ivantruckman Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 I have to replace my oil pan gasket, should i loosen all the engine mounts and jack the engine up, or drop the front crossmember, anyone have any easy trick, thanks in advance.. looks time consuming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Yeah, its a PITA. Never replaced one with engine in the car. I think dropping the x-member would be harder than lifting the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted February 22, 2007 Author Share Posted February 22, 2007 yah kinda my thaught too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 loosen/remove the engine mounts, remove the rear trans mount as well (so the engine/trans can tilt back so to speak without stressing the trans mount). then use a jack to push the front of the engine UP and give you the clearance. PITA is right. that's not even the most annoying part. often what looks like oil pan leaks really are something else. have you verified it's not something else ending up at the oil pan mating surface? then new gaskets often leak after being installed anyway. get a good OEM gasket, not a cheap-o, thin aftermarket job. make sure you get the pan and block clean, plan some time for this the cork is usually stuck on the pan really good. now that i think about it, it's so annoying it might be worht $25 to let a machine shop hot tank it for you. then you have to hope the pan is flush and the bolt holes aren't so concave that they cut into the new gasket and leak in a few months. if the bolts have been tightened in the past this is more probable, the bolt heads will deform the oil pan mating surface and make the bolt holes protrude up into the new gasket, degrading it over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baccaruda Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 Gary's right, take that sucker to the car wash and degrease the engine.. try not to squirt anything electrical (squirt the inside of the distributor with WD40 before you go, and take the can with you in case), then see where the leak is coming from. If you're inclined, replacing the oil pan gasket would be a great occasion for replacing the motor mounts as well.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted February 22, 2007 Author Share Posted February 22, 2007 loosen/remove the engine mounts, remove the rear trans mount as well (so the engine/trans can tilt back so to speak without stressing the trans mount). then use a jack to push the front of the engine hey thanks for the reply, is it possiable to flatten the oil pan whith a sraight edge and a brass hammer, have you ever tryed it, thanks ...Ivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted February 22, 2007 Author Share Posted February 22, 2007 update...pressure washed the engine, definatly the oil pan gasket, its coming off.. arrggg, thanks to all for the reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted February 22, 2007 Share Posted February 22, 2007 hey thanks for the reply, is it possiable to flatten the oil pan whith a sraight edge and a brass hammer, have you ever tryed it, thanks ...Ivan Never been there, never done that, BUT it sounds like a great idea... if you can get a piece of steel that would fit "inside" the channel that forms the rim of the oil pan, and its wider than the bolt holes, flattening it out could only help, from what I can see... As I said though, I've never been there, anyone who has care to sound off on the idea? My user title just changed over to "Subaru Master" because of my post count, and I TOTALLY don't feel up to the title, so I'm full of disclaimers lately EDIT In reading your other threads, it sounds like you are doing a total engine front reseal anyhow..... AND resealing your oil pump. Outside of what you are taking care of (oil seals, oil pump seals, pan gasket, t-belts**, water pump, etc) the two weakest points of this engine are the intake manifold gaskets, and especially the head gaskets.. once one of these engines hits 100K all they need is one serious overheat and it can cause a headgasket to blow. **[dont forget the t-belt tensioner bearings, you can source the bearings yourself and get them cheaper than at a parts store...search or ask for more info] Since you are getting all this preventative maintenance done right now, I would suggest considering just pulling the engine, and doing the headgaskets preemptively as well. While you are at it, you may as well give the radiator a good thorough flush and replace your thermostat.. that should guarantee you at LEAST another 100K of worry free driving.. and if your radiator is clean, and you keep it that way, probably more like 300K. (the intake manifold gaskets are kinda part of the headgasket job since they gotta come off and cant really be re used.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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