Porsche 914 How to Drop the Engine

Why struggle and procrastinate? Just drop the engine already! It's easy once you know the steps. My 1974 2.0 is fuel injected. Carb engines involve a few different (obvious) steps, but the process is pretty much the same. Figure on 2 - 3 hours to do this, depending on your familiarity with the car and mechanical ability. The Tangerine Racing lifting plate makes this job much easier. Here's the link-no affiliation.
www.tangerineracing.com/tools.htm
Pelican also has a helpful checklist which can be found here:
www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...
Please keep in mind that I'm not a professional mechanic and no video can replace proper experience. Don't attempt this work if you're not confident in your abilities. Please be careful and ALWAYS use a safety backup when working under a car!

[@IanKarr]

If you find these videos helpful, I'd appreciate it if you'd subscribe...and consider becoming a supporter of my channel. Please visit my Patreon link and see what you get for the price of a bitter cup of coffee! www.patreon.com/iankarr

[@rodj9902]

holy smokes Ian, you do a great job explaining everything. yep i plan on dropping the engine sometime this winter. Thanks !!!!!!

[@IanKarr]

Glad you found the video helpful!

[@vtm914]

Great video. Years back with no experience i followed a pelican parts tech article on dropping the 914 engine. I used a combination of floor jack for the transaxle and all thread for the engine bar to very slowly lower them down. The fuel rail can easily get hung up on the engine compartment body while lowering the engine/ trans.

[@IanKarr]

indeed it can. Lots of ways to drop the engine in thee things. I really like the tangerine tool.

[@benoitfauteux4920]

Hi Ian, you just gained a new subscriber! This is a nice video to summarize all the steps i did NOT document 6 years ago when i dropped the engine. A lot of life happened since then and you are motivating me to get back into it. Thanks and keep at it. Will watch the whole collection of videos! Cheers from the Montreal area!

[@IanKarr]

Thanks! Welcome back to wrenching on 914s!

[@thelsel348]

Good video. You covered all the major steps. Slight variations for earlier cars with crappy shift linkage. Biggest hassle for me was getting the engine to clear the rear suspension. It's tight. I once changed the clutch with the engine in the car. It was a total pain removing the flywheel bolts without an impact gun. Dropping the engine makes that a whole lot easier. Valve adjustments are easier while you have it out too. Great video man.

[@IanKarr]

Thanks, Tom!

[@robertcrocker901]

I would never attempt such a job but it's nice to see how it's done. THANKS!!!

[@IanKarr]

It's not hard at all!

[@truecrimejungle]

love that back luggage rack. so classy.

[@IanKarr]

Ha! At first I hated it. Now I've grown to love it. And it's functional. I actually used it on a trip up the California coast to the Quail in 2019.

[@ReviveMyRide]

Great video and everything well explained with lots of hints and tips - thanks! Will be trying this soon. The engine in my car was running when I got it but won't start now (having been sat a while), so I am going to drop it out to see what's what!

[@IanKarr]

Glad it helped...good luck!

[@robrogers2532]

Oh I remembered to disconnect the ground strap... However I did forget to reconnect the ground strap... Which made my car (70 914) seem like it was possessed and had a mind of its own. Great Video!

[@IanKarr]

Rob Rogers Ha. I know what you mean. Funny how misdirected electrons can wreak havoc. Glad you liked the video.

[@richardhutto4602]

These videos have helped tons ! Thank you for posting them

[@IanKarr]

Thanks, Richard. Glad you like them!

[@bradleyjohnson452]

Awesome video. I may have a engine drop in my future. Looks like those quick Jacks are the way to go.

[@IanKarr]

Thanks. Yes the QJ's are really useful. And they feel so much more stable than jack stands. Get the newer SLX size. If you're doing any meaningful engine work at all, def go ahead and do the drop!

[@Wachuko-1]

Excellent video! Thank you for sharing.

[@IanKarr]

Thanks Jaime!

[@DMcTyke]

Brilliant video. You make it look so easy 😃

[@IanKarr]

Thanks. But if I can do it, anyone can.

[@cassmcentee]

Thank you for this, will be referencing it soon enough!

[@IanKarr]

Glad you found it helpful! Good luck with the drop...it's really not that difficult. Just be safe...

[@herdofcrickets]

Thank you, great video. About to drop mine due to a value seat coming out.... Ick. Where did you snag that floor jack plate?

