jayk2k3

iTrader: (2)

how many hours should this oil pan gasket take me? from 1 to 10 how hard is this goin to be.

FYRCHKN

Honestly, it's all relative....How are your wrenching skills? Do you have an engine hoist?

jayk2k3

iTrader: (2)

i have a engine hoist. my mechanic skill is decent, not a expert. how long did it take you to change th gasket out. just trying to see if this is goin to be 1/2 day or a weekender project. it doesnt look to bad but i say that about all my projects. lol!

TZFBird

Can it be done in 1/2 day? Yes. Can it take a weekend, yes.
1. Disconnect exhaust/emmisions - 15-30min
2. Tranny bellhousing bolts/converter bolts - 15-45min
3. Motor Mount bolts - 10min
4. Lift motor(encountering obstacles) - 15min
5. Change gasket and reverse operation

I'd assume all those times to include rust-free or very lightly rusted bolts.

I didn't have a lift, so I dropped the K-member which involved running chain through the coil springs to keep them compressed(that took the most time). I suspended the motor with 3 2x4s across the fenders(2 sounds like the boards will break). I probably did it in around 8-10 hours(if I worked continuously), but everything was clean on a new motor... don't even ask why I was changing the rear main already.

On a scale of 1-10 though, I'd give it a 6. I've rebuilt the tranny which I would move up towards a 10 though on a PITA scale.

l_dis_travlr

TZFbird got most the bases covered, which included my thought on
whether the engine needed to be lifted -- apparently so.
I would add to that getting the entire vehicle elevated enough
to merely crawl underneath to execute everything else. And that
nothing else like dist. needs to be removed as engine is lifted.
And if you have to remove the hood to use your hoist.

Overall, start early on a week-end. If everything goes well
(fat chance) then you can enjoy a leisurely sat. evening.
More than likely, you'll have to continue sun., and hope you can
get finished before sundown. As I've counceled elsewhere,
if you get stuck with an intractable problem, put it down, & walk away.
Decisions made in those circumstances, are at best,
usually boneheaded. (Go ahead, ask me how I know this. )

Good luck, & keep us posted on the results.

TheMonster

Am I thinking of something wrong or what? All you have to do is get your car up a few feet, then drain the oil. Then take bolts off of the oil pan and change the gasket. Put some more oil in then your done. Why would you have to do all of that?

jayk2k3

iTrader: (2)

i was planning on just disconecting the the motor mounts, dis cap, maybe exhaust. raise engines and pull the pan and putting it back on. cant it be done like that?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

No maybe about it.

jayk2k3

iTrader: (2)

wat about the trans, am i realy going to have to disconnect the trans?

AmpegVT22

I am doing this tomorrow actually, and I have heard that you can just disconnect the trans from the transmission mount and angle the motor upward while it is attached to the transmission. That would be instead of taking the bolts out of the bell housing. For me though

My question is...how do you connect the lift to the engine...like with what, and where do you connect it ?

jayk2k3

iTrader: (2)

I GOT HER DONE! I couldnt get the pan out because of the t56 bellhousing (no matter how much i lifted the engine). I just dropped the pan and slide the new gasket in, the surface was clean enough. it took me 6 hours taking my time and bsing. All that work just 4 a pan gasket

AmpegVT22

Awesome ! Yeah I am just about to do mine right now

TZFBird

I suppose I should have made the statement that a pan gasket can be a very easy thing, but I changed mine using a one-piece gasket, so that required it to go over the pump pickup and everything. If you are using the 4 piece kit with front rear, and side gaskets, yes it should be doable without even lifting the motor.
I like to paint a worst-case-scenario because you never know what parts are being used, or what the working conditions are.

trumps2000

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys I just got done replacing probably took a few hours. Didn't need to raise the motor. I don't think I needed to remove the exhaust either. It does help to remove the starter, oil filter and set the crank to 6o'clock. I used the single piece seal and thought i'd share my time saver. Like everyoneelse I tried to snake it through inside the pan, but realized it'd be easier to just put the gasket around the perimeter of the pan instead of snaking it. Man was I happy it was that easy.