Engine Lift Requirement for Oil Pan Removal

[Astrowing]

I'm fixing to lift the engine in my '58 to remove the oil pan, and I was wondering how high I should plan to lift it to get the oil pan off. Is it necessary to go up as much as 4", and do you even want to go that high in order to get the oil pump dropped? Also, where should the crank be positioned in order to maximize clearance?

[LuckyJay]

I would suggest that you drain the coolant so that you can disconnect the radiator hoses. Such that you don't put extra strain on the radiator and surge tank. Then remove the motor mount nuts that attach the mount to the crossmember support. Jack the engine up not directly by the pan enough so that you can slip a short piece of 2X4 between the motor mount and crossmember support, then let the engine back down on the 2X4 chunk. You will likely have to rotate the crank manually to get the pan all the way out.

[JohnG]

I went up about 2" and got mine off without disconnecting anything, although its hard to argue with the notion of unhooking those hoses. I think I put a couple pieces of 2x4 in between the motor and mount with a notch cut in them for the stud which allowed me to remove the bottle jack I used to lift the motor up

I had to , of course, unhook the motor mounts.

Once the pan was loose, I just kept rotating the crank a little until the pan moved to my advantage. You need a 15/16" offset wrench or socket. Just play it by ear. Some pans have a baffle in them that complicate things. The previous owner of mine had cut part of it out, making my job easier. I did weld a piece back before installing it.

Let us know how your screen looks!!

John

[Astrowing]

Thanks everyone. I've got the radiator out and hoses disconnected so I can do the timing cover and timing chain also. I found that the bottom plate that protects the front crossmember has to come out to get to the middle lower radiator support bolt. Since I had that out, I decided to go ahead and do the sway bar bushings. The middle bushings on the shaft were pretty easy to take on and off but the metal clamp that retains the bushings had to be reshaped a little to get it to engage the frame correctly with the tab.

What is the strategy you used in installing the oil pump and simultaneously putting sealer on the oil pan gasket?

[tbird430]

If you have factory A/C, pay close attention to the top transmission bell housing bolt & the firewall mounted A/C evaporatorer case!!!

I'm pretty sure 2-3" of lift wound be the max without damaging this cover...

-Jon in TX.

[simplyconnected]

...What is the strategy you used in installing the oil pump and simultaneously putting sealer on the oil pan gasket?

The oil pump is straight forward... no gasket sealer. The gasket is just thin paper to 'even out' the differences in mating surfaces.

I normally work a THIN coat of RTV into the new cork oil pan gasket. Do one side, wait at least fifteen minutes to 'skin', then do the other side (then let it cure for an hour).

Excessive liquid RTV squishes into the inside of your engine, which is bad. Cured RTV helps to hold cork together and it makes a beautiful seal that may be used several times because the cork gasket should come off as one piece.

The old practice was to use shellac, so as always, scrape the old gasket completely off before using the new gasket. RTV elimates all that nasty scraping in the future.

I'm glad you are replaceing the timing chain set. I hope you spend a little more time to degree your cam and crank while you are at it. Make sure your cam is advanced (I like four degrees). As the chain stretches, it naturally retards the cam. If you need any help, let me know. - Dave

[Astrowing]

Thanks for the reminder about the clearance to the factory AC box as I do have factory AC. I certainly don't want to damage it!

The RTV solution is also what I was looking for. I'm anxious to see what I have in the crankcase and also the chain condition.