recondoc

So, I have a '88 944 Turbo. Today the alternator died. And there is a rear main seal leak, valve cover leak, oil pan leak and radiator leak. At this point, I am thinking the easiet thing to do is to pull the engine and replace all the seals, fix what is wrong, plus any other found issues and put the engine back in the car.
I am no mechanic. I can usually figure stuff out given enough time and determination.
Is that the best thing to do is just pull the engine? How hard is it to pull the engine on a 944? Should an novice even attempt this or am I delusional?
Any advice would be appreciated.

krystar

are you a gear head or very mechanically inclined? if you're not...don't try to pull engine yourself.

everyone was a novice at one time. but u need quite a bit of gearhead in you to go thru pulling an engine. you'll need tools at the very least. and since you're a novice, you should plan at least one maybe even two full weekends to this.

Arominus

Don't pull the motor, none of these things require it. The turbo has no valve cover, just the cam box and that's easy to do up top. The pan requires removing the crossmember but is still much easier than pulling the engine.

Fara

As Arominus states above, it depends on your level of skill.

Technically, none of the jobs you need to do require pulling the engine.
If your mechanically minded, pulling the engine makes the jobs you need to do easier, however they can still be done from below and will require less speciality tools.

Personally, I've pulled an engine for a similar job but that is due to having all the tools and experience needed to do so.

recondoc

it is true that I do not have any specility tools, just a lot of wrenches and sockets. A mention of a couple of weekends to pull the engine sounds reasonable. Given the problems listed if it is done under the car, any guesses as to how many hours of work is involved? Keep in mind, I will take all estimates and factor in say a 3 times that much to get the job done.

Arominus

I've done the cam box in 2, the oil pan is more like 8 from what I've seen (and will require an alignment after). Do the rod bearings while you have the pan off. The radiator is easy, though I would replace the rest of the coolant hoses while I was at it. Still don't know that it would be worth the extra effort to pull the motor.

For reference I'm doing the pan/bearings right now, and doing the oil cooler, repainting the intake, replacing the aos seals, engine mounts, swapping to new power steering lines, replacing the starter and ac compressor and having the alternator rebuilt. Along with the master for brake and clutch. I still left the motor in.

jeffrsmith

I had a lot of work to do to mine and was debating whether or not to drop the engine. The leaking RMS was the determining factor for me. I was able to reseal everything, including Balance Shaft Housings with relative ease with the engine on the stand.

Took two of us about an hour to drop it out (I did a lot of prep removing things before my help came over). There were a lot more parts on the engine going back in than were on it when it came out. Took us about 1.5 hrs to get it back in (two people), had to figure out the right angle to attack it from.

Edtay

Not sure on how much more work a turbo would require to pull a motor but if a highschooler can pull a NA motor in a driveway why couldnt you? I dont feel that pulling the motor is needed for that list tho.

azbanks

Read up on what is involved with pulling the engine. With a 944 tubo, you don't pull it, you drop it out the bottom.

F18Rep

Reconddoc....
Yup, its frustrating and a lot of work but the payoff is the dozens of little things that you can take care of with the engine out. Suggest you get a good eyeball on your AOS seals/ balance shaft seals (the one under the turbo), that maybe the tipping point....Bruce

PS... ideas: pressure check your coolant system before you pull anything. Think about cutting that damn power steering return line collar on the cooler while the engine is out. Factor in the cost of exhaust/turbo seal rings and broken turbo studs. Clutch parts are expensive too but cheaper than a second pull. Get on Mcmaster-carr and order a spread of M6 & M5 gold bolts.

Fara

I'd also strongly suggest performing a leakdown test if you are considering pulling the engine. It'll give you an idea of how far you should go if you do pull the engine.

Also please listen and if possible measure your leak through the intake and exhaust valves.

zerMATT951

I don't know where there any M5's, but 6's and 8's are good, and copper-clad M8 nuts too for the exhaust.

Otherwise, as others have said, there are lots of things that you can fix while the motor is out. If the pan gasket is leaking, the rear balance shaft AOS seals and probably are too, and both of those are very easy with the engine out.

Don't underestimate the amount of work that you are getting into though. Wrenching on these cars isn't crazy difficult, but there are lots of bits and pieces to keep track of, and the "while you're in there" list of things to do can easily get out of hand. Remember that these cars are 25 years old, and just about everything made from rubber needs to be replaced.

michael2e

mileage? Clutch condition?

dillon410021

i believe there are only m5 bolts on the turbo motor holding the bracket that bolts onto the intake manifold near the back

recondoc

The car has 195,000 miles on it. Clutch worked when I last drove it, a few days ago. Overall the condition on the car is fair. It seems that all of the stuff than needs fixed is not expensive just very time consuming. I want to keep it as simple as possible, like I said, I am no mechanic. One thing at a time and test drive?