Oil Pan Gasket. Any Tips?

Hey all,

I've been changing my clutch out on my truck and I noticed that the rear of the oil pan gasket it protruding from the back of the engine block by the flywheel. It is leaking a bit of oil and the lazy person inside me slapped a bunch of RTV on their but I know it is not gonna hold for long. I've read that it is possible to change the pan gasket without pulling the engine. Will it be easier with the transmission already removed? Anyone have any advice or tips to make this easier? You can see it protruding in the bottom right of the image. The gasket seems like it is about to just pop out! Either that or the gasket is wider than I am thinking.

If you have the transmission off you're most of the way to getting the engine out.

Just in case anyone reads this thread in the future I will post an update.

So I was able to drop the pan in about an hour. It still sits in the front diff but there is enough clearance to snake the oil gasket off and snake the new one on around the outside. My only concern is little pieces of sludge and dirt falling in the engine as I clean the mating surfaces of the oil pan and engine. To alleviate these concerns I am going to buy some cheap oil and do a quick engine flush before I refill it with the right oil and fire it up.

I think I responded to your other thread about getting the flywheel bolts off and said you can do the gasket without pulling the motor.

Yes, you are only going to be able to do this gasket with the transmission out. Now is the time

If you want to do it, this is how I did it with my brother on his 97 3.0

First, undo the nuts completely that are holding the upper motor mount brackets to the motor mounts. Use several bottle jacks, or better yet, a shop crane (I've hard harbor freight sells cheap ones, might be able to find a cheap one on Craigslist as well) to lift the engine up until there is sufficient clearance for the pan to drop out completely. It will not come out until the sump can clear the oil pump/pickup tube. We did this in his case with bottle jacks and blocks, so I can 100% tell you its possible. Be very careful while jacking or lifting to make sure you aren't tugging on hoses, wires etc and be ready to undo anything in the way. The exhaust is going to have to be disconnected somewhere. You have to get the engine up pretty high off the mounts in order to pull the pan all the way out. Getting the engine up is the worst part, the rest isn't so bad.

If you think you can do it without pulling the pan completely out, great, but I would try clean gasket surfaces as well as possible and use plastic dropcloth, shop towels, anything like that to catch debris and keep it out of your engine to begin with rather than trying to flush it later, way more preferable. Home Depot, Lowe,s etc, sell cheap plastic sheeting in large sizes meant for putting down over floors when you are painting walls. You can get this very cheap and drape a cut piece of this over the oil pan while you clean the gasket surface on the bottom of the block to catch any debris you are cleaning off. Scotch brite pads are terrific for cleaning gasket surfaces because they don't leave metal and fibers behind the way steel wool, wire brushes etc can and crud packs into them. All cheap and readily available. You could wipe the inside lip of the oil pan down and tape a cut piece of the plastic sheet in there to catch debris while you clean the gasket surface of the oil pan as well to keep junk out during that part

Did you read his last post?

Which one?