[@IanKarr]

herdofcrickets sorry to hear. I’ve been following your thread on 914 world... there’s a link to tangerine racing, who makes the plate, in the video description. Feel free to pm me on 914 world (cuddy_k) if you have any questions

[@davedarling4316]

Oh, a bolt inside the U channel of the outboard mount? That's a great idea!! I'll have to remember it next time I drop my motor. I usually wind up torquing myself all around the place to wedge a wrench over the nut and inventing new curse words when the thing falls off for the sixth time...

[@IanKarr]

Yeah, the contorting and cursing is what drove me to the bolt wedge. Necessity being the mother of invention ;).

[@graemelliott3942]

Love the American Pie reference and the Car Porn! Great minds think alike 🏁

[@IanKarr]

Thanks, Graem!

[@edwinwise6751]

I had a 75 and did this operation . What you showed was spot on .. however the most difficult part of my project was endless pieces of sheet metal parts connected too the heater boxes and heat shrouds with a lot of frozen fasters that had to come out before the engine . In your video I didn’t see any of that

[@IanKarr]

Thanks Edwin. No need to remove any shrouds when dropping the engine. Def do need to disconnect the heater cables. And as for frozen fasteners...sometimes you get lucky I guess :)

[@theil6]

Great Video, I just bought a 75 2.0 Chalon and will probably have to pull it. I have done it several times but it was 30 years ago.!!! Looking Forward to it...! Where did you get that plate for the Jack?

[@IanKarr]

Thomas Heil congrats on the car! The plate is from tangerine racing. There’s a link in the description. Be safe and good luck!

[@stevenhenry8743]

Great video and beautiful car! One question, where did you get the jacks? Are they hydraulic?

[@IanKarr]

Thanks Steven! They are QuickJack 5000. Great units...but get the new SLX version. more versatile

[@bradleyjohnson452]

thank you for this video. I will be pulling my engine for the first time soon. Do you have any info on building a engine running cart to test the engine outside of the car?

[@IanKarr]

Sorry I haven't built a test stand but if you check 914 world, others have

[@BG-gg9pl]

Thanks a lot! Great prep for work today 👍. Good video, good direction, good amount of bs, 👍.

[@IanKarr]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Tmrfe0962]

Thank you, great video, am thinking of pulling my motor this winter, what would you charge to come supervise? 🤔 thanks for the tips!

[@IanKarr]

We 'teeners help each other. It's not about money! Where do you live? Happy to help if I can.

[@Tmrfe0962]

Near West Point....I saw your from NY. Thanks for the offer. Hadn’t exactly come with a jump plan, but....my email [e-mail], maybe we could talk. Thank you

[@356classiccars4]

Nice ! Where did You get the plate for jack for 914 engines? Or maybe its Yours metall impression. Very useful!

[@IanKarr]

Thanks! Tangerine racing. Link in the description...

[@Tommys914]

Thanks Ian for all your great videos.I recently purchased my second 1976 2.0 914.My first one in 1982 I had to drop the engine to replace clutch. I can't remember if it was necessary to remove the engine mount bolts connected to the support. I live in the mountains of WV and have a blast driving the 914 on these curvy roads.Keep up the good work!

[@IanKarr]

Thanks! If you're going to replace the clutch without dropping the engine, then no...you don't need to remove the engine bar bolts. Just the nuts holding the transmission to the case, and the 4 bolts holding the rear ears of the transmission to the body. but make sure you support the bottom of the engine when you pull the transmission out, otherwise you may tear the rubber mounts.

[@Tommys914]

@@IanKarr Thanks again for your good advice.

[@JPA15]

Hi Ian, I have a 1972 with a 1.7. How similar would it be to this if you know? Thanks again and amazing video!

[@IanKarr]

Thanks, Jorge. The only difference would be removing the air cleaner and possibly how the cable attaches to the throttle body. The main points are the same. Have fun!

[@margeharrison7638]

i remember as a teenager removing 914 engines and tranni's all the time. Watching this video brought me back to the days on my back and straddling the tranni for a clutch job. funny

[@IanKarr]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@elizabethlaporte2731]

Awesome video. Any suggestions on jack stands? Also, what lift are you using? Is it still working well?

[@IanKarr]

Glad you found it helpful. It's one of my older ones. Wish KZbin allowed creators to add / revise...I've learned a few more tricks. I have the QuickJack and love it. There's an unboxing and setup video of that on my channel as well...

[@TateReggie]

Thank you!

[@IanKarr]

Thanks for subbscribing!

[@bertrandmaes7626]

Un grand merci, votre vidéo m'a beaucoup intéressé surtout mon mécanicien qui ne connaissait pas le modèle.

