I was looking at it today and it looks like I have to remove the motor mount nuts, jack the engine up....a lot. Is it hard to slide the pan out? Since I'm doing a lot of work and replacing the timing chain and gears along with those gaskets. I want to do those as well.

 

It can be done with the motor in the car, but with all the work you're doing I think it would be easier to pull the motor. It will be out of the confines if the engine bay and will make all you're doing easier and faster.

 

If I was pulling this motor, another one would be going in it's place...lol I read a manual on it and it doesn't seem to be too bad, but then again those are just words on a page.

 

Replacing the oil pan gasket isn't difficult provided the y pipe allows you to lower the pan enough. You should just need to remove the starter and drain the oil. After that just remove the oil pan bolts and lower the pan and pull the gasket down around the pan. Clean the mating surfaces and put the new one in.

 

It is not that hard, just time consuming. Drop the starter, drop the exhaust, undo the motor mount through bolts, remove the distributor cap, hoist the engine high enough, drop the pan. Take your time, had to do mine twice because I rushed it.

 

The exhaust is off. I read I have to rotate the crank to get the throw up in the engine to have the pan clear, has anyone had to do that?

 

I've heard of people doing this. I'm currently doing an oil pan on my 89 Trans Am.

It seems like my transmission hits the transmission tunnel and limits a lot of engine movement for potential clearance. I'm debating on taking off my torque arm to let the front of the engine lift up more, since my trans is still bolted to the engine...

 

This isn't specific to 3rd Gens, but sometimes you can gain clearance by unbolting both engine mounts but just lifting one side of the engine.

 

I unbolted the engine mounts and lifted the engine about 3", removed the tranny access plate, did some wiggling and it came off, not too difficult, just a PITA on the ground. Same in replacing it, wiggling it and not disturbing the gasket.