mazzerman

Looking for some advice please.
Is it possible to remove the oil pan/sump from the bottom of the car without removing the whole motor from the car?
I can see that the motor mounts are connected onto the cross member frame that would need to be removed in order to get the pan off.
Is there some way of supporting the motor and being able to drop the subframe to remove the pan?
Regards

4SUMERZ

It is possible to remove the oil pan without much problems. See this PDF, posted a few days ago in another similar thread. This is the instructions that include the 2005.

3X2

need to support the engine and remove the front cradle to replace the oil pan.

mazzerman

Where is the best place to support the engine in order to remove the pan?
There doesnt seem to be anywhere i can put a support that i can see.

rabrooks

know of two ways to support the engine. One is to use a cherry picker lift and attach it to the engine using two bolts thru a chain into the holes in the front of the head and or alternator bracket.
The other way is to buy the jig or borrow it from your GM dealer that uses the chassis frame rails to hold it up. My dealer will loan me his if he isn't using it.

Unbolt the two engine mounts from under the cradle, then unbolt the 4 cradle bolts, and the upper a arm bolts. Using a floor jack under the cradle, lower it down. Keep an eye on the steering lines, ABS lines and wires and flexible brake lines out to the calipers. You may have to take the bolts out of the ABS bracket so you can get maximum lowering. Sounds like a lot of bolts but its easy to do. Sway bar may need to be taken loose too. It all depends on how far you have to lower the cradle to get the pan off. I assume not too low. If so, about half of what I mentioned wont have to be done.

Second way is to

mazzerman

Thanks for the advice, that seems a good option but iv decided to put a new clutch in as well so gonna lift the motor out of the car and can change clutch, pilot bearing and release bearing and have access to the sump while on the engine stand.
Just gotta find out about the torque tube business as i thought i read somewhere that its balanced and you have to put 2 bolts in somewhere and support the tube while its disconnected but i cant find any info or how to's on it as yet.

3X2

You can't "lift" the engine out, it comes out the bottom still mounted to the front cradle. Replace the slave at the same time as the clutch and don't forget to refill the trans if your car has a trans cooler.

mazzerman

Why cant it be taken out the top, if it released from the cradle and moved forward to clear the torque tube splines? (rad will be removed 1st and possibly ABS unit)

3X2

I don't think you can lift the engine high enough for the oil pan sump to clear the cradle crossmember. A short block clear but not a block with heads.

rabrooks

The engine easily comes out the top. Drop the cradle as mentioned above. Slide the engine forward until its loose from the drive shaft. Lift straight up. Radiator doesn't even have to come out.
The reason for dropping the cradle is so the steering rack is low enough to allow the engine and balancer to clear it as its slid forward to release from the spline and drive shaft

3X2

if you are already taking out the cradle, why not drop the engine and cradle as an assembly?

rabrooks

OP noted he wanted to remove the pan without removing the engine. So dropping the cradle to get the pan off is much easier than removing the whole engine. Lots of stuff can stay connected to drop the pan. Like exhaust, starter harness oil and trans cooling lines etc. No front accessories have to come off and so on.

Plus he may be like me. He may not have a lift. If no lift, it aint coming out the bottom

3X2

Yes, but OP mentioned later he wants to do a clutch at the same time.

mazzerman

originally i was going to just get oil pan off and clutch later, but makes more sense to do all at the same time with engine out.
Heads are already off and overhauled, so only block etc to lift.
So is there enough room to move forward with radiator in place? it doesnt seem to be enough room to me.
Also the ABS block on front left looks like it should be removed as well, is that the case?

rabrooks

If you drop the cradle as mentioned before, The engine will slide forward enough to come out. Youll need to remove or relocate a good deal of the hoses from in front of the radiator. If you remove the top shroud of the radiator, you can tip it forward a little bit if you need a touch of room.

rabrooks

should have mentioned, if you need more room (although you shouldn't) pull the power steering reservoir from its bracket, remove that bracket. I support the bell housing with a jack so I can wiggle the engine forward then up.

If you wan to leave the ac system in tack so you don't have to recharge, drop the engine with the cradle to gain access to the ac compressor bolts and studs. The engine has to be dropped enough to allow the top compressor bolts to come out through the fender well. Pull the stud and the bolts out. Now you can raise the engine back up. Lift the compressor off the engine and tie it to the inside of the engine bay.

mazzerman

that's great advice thank you.
I will give it a shot

rabrooks

Couple more thoughts. Lower the engine and cradle to get the ac fasteners off before you loosen the bell housing. That way the bell housing is keeping everything in shape so you don't bend anything. The engine will only droop so far because the torque tube will rest on the tunnel plate. But it will be far enough to get the fasteners from the ac comp.

mazzerman

Many thanks guys, great advice, just waiting on a couple of parts to arrive before i start the job, Will update when done or more questions if needed.

SteveDoten

I've seen the motor supported by the belly pan.

Ttube sits right on the plate.

Crazy stuff.