[@IanKarr]

Je suis heureux que vous et votre mécanicien ayez trouvé la vidéo utile!

[@richroeder1522]

Ian,Terrific video,I have recently purchased a '73 914 with this and the other insightful instructional videos that you have produced will make my rebuild a bit less daunting! I noticed the car you are working on has NY Tags I live in White Plains are you close? Thanks again for your efforts to keep the 914 Lost Icon on the road.

[@IanKarr]

Hi Rich. Congrats on your 914...and welcome to the addiction. I'm only about 15 minutes away. You'll have a blast working on these cars...don't be daunted. They really are quite simple. Happy to help if you get stuck. Hope to see you sometime soon!

[@thomas90112]

@@IanKarr Long Island here and I have a 73 1.7........

[@seancallahan2730]

Massive thank you to this video. It gave me great insight to a complete 914 noob. I also used a quickjack to do this engine removal and can't suggest this ~$1200+ investement more. A few things I might add are: The clutch cable needs to be fully removed through the engine support bar. The blower motor needs to be fully removed. The throttle cable bracket needs to be removed (at least on my weber carb'd car). Also, make sure you don't have a front oil cooler. I also had to remove the rear valance. I don't think that the reach to the engine bar mount nuts are that difficult. Short handle ratchets make that easier though. However, the reach to the rear transmission bolts/nuts are cumbersome.

[@IanKarr]

Congrats, Sean! Thanks for the extra tips. Did you remove your carbs for the drop? Also, which model QuickJack do you have? Mine is the older style 5000. The newer ones have lifting points that stick out past the vertical supports which makes getting at the engine bar easier. I’m thinking about upgrading for that feature...and being able to lift my cayman which has a wider spread.

[@seancallahan2730]

Ian Karr I had to remove the carbs as they're as high as the blower motor but was able to leave the intake runners. I have a new SLX 3500.

[@IanKarr]

I had a 73 with carbs and had to remove those too...but the blower motor is attached to the frame. Not sure why you had to remove it?

[@seancallahan2730]

I've got a '71. The blower motor was attached to the motor on top of the cooling shrouds. Seems to be an early vs late model split.

[@IanKarr]

Ah.. cool.

[@1955ID]

Super, bientôt aussi 914 6 ? Merci

[@IanKarr]

merci et bonne chance!

[@pedrokim7435]

Good work, did you rebuild the engine?

[@IanKarr]

Thanks! I refreshed the engine with powder coated tin, blasted plenum and runners, etc. Changed fuel lines too.

[@motorv8N]

"This one time at band camp..." LOL - perfect! Thinking of getting a 914. Any buyer's advice? I keep reading references to "the hell hole" and the "longs". .? I also read a lot about what a blast they are to drive. One of those cars that is way more fun than the spec sheet might indicate at first glance. I'm also reasonably mechanically inclined so would hope to do most/all maintenance myself. Cheers

[@IanKarr]

Ha! finally, someone appreciates my humor ;). Buyers advice? Buy the best car you can afford. Good ones approach 20K now. Great ones lots more. The hell hole is an area underneath the battery tray. Bad design caused acid gases from the battery to mix with rainwater and eat through the metal below, compromising the rear suspsension console and longitudinal frame members (longs for short - see what I did there? ;). Don't buy a 914 without a pic of the longs, especially the right side (rockers removed-simple to do) and the hell hole area. These cars came with rust as standard equipment. Hell hole repair can run up to 10K in an otherwise nice looking car. Join 914world.com and ask any question you like...you'll be inundated with great info. Yes these cars are great fun. And addictive. Enjoy!

[@IanKarr]

motorv8N yep. Backdating is easy and done all the time. Hardest part is finding nice bumpers. The bumper tops are also not cheap..

[@dewder74]

I'm in the middle of rebuilding my 914. My engine bay is filthy; thanks previous owner. Compared to mine, your engine bay, and engine, is spotless. What kind of exhaust do you have on the car? It looks like mine, which is a Ansa Marmitte.

[@IanKarr]

That’s a Monza exhaust. I’ve since replaced it with a dansk banana.

[@arnoldmosk494]

Whenever you put things back in , never forget to put in new CV joint bolts !!

[@IanKarr]

agreed! and new schnoor washers

[@TimeLapsesBaudet]

many...many thanks!

[@IanKarr]

you're very, very welcome!

