changing oil pan?

[BerniniCaCO3]

My oil pan might/ probably is seeping oil, but slowly.
There are two dents, one of which i know perforated it (and is sealed with jb weld and fiberglass cloth), and I suspect that maybe the plugs aren't sealing perfectly. The threads seem loose.

So in pursuit of perfection I'd like to change the pan.

Coworkers swears he did these back in the day, by removing the intake and jacking up the engine, and could actually get it high enough to PULL the pan.
I did this to get to the pump, but never got the pan out, didn't feel like I'd be able to. But if I can... I'll get 'er done. I don't like this imperfection!

I won't bother if it's more work than this even (e.g., pulling the engine basically, to get the pan).

For what it's worth, I need to pull the transmission next Thursday-- if I can get the engine any higher with the trans out too? Doubt it though.

[87_crown_vic]

to get the pan out... you can lift engine like you were told... thing is that you need the crank turned the right way to do it... it will come out the front since i have done this before and have pictures!!! i wish you luck

[86VickyLX]

My oil pan might/ probably is seeping oil, but slowly.
There are two dents, one of which i know perforated it (and is sealed with jb weld and fiberglass cloth), and I suspect that maybe the plugs aren't sealing perfectly. The threads seem loose.

So in pursuit of perfection I'd like to change the pan.

Coworkers swears he did these back in the day, by removing the intake and jacking up the engine, and could actually get it high enough to PULL the pan.
I did this to get to the pump, but never got the pan out, didn't feel like I'd be able to. But if I can... I'll get 'er done. I don't like this imperfection!

I won't bother if it's more work than this even (e.g., pulling the engine basically, to get the pan).

For what it's worth, I need to pull the transmission next Thursday-- if I can get the engine any higher with the trans out too? Doubt it though.

Haven't you done like 15 oil pans in your car already? Why are you asking? Lol

Remove the upper intake, fan shroud, radiator for more clearance. Remove the motor mount thru bolts, hoist the engine as high as it can go, with a block of wood, jack up on the bellhousing of the trans to get as much space as you can. You'll need some flex sockets to get at some of the bolts. And like Jim said you will need to rotate the crank for the pan to clear it. In addition to that you'll need to remove the oil pump assembly with the pan just resting on the crossmember. You'll be doing that blindly. Been there, done that.

[BerniniCaCO3]

Nah, just dropped the pan "like 15x"
Never took it OUT.

Final straw; the level sensor is leaking now, and I think the drain plugs are beginning to strip (one might also be leaking), and there's my sketchy patch...
Remove the intake, jack the engine up, remove the pump blindly (buy new pump gaskets?), I should be there? radiator removal necessary?


Lastly, I want to know, are any of the pans better than others? dorman vs spectra? Is chrome OK, more or less durable than painted?


thanks!
gonna do this tuesday

[86VickyLX]

Nah, just dropped the pan "like 15x"
Never took it OUT.

Final straw; the level sensor is leaking now, and I think the drain plugs are beginning to strip (one might also be leaking), and there's my sketchy patch...
Remove the intake, jack the engine up, remove the pump blindly (buy new pump gaskets?), I should be there? radiator removal necessary?


Lastly, I want to know, are any of the pans better than others? dorman vs spectra? Is chrome OK, more or less durable than painted?


thanks!
gonna do this tuesday

Removing the radiator will give you a little more room. I didn't remove mine, but I was kinda hitting the fins when I was taking it out. Dorman is good and so is spectra. Stay away from Chrome because that will most likely leak/ pit in no time. You may need to bump the engine around a little bit for the pan to clear the crankshaft.

[GM_Guy]

Chrome does not disappate heat very well. Stick with a painted pan.

The Spectra pan MIGHT be made in North America (its a Canadian company, but they have been moving more and more items offshore-but I gotta say, their replacement aluminum/plastic rads are a perfect fit, even the one that went into my '73 Nova). The dorman, probably offshore, but it may be a rebadged Spectra pan.

Alex.

[BerniniCaCO3]

The spectra radiator I got, was made in canada-- I'll let you know about the pan! (where it was made). Getting it tomorrow; NAPA matched amazon's price of $73.
It's leaking out of the level sensor (and I don't think it's just a matter of tightening the bolt), and I have that dent that was fixed with epoxy, which I'm frankly just not comfortable with.
So out it's going, tomorrow night.

[gadget73]

honestly I'd just pop the motor out. If the trans is already coming out, its such a minimal amount of extra work to remove the engine vs unbolting 3/4 of the same shit to jack it up in place and then fight the pan out and back in. Yank the motor, do the pan with it in the air, drop it back in.

[BerniniCaCO3]

no, the trans isn't coming out.
To remove the trans, and engine, isn't that like 8 hours work round trip?
Versus, what, 2 hours work to do just the pan?

[gadget73]

You said you're pulling the trans next Thursday. Thats half of the work there. Once the trans is out, if you're considering pulling the rad to get more room under the engine, thats another fair bit of it, plus you have to undo the motor mounts. At that point, all that remains is the 2 heater core lines, a couple of electrical things that unplug, fuel lines and exhaust pipes.

[zoomie]

the easy way is to just take the motor out, then whil eits out not only can you do the pan,but also waterpump and timing chain while your at it.

[86VickyLX]

the easy way is to just take the motor out, then whil eits out not only can you do the pan,but also waterpump and timing chain while your at it.

I'm pretty sure he did that in one of the many times he had the timing cover off.

[BerniniCaCO3]

hahaha, yes.
"many" = 2, by the way. Don't need a water pump or timing chain. That issue had been the oil galley plugs around the camshaft, two had popped out: and one of them had punched a crack in the pan, which also may be leaking again. At the time I dropped the pan once to do the oil pump, to see if that gasket was where my pressure was going... and that's when I found the galley plugs. So I had to drop it again, and pull the timing chain cover, to get at the galleys.
Neither of those times, did I need to pull it entirely; just a couple inches was room enough.

And "next thursday" was 2 thursdays ago, tranny's already re-redone and running great That's what I get for messing with aftermarket and frankentranny parts, had to redo it.

Pulling the heater core lines lets it rise higher? Yeah, guess it would.
I'll just pull the upper intake and jack the engine up. I really, really don't want to have to pull the trans and engine again. Faster IS easier.
If it truly is not going to come out without yanking the engine, then I'm just gonna jbweld the level sensor too, and re-jbweld my crack.

[gadget73]

the sensor has a gasket in there somehow. Honestly not sure how that setup works because I've never removed one but those sensors do seal somehow, and sometimes the sensor itself fails and allows oil to leak through it. I think the only fix is replacing the sensor, but like I said, never had one out of the pan. Mine doesn't leak and I'm scared to death of screwing with it.