Technical Stuff To Know

There are a few things you need to realize before getting started. I have done my best to remember a few of the tech "tips" and "tricks" that might help make your engine swap a bit easier.

• Jacking the car up to pull the engine out the bottom
  It's much easier to get the engine out the bottom. All you have to do is remove the control arms, strut tops, steering rack bolt (the pinch bolt), and possibly a few other odds and ends, and you can drop the entire front suspension system in a jiff. After that, you will need to attach your engine hoist to the front of the car somehow. We did it by routing the chain through the tow points, creating a triangle. You can do it however you'd like. Jack the car up so there is a good two (2) feet at the front should allow for enough room. Put the jack stands under the car to keep it this high. Also, I recommend putting your front wheels/tires under the sides of the car to give added security. At this point, you will need to remove the chain from the car, and attach it to the engine. This is how you will then drop the engine down, and slide it out of the way. We used a board on rollers, but I've heard that a piece of carpet will allow you to slide it out of the way. Installation is the reverse of removal.
  
• Mounting the oil cooler
  The oil cooler has a plastic cowling around it. I had to remove that to get it to fit right under the passenger side fog light, inbetween two brackets that appear to be made for just this job.
  
• DME/Wiring Issues
  Ahh... the infamous (for me) wiring issue. Credit for solving this problem goes to Don at Zotz Garage in Winter Park, Florida. He is the man. DME pin 18 needs continous 12v power, while pin 27 needs "key on" 12v power.
  
• Clutch/Flywheel/Tranny issues
  If you are going to use the 968 6speed, that is doable however that is not what I did so I cannot intelligently comment on that. However, if you are going to use the stock 944 na transaxle, you must use the 944 torque tube. And because of the torque tube, you must use the 944 clutch bell housing. And the 968 flywheel will not fit in the 944 bell housing, so you must get a 944 S2 clutch and flywheel setup, along with the S2 flywheel sensor MOUNTING bracket. DO NOT use the S2 flywheel sensor. You will be using the 968 flywheel sensor, mounted on the S2 bracket, mounted on the 944 na clutch housing. Even though that sounds like a complete hack job, trust me -- it works, and works great -- I drive with it every day!
  
• Exhaust fabrication
  The 968 header flanges (not the ones that go to the exhaust port, but the y pipe flanges) are weird compared to the 944. The are nearly identical, except they are turned. I think Porsche did this on purpose to be difficult. Regardless, we had to take the old y pipe and have them cut the flanges off, and weld them to the new fab'ed up exhaust to fit properly with the 968 headers.
  
• Fuel line fabrication
  I got a set of stainless steel fuel lines from Rennbay.com. You have to remove the pressure fittings from the hardline on the 944 side, where it comes out of the body by the passenger front wheel. After you peel back those pressure fittings (a PITA), you can crimp the new lines on there using clamps. On the other ends, you will need to use the screw end from the 944 for the smaller diameter line, and you will need to track down a 968 fuel line to remove the larger screw end. Crimp this end to the larger 944 line. I know this all might seem confusing but it will make sense when you see it. If you are looking at it and it still doesn't make sense, email me. If it still doesn't make sense after that, then you shouldn't be doing this conversion.