Oil pan R&R w/o removing crossmember?

[rdhayward]

Is it possible to remove the oil pan without dropping the steering rack and crossmember? I thought I'd read somewhere that it could be done, but I can't find the thread now.

I'm literally at that moment where I have to decide how I'm going to drop the crossmember. I have limited tools at hand, as all my stuff is in storage in Colorado and I'm in Texas for the time being.

[Rasta Monsta]

If you decide to drop it (recommended), all you need is a 4x4 to lay across the engine bay, and some chain to hold up the motor. Undo the mounts, jack the motor up a tiny bit, and strap it to the beam.

[rdhayward]

Thanks for the input. I'm aware of that method and may resort to it.

I'm curious if someone else has tried lifting the engine slightly, and just loosening the crossmember bolts so it can be lowere just a tad, and thus create enough clearance to remove the oil pan.

[Techno Duck]

No way to lift the engine up high enough, short of removing it out the top to get the oil pan off..and engine removal is easier by dropping rather than lifting anyhow. The pan must be angled to clear the pickup tube and no way you would have enough space to clear it.

The best option you have is to get a 3-piece crossmember so in the future you can avoid having to remove the entire crossmember, only the steering rack.

[dangerous]

3piece cross member works well, I use one on the track car. I have a buddy that can get you one fairly cheap.

There's another way that you can do this though. I can't recall if I did it with a p/s rack but I know I did w/ the manual rack. You need an alum crossmember and a couple of old motor mounts. You cut the center out of the cross mbr and install the mounts on the two end pieces. Losen the (4) 13 mm bolts on top of the motor mnts and Jack up the engine. Remove the 4 13mm bolts holding the rack to the cross member and let it hang. Remove the 19mm control arm bolt then the 4 bolts for the crossmember and remove. Place the end pices of the cut crossmember w motor mounts in place using same 4 bolts and lower engine onto mounts. You can remove pan. It's essentially a 3 piece crossmember but only cost you the price of a used cross member.

With a p/s rack you may be able to remove the crossmember with the rack still attached giving you access to the clamps holding one of the p/s lines that is between the member and the pan.