Bentley's smokin' crack on the oil pan job!

[Old'n'Slow]

So the Bentley book says drop the rack, the pan, and undo the oil pump bolts and lower it into the pan. OK, done. I can't for the life of me get the oil pump back on while working through the "mail slot" created by the pan. Looks like the only way to do it is to support the engine and drop the front subframe. Argghhh...

Anyone been here before? What did you do?

Thanks in advance!

[LowR3V'in]

Take the pan OUT before you bolt the pickup back in.
:?:

[Old'n'Slow]

Take the pan OUT before you bolt the pickup back in.
:?:

Pan's out.....but if you bolt the pickup on, the pan won't go past it because of how tight it is between the bottom of the block and the top of the subframe. Tried that already. I had to remove the pump to get the pan off.

This is an M20 motor BTW.

[LowR3V'in]

lift the tranny as close to the engine as you can, that'll give more clearance.
Good luck, and don't forget to undo the motor mounts. :o

[Jand3rson]

You don't even need to take the oil pump out. Congrats on doing it the hard way.

[JeremyB]

Unbolt the motor mounts (which you've probably done already) and lift up the motor by placing a jack under the A/C bracket. It's offset enough to be out of the way and you should be able to raise the engine a couple of inches.

[Old'n'Slow]

You don't even need to take the oil pump out. Congrats on doing it the hard way.

Utterly useless post! :roll:

Please describe for us idiots how you got the pan past the pump WITHOUT lowering the subframe or raising the engine, as Bentley instructs.

The whole point of the topic was that the BENTLEY manual has a rather unrealistic explanation of the procedure, and since they're usually not that far off, I thought I might be missing something.

JeremyB and LowR3v'in, thanks.

Tomorrow night I will raise the motor and try again.

[LowR3V'in]

Eurospeed actually did it a harder way, so I don't know what he's talking about.. :|
Put a floor jack right at the edge of the tranny and lift (or where JeremyB suggested), that'll give you enough clearence. You didn't even need to take the rack off.


Just do it!!!!!! :x ;)

[Jand3rson]

You don't even need to take the oil pump out. Congrats on doing it the hard way.

Utterly useless post! :roll:

Please describe for us idiots how you got the pan past the pump WITHOUT lowering the subframe or raising the engine, as Bentley instructs.

Boy, you've certainly taken to the super-fast sarcastic posts, haven't you? I never said you were an idiot. So stop coming off as one and jumping to conclusions so quickly.

I did lower the subframe and raise the engine, and did it without the Bentley. You should have enough clearance to get the pan off without removing the oil pump.

LowR3V'in: The only reason it was "the hard way" is because we'd never done it before, and did some steps we didn't need to.

[Old'n'Slow]

You don't even need to take the oil pump out. Congrats on doing it the hard way.

Utterly useless post! :roll:

Please describe for us idiots how you got the pan past the pump WITHOUT lowering the subframe or raising the engine, as Bentley instructs.

Boy, you've certainly taken to the super-fast sarcastic posts, haven't you? I never said you were an idiot. So stop coming off as one and jumping to conclusions so quickly.

I did lower the subframe and raise the engine, and did it without the Bentley. You should have enough clearance to get the pan off without removing the oil pump.

LowR3V'in: The only reason it was "the hard way" is because we'd never done it before, and did some steps we didn't need to.

My post was super-fast and sarcastic? :shock: Yours was two sentences. I was asking for advice in good faith, but your post offered nothing in the way of explanation or education. Just "congratulated" me on doing it the hard way. I had already dropped the pump, so telling me I didn't need to, without telling me why or how you avoided it seemed uncharitable! ;)

Now, I know it's sometimes difficult to read "tone" into typed words, but it just seemed like you were saying " yep, ya screwed up, too bad." I'm sorry if I mistook your intent, but it wouldv'e been helpful to suggest an alternative at that point. :idea: Something like "gee man, that sucks. Sounds like you did it the hard way. Here's what worked for me...."

I had already dropped the pump, so telling me I didn't need to, without telling me why or how you avoided it seemed uncharitable! ;)

I ain't mad and I hope your not either. :mrgreen:

I'm going to try and lift the front of the engine after installing the pump, and see if that gives me enough clearance to slip the pan in. :up: Thanks to ALL.

[Jand3rson]

No hard feelings here. Sorry, sometimes I don't make myself very clear.

[BahnE30]

undo the motor mount bolts and get a floor jack after the cars' up on jack stands, get some one to jack it up after you find a suuitable spot the jack off of, "i used the motor mounts, the part that attaches to the block" and a piece of wood, jack up one side of the motor. It only needs to come up a couple of inches then slip a piece of wood in between the mount and the rubber. Repeat on the other side..
this will allow enough room for the pan to clear the pump, or it did on my car anyway...

[cthulu703]

I did this job two weeks ago. I was able to get the oilpan off using the Bentley procedure, but getting it back in, I put a jack under the tranny and a hoist on the motor. Lifted both up and it was no problem.

[pig4bill]

Can you do it the way you got it out? Lay the oil pump in the pan, wiggle all the crap into place, and bolt the oil pump back in?

[Old'n'Slow]

Can you do it the way you got it out? Lay the oil pump in the pan, wiggle all the crap into place, and bolt the oil pump back in?

I could do it if I were an octopus! There are 3 bolts holding on the pump, and a shaft that drives the pump has to be properly positioned, all while holding up the pan and working through a mail slot! :x

So....the infamous "assembly is the reverse of removal" is grossly misleading in this case.