I finally did it.. I dropped my Porsche engine this weekend!

No amount of preparation could have prepared me for this. I thought since my engine was so clean that I would be in the shop for 5-8 hours... nope. Truthfully, every bolt came out really nicely and we had little to no problems with hoses or wires. In the end, it still took me and two others about 11 hours to drain all of the fluids, drop the engine, and get it in the crate. That being said, two of us (both Porsche owners) have essentially no experience wrenching on cars. I work in tax.. I am not used to a garage environment, but I was determined to do this. We ran into a few snags... The damn infamous 3rd AC compressor bolt. We tried so many variations of extensions, as per forum threads, until we got this one out. Wobble extension saved the day. The clutch slave cylinder. It as an extremely tight area with little visibility, but took maybe half as much time as the AC bolt. Dropping the engine. There were a few things we forgot to disconnect (we meant to go back to them) that we left because we did not know how to deal with them. Took some time and research to get those done right before the drop. The drop itself was difficult because the engine kept snagging on the threads for the transmission mounts and engine mounts. Ended up taking out one engine mounts and using an assortment of jacks and wood to maneuver the transmission mount. We had already raised the car to much to come back down and it was nearly pulling the cart we used to catch the engine over. I was sweating bullets the whole time we lifted it. Putting the engine in a crate was scary, too. I did not trust the old straps and hoist we had, but it worked. Almost lost a finger adjusting the crate when the hoist dropped 2 inches. I guess we did not properly seal off the gas and it pissed everywhere when it was angled on the flat bed. My drive way was not happy.. All in all it was a great experience. Perhaps the most difficult thing I have attempted in years and the stress was immense. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about their car. The car is more simple that I had thought, but the process of removing the engine should not be rushed. I can only imagine how putting it back in will be. Thankfully, we broke zero bolts and had no use for torches. That would have gotten a little more outside of my comfort zone. Bentley book cautioned not to press the clutch after uninstalling the clutch slave cylinder. Well, the tow truck driver pushed that right in as he jumped in and as I told him not to.. of course. Anyone know what kind of issue this has created? Lastly, I just wanted to give a shout out to FSI. They have been amazing to deal with and so quick to help. I think Jud has some clones down there in GA, because he is so quick to get back to me and I know he must be insanely busy. Absolute machines when it comes to work ethic. Feel free to ask me anything about the drop! I learned so much and I would be glad to share! Engine out... finally. My poor roller. Has muscle car stance now lol.

By the pics it looks like u know what u r doing pushing in the clutch can blow the seals out of the slave cyl. U may just want to replace it.

congratulations - that's a big accomplishment! whats the plan for the rebuild?

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Not a bad day's work for a tax dude! Jud is good help! He will respond any time even during off hours, weekends and while on vacation. I had to council him about taking time off for his own sanity...I don't think he listened! The whole F6I outfit is like that. I hope your experience is like mine...flawless.

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The shop is beautiful, but it is certainly not mine. I was lucky enough to have access to this place for the drop.

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Thank you so much! I am sending it to Flat 6 Innovations for a stage 1 street performer build. My car had some mild symptoms of failure, so I figured I would take a year off driving it to gain the benefits of the rebuild.

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I am not surprised to hear about Jud responding on his vacation. Him and Jake have provided great and timely communication.

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Also, I meant to confirm if I only need to replace the clutch slave cylinder. Nothing else would have been damaged in this process? (Damn the flatbed guy!!)

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Hell yeah I'm surprised this didn't charge you up enough to want to take the thing apart yourself, too! When I bought a roller we asked the P.O. to kindly post a large note on the dashboard that said "DO NOT START!" because it was a kinda-sorta-runner, but more roller than runner. Bet you know what the tow truck driver did.

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Replace it. When he pressed on the clutch pedal it blew the cylinder and seals out of the slave cylinder. It will not go back together, so replace it.

From what I read, FSI normally wants the powertrain intact and didn’t want engine only builds so they could verify and troubleshoot start-up and break-in. Have the policies changed?

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The entire process was more stress than I could handle for the next while. I should be fine by the time it is ready to go back in lol. Regarding your roller, what the hell is wrong with people? You would think people would be more careful since it isn't theirs, but the sad truth is that it is the exact opposite. Just makes you realize how ignorant the average person is.

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YOU will enjoy that version! I can't quit driving mine.

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They now offer a service where they will take your engine on its own. I know they have an engine dyno now, so perhaps that is how they break in and test it.

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Is that the option you went with?

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Yes...

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Excellent. For some reason, I thought you had went with the stage 2, but I was wrong. I know that Jake said fewer people purchase stage 1. I am glad to hear you love it.

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I have a '99 C2 and did a proactive Stage II build with a few extra add-ons and have been loving it. Really comes alive above 4.5k. You'll love the performance and overall improvement (plus peace of mind with so many items addressed like the IMS Solution, Nickies and a bunch of other stuff.)

Jud was trained and works for Jake... both are straight up good guys to work with! Both have answered my questions and helped me with my car, no complaints here!

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I went with the Stage 1 to keep the car stock appearing. I'm old and it is just a fun grocery getter. No plans to track or even parking lot race. I have the Type R for that if I get the itch. The Stage 1 is more than I need. It is a much different car with the reconstructed engine. I don't share the dyno numbers but needless to say the increase is impressive both in HP and torque. The butt dyno tells me that. Another forum guy used the name seal gray howler and I never understood why. I do now. Oh that sound! Above 3500 rpm keep a firm grip on the steering wheel! You will like it...trust me!

Nice Job! It looks like a great shop to work in - the lift is a big bonus When I dropped my engine (using jack stands) it probably took me 8-10 hrs total but broken up into 4 evenings (of course going very slowly and methodically, bagging hardware, labeling hoses and electrical connectors etc.). Putting it all back together went surprisingly, much quicker - I'm thinking no more than 3 or 4 hrs - and I did it in one shot (I did it on a weekend so I was fresh going in - it kind of sucks after working all day, to go and work some more...). I suppose it's mostly because you've already taken it all apart, so putting it back together is less guess work, and everything is clean and lubed up. Getting the hydraulic line connected to the clutch slave cylinder was a bitch - the fact that you'll be replacing yours might make things easier. For now you can sit back and relax (and dream) until your new engine is back and ready to be installed - you will be mighty happy with the results - they will be spectacular!

I am always impressed at the level of DIY stuff I see for the 996. Great job!

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I am so glad to hear it went back in quicker. We were thinking it would be much harder. Lining up the mounts seems like it would be a tedious task. I suppose we will see. For now, 5 months of dreaming. haha

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That is what I love about the 996. I am sure this would be very similar on the 997 (at least the .1), but I do not imagine many people, especially those with no mechanical experience, will be dropping 991 engines. Maybe I am wrong, but I just imagine those are much more complicated with less working room. Thanks!

Very impressive twitchett....you are an inspiration for the rest of us wanna be DIYers....keep us posted. Well done.

Good job!! Like you I'm a rookie but had no issues following the Pelican Tech section, working by myself with two floor jacks and jack stands. I just lowered the trans jack and motor jack very slowly inch by inch and had no snags. Going back in was smooth sailing too. I'm on the list for a stage 1 Feb 2021...Glad I don't have to leave it parked for year though...

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Thanks Lowpue! I certainly will keep everyone updated. So far, I know I will be purchasing a clutch slave cylinder, coolant expansion tank, and a sensors kit from pelican.

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Thanks! The pelican article really is the best. I was amazed how much it differed from the Bentley book, but I found pelican offered better pictures. Did you re-install the engine quicker than the drop?