Well, I'm in a pickle thread....

[raspritz 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close raspritz]

It has been an eventful year. In October, racing at Ozarks, I missed a shift and trashed the engine in my '67 2.0L 911 racecar. I wasn't enthusiastic at my mechanic's estimated rebuild cost, and he suggested that I do the rebuild myself, using the Wayne Dempsey book as a general guide, with his assistance and specialized tools as needed. The teardown process was going well until last week. I'm a ski instructor at Breckenridge, and I destroyed my left knee. I'm currently post-op, and on crutches for at least the next 7 weeks, looking at ~9 months of rehab (they say I'll be racing in 5-6 months). So, lots of time for the Porsche engine rebuild, once I get a bit more on my feet. As I get stuck, I'd like to post in this thread and use the hive mind here for advice. Thanks to all in advance. Rich

Here's we where we are now:
Question 1) The cylinders are all off, but I'm stuck on removing the pistons. I tried #6 first, and got one circlet off the wrist pin, but I can't slide the wristpin out of the piston. Hoping for a success experience before I went under the knife, I tried #4, but I can't even get the circlet off. I'm stuck. Help!
[EDITED]

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

Sorry to hear about your knee. As the recipient in 2020 of a bright, shiny new titanium elbow, I (literally) feel your pain.

I'll be following this thread. Unfortunatly, I'll be of little help on the engine rebuild. But I can help with posting photos. See reply #7 in this thread:

https://early911registry.com/forums/...n/512-3-2-1-go

[Theunz 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close Theunz]

Often the wrist pin will need a little persuasion. I use a deep socket that’s just smaller than the OD of the pin and lightly tap it with a small ball peen hammer. It shouldn’t take much, so go lightly.

[62S-R-S 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close 62S-R-S]

A couple of tips that can be helpful for DIY, but not always a preferred way : Assume every basic thing will present some hassle, or a snag of some type. Nothing can beat having floor lighting to each side of the engine, and slowing down, to observe, highlight disassembly. It's not as good as knowing a procedure, but minimize risk by backing up every stressed area..

Ex., Secure a piston with wood specially cut and fitted, bring in propane--but not too long, wd40, socket, ball peen...

[edmayo 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close edmayo]

You get the circlip off by using a small pick tool, you probably don't know what I mean so I'll try to remember to take a picture of one. As UNZ said you just use a drift to tap out the pin. I have special drifts, but a socket will do. WHAT broke? case okay? By the time you're done you'll understand why your mechanic charges what he does

[Tom F2 2.4 Find all posts View Profile Close Tom F2]

I've found it helpful to heat the pistons before pushing out the wrist pin. There is a special tool for this, but I've had fine results with a propane torch.

[Myflat6 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close Myflat6]

I've found it helpful to heat the pistons before pushing out the wrist pin. There is a special tool for this, but I've had fine results with a propane torch.

I did the same - applied some heat and they came right out

[edmayo 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close edmayo]

You get the circlip off by using a small pick tool, you probably don't know what I mean so I'll try to remember to take a picture of one. As UNZ said you just use a drift to tap out the pin. I have special drifts, but a socket will do. WHAT broke? case okay? By the time you're done you'll understand why your mechanic charges what he does

This is the pick tool

[raspritz]

Ed, Many thanks. That is helpful. I have picks like that, but they are from Harbor Freight and bend too easily. I'll have to find something sturdier. As to the engine, yes, the case is OK. I broke about half the rockers, most bits of which we retrieved. The heads, pistons, and cylinders all appear OK to my untrained eye. The biggest pickle is that I had a major ski injury and now am on crutches, non-weight-bearing, for two months, with a long rehab thereafter. Once they let me bear weight and walk (around March 1), I can start to work on the engine again. They say I can race by mid--summer, so I'm making plans to race my FF in a few domestic races in Colorado, perhaps the Pacific Northwest Historics, and then race my FJ at the Silverstone Classic and Mugello.

[raspritz 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close raspritz]

Eight weeks out from major knee surgery, I'm making a remarkably rapid recovery and am back on my feet. So, yesterday I got back to removal of the pistons. That job is now done (the white tubes are to protect the rods). Rotating the engine on the stand, a piece of broken rocker fell out of the case, so I need to continue engine disassembly to assess internal damage. The head studs are all fine, so my next step is removing the rear pulley and flywheel, which require special tools that I will borrow from my mechanic. After that comes splitting the case.

[raspritz 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close raspritz]

Lots of progress. The case is now split, and I’ve found no major catastrophies so far. The case is OK. The pistons and cylinders are OK and have already been sent out for refurbishing. The rods are OK. The crank is visually OK but will need further investigation. Lots of broken rockers, and the aluminum intermediate gear sacrificed its life so the rest of the engine might live! Tomorrow I’ll press onwards.

[raspritz 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close raspritz]

OK. The engine case is now empty, and key components (pistons, cylinders, crankshaft, heads) have been sent out for magnafluxing and/refurbishment as necessary. I seem to have largely dodged a bullet by shutting the engine off immediately; the only visible damage appears to be to the rockers and intermediate shaft gear. There a couple of minor scratches in the coating of the main bearings, but we'll replace them regardless as they are cheap. These days, the good machine shops are backed up 5 or 6 months, so it will be awhile before much more happens.

[raspritz 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close raspritz]

Yesterday I attended to the oil pump. There is a diversity of thought on this topic. The Dempsey book says, in essence, don't open them up and don't re-use a pump from an engine that has had a major failure. My mechanic says, in essence, nonsense, and I'd do well to open it up and make sure the case wasn't damaged. I followed my mechanic's advice. It was a very easy job, and everything inside looked great. Easy-peasy peace of mind.

[raspritz 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close raspritz]

Aargh! Major mistake #1. Contrary to the instructions in the Dempsey Engine Rebuilding book, take the heads off the cam housings BEFORE you remove the cam housings from the engine! NOW I learn this.....

[edmayo 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close edmayo]

And why do you think that was a mistake? Can be done either way, in fact that's the way I usually do a teardown. I use two 4 X 4 pieces of wood, one at each end of the assembly, then I can rotate the cam as I remove the rocker shafts and rockers, and the valves are free to open without contacting anything since the assembly is 4 " off the bench.

[raspritz 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close raspritz]

And why do you think that was a mistake?

Well, originally because my mechanic told me it was a mistake, making it considerably harder to remove the heads from the cam housing. That opinion seemed to supported by internet wisdom. However, I have since learned (stimulated by your comment) that some people indeed prefer to remove the cam housing and heads as a unit, and deal with breaking the hold of the head glue in various ways. Ed, what is your preferred method for that, please? Thanks, Rich