Jacks, Stands, and an Engine Protection Plate?

Hey guys. I bought an engine protection plate a while back and have been anxious to install it ever since. Recently, I purchased a jack and some jackstands. I followed the DIY instructions for getting the car up on jackstands over on Renntech that Gary was so kind to post for us. It was cake and I swapped out the winter for summer tires in no time flat. Here's where I was a little befuddled. When looking at the fastening mounts for the protection plate, I noticed that it would extend somewhat behind the rearward bolt (central and just behind the oil sump) and block my ability to use the rear jacking location that Gary recommended. So, I have delayed installation of the plate. I know that Dell and a few others have the plate installed. Where do you lift the rear of the car in order to get the rear jack stands in place with the engine protection plate mounted in place? (I don't think my jack is long and low enough to make it to the central rear axle.) Thanks in advance.

Jack using the rear jacking point. Place a wheel ramp or stack of 2x12x16 under wheel. Repeat on the other side. Be sure to set the parking brake, car in gear, and chock front wheels.

Hey Doug. I thought I was using the rear jacking point, which was just behind the rear central bolt of the oil sump? Are you referring to the rear jacking points that I use to place the jackstands near the front wheels, or are you referring to the rear jacking point that is just in front/forward of of the oil sump?

I'm talking about the factory jacking point that is just in front of the the little rubber spoiler in front of each rear wheel.

Right, but then where do I put the jackstands? Ah, wait, I presume you'll suggest placing them on the rear axle?

No, you'll use a wheel ramp or a stack of 2x12 under each rear wheel.

get a sissor lift... money well spent!!!

I just used the same rear jack point to lift the back end of the car up. I use the edge of the jack pad on the part of the protection plate where the rear jack point is (where it'd be screwed in). I do this very very carefully.

NEVER lift the car by the engine unless you want to encourage your motor mounts to leak. Funny how many spend the money and time putting a protection plate on to protect the engine bottom, yet use it as a jacking point.

1999Porsche911, how do you get the back lifted up? I'm always looking for something better

From what I read, and how it looked when I was under there, I'm not actually lifting the car by the engine; instead, I'm lifting it by the frame that also houses and hold the engine. In other words, the frame is already designed to withstand the stress of the engine hanging underneath the car. In no way am I mounting the jack on or touching the oil sump, or at least so I thought. 1999, do you have a better suggestion because I'd surely prefer an even safer jack point? Thanks.

Use the front cross member to lift the back and install jackstands under the jacking ponts once the car is lifted.

I totally hear you there, 1999, but like I mentioned, my jack doesn't reach that far under the car.

Get a different jack or a second jack and lift one side of the car until high enough to get the jack under the cross member. Or, even simpler, drive the car up on a couple of 2 x 6's which will make it more than high enough to get your jack where it needs to be.

I don't lift from the rear anywhere except the jack points. If I need to get it up in the air I have two jacks and put my car up on a set of rhino ramps.

1999, where is the front cross member of which you speak (I've always jacked from the center nub behind the oil pan...guess I'll stop doing that!). Thanks.

Again, so that we have a reference, here's is the post from Gary over on Renntech: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index...hl=jack+stands

Old wives tale. lifting by the engine is an approved porsche technique. Nothing wrong with it at all. The weight of the car is on the rear motor mounts with the car is on the ground. There is no additional weight on the mounts when the car is lifted by the engine.

If you have a rear skid plate on your engine, you can lift for exactly the same place where you lift on the engine without the plate. The skid plate pretty much hugs the engine there. If you are paranoid about bending the plate, cut a piece of 2x4 to fit against the skid plate vertical lip and lift from there. My neighbor has a skid plate on his engine, and that is how we lift his car. I guess I will need to amend my DIY to have pictures of lifting with the skid plate.

That's not exactly right, because the mounts are designed to suspend the engine from the car, not support the weight of the car (less engine) when the rear of the car is lifted using the engine.

The engine carrier DOES hang from the mounts.

Are posts disappearing in this thread???

That's...just hilarious. Sorta.

Could we please have a final definitive answer about using that stub at back as a lifting point? Is it ok to lift this way and leave the jack while placing the jack stands under the jacking points? If you lift the engine this way, aren't you actually taking weight off the mounts and transferring to the jack momentarily?

I'm leaning Gary's way: the engine supports surely need to be strong enough to support the engine while the car is bouncing around and over bumps in the road at high speed. It follows that the supports must be able to support the car. Indeed, with some motorycle designs, the engine itself is a stressed member of the frame to both lighten the bike and add rigidity. On others, it hangs below the frame. Either way, the supports have to be 'tough'. From my personal experience, lifting from the point that Gary recommended was DAMN sturdy. It seems the only other alternative (as I'm shy of using wood blocks of which tires could conceivably roll), is to use the standard rear jack points for the jack and then place jack stands on the rear axle. But, I guess the best way to resolve this is to RTFM so I'll look into it this evening or tomorrow and report back if there is anything there.

I love that you would even think to do this; you're a hero among men!