Help - Difficluties removing oil pan

[e30 fiend]

I've done everything the bentley manual says to do. the oil pan retaining bolts are all out and the pan is free, but i can't slide it out. the subframe cross memeber is causing a pinch. i can't pull it forward enough to clear the oil level sensor because it gets caught on the rear crankshaft journal. what am i to do?

[Spinning Tires]

what motor do you have?
you may have to unbolt the motor mounts and jack up the motor. or maybe you could crank the engine over by hand if the pan is hitting a connecting rod