[@TimeLapsesBaudet]

@@IanKarr Thanks to this video, get the 911 engine down! I had the transmission stuck and I did not know if I was missing one more step since I left the transmission on and the engine off. The little details in the videos, like separating the "driving arms" are very helpful! Saluds y Salud!

[@bobsimkin7407]

In the video you took the jackstands out. If I don't have the lift you have where do I position the jack stands to stay during removal? Also how high is the body off of the ground to provide enough clearance to slip the engine out? Thanks.

[@IanKarr]

Hi Bob. You can position the jack stands on the "donuts" just forward of the engine bar. As for height, my car is at 22 inches. A little higher makes things easier (you don't need to remove the rear valance). Please don't use ratcheting-type jack stands...the pin type ones are much safer!

[@walterbrooks3539]

Is there a similar jack adapter for a 3.0CS engine for the 914? I imagine the 6cyl weighs a bunch more than the 4cyl. Thanks.

[@IanKarr]

Hmmm. I'm not sure. You might want to check with Chris at tangerine racing...

[@LeonardZech]

Ian, any idea how much or many of the 'gaskets' contain Asbestos? Looking to import a 914 into Australia and the government is quite strict about this. Cheers.

[@IanKarr]

I'm not sure, but I don't think any new gaskets contain asbestos. The only thing I've seen on these cars that looks like asbestos is on the heater flappers...but it could be something else. Thanks for watching in Australia!

[@acchaladka]

Curious, i was looking at one of these and it looked pristine but a 72 1.7 straight body and of course everyone told me to get a 914-6 (unaffordable), while my mechanic told me they're totally unsatisfying and he hates working on them. I noticed that a 986 Boxster is less expensive now. What am i missing?

[@IanKarr]

I say get what makes you excited to own and drive. All cars have their advantages and drawbacks. For me, the 914 is just plain fun.

[@sethdbourne]

I’ve always thought these cars were neat, a lot more work than drooping the engine in my 1965 beetle 😁

[@IanKarr]

Yeah, but not a huge deal. after one or two drops you can do it in about 90 mins.

[@gregn267]

Where do you get the plate for the floor jack?

[@IanKarr]

Tangerine racing. www.tangerineracing.com/tools.htm

[@Van-tastic]

Ian, how did you get the speedo cable out of the engine bar? I don’t see a way to get the 27mm aluminum nut off the cable since it presses against the lip on the end of the cable.

[@Van-tastic]

Nevermind lol... The clutch and speed are zip tied together and I got them swapped. When I got under the car I realized it is the clutch that goes through the engine bar🤣 I'm actually more relieved than embarrassed lol....

[@IanKarr]

so many tiny bits to keep track of ;)

[@jeffbooth7388]

Good stuff. I watched this (at work) pre-drop. Very helpful. The comic aspect needs some work but... :)

[@IanKarr]

Apparently you need some work as well ;) !

[@NortheastVintage]

Which engine lifting plate should I buy? Old style? New style with bolt hole or new style with bushing? Thanks

[@IanKarr]

Depends on your jack...

[@NortheastVintage]

@@IanKarr Thanks!

[@davidahrens2841]

Sometimes, it is very difficult to separate the CV axle from the transmission flange Also, my 1971 engine bar bolts are recessed up into the end piece wondering how to remove them

[@IanKarr]

I find the easiest way to separate the CV from the flange is to take a narrow chisel or screwdriver, place it on the paper gasket between the CV and flange and GENTLY tap it in. The trick is to do it near the roll pins, which you can see by the bumps on the back sides of the flanges. Don't pry hard or go aggressively or you'll damage things.

[@Oncewaslostbutnowimsaved]

Make more Porsche 914 videossssss

[@IanKarr]

Working on em!

[@mecarloschavez6281]

Why my 914 trans case comes with a vw logo stamp?

[@IanKarr]

Because it was made by VW

[@andrewsoupene1028]

Can you just drop the engine without the trans ?

[@IanKarr]

you can drop the trans without the engine, but not vice-versa

[@Level_Up_Nation]

He says all of this like all the bolts are not rusted and turn to dust when you tough them. lol But, thanks for the video, so it's kinda like dropped the Lambo engine.

[@IanKarr]

Rust came as standard equipment ;). Heat is your friend

[@Level_Up_Nation]

@@IanKarr that's what I keep hearing, thankfully mine doesn't have much floor rust as I thought.

[@venom4169]

Cant take the damn fan shroud off

[@IanKarr]

Yeah, that happens. Need to drill out those cheese heads. Why are you taking the shroud off?

[@venom4169]

Ian Karr never mind we got it we are replacing the cylinders and pistons