it on to a piece of ply, lift the car with jacks or the engine crane and slide it out.
Do the belts whilst its out and the seals and maybe the water pump.
83 cars already have quite a high c/r and need 98 RON fuel.
Porsche did a good job with the engines and there are no easy power gains, better to get a standard engine running 100%. They are lively and quite light.

If you're tracking.g it, loose weight (car!) an update suspension.

 

[tref]

+1 for dropping the engine out rather than trying to lift it.

It is possible to lift it, but it involves removing the flywheel through little holes and gaps in the bellhousing in order to drop the bellhousing and flywheel from the engine simultaneously, and even then is a PITA.

Mark the suspesion bolts with tipex so they go back in roughly the right place before getting suspension geometry checked on re-assembly.

Other comment is to separate the steering rack from the crossmember - it is just four extra bolts, but it makes it so much easier than struggling with a heavy component, trying to get the splines lined up on the rack, engine mounts, yadda, yadda.

 

[944 man]

Theres no easy power to be had with these engines. You cant really improve the head and the cams are extremely conservative with replacements costing hundreds (and hundreds). Any change will require new engine management (such as from http://www.augmentautomotive.co.uk/) and youll probably need a new inlet manifold too as the stock part isnt flow balanced and it only just flows enough air for the power the car currently makes.

 

[tref]

I've yet to hear of anyone extracting any real gains from the N/A, other than the usual "just changed the air cleaner and got 200BHP" kind of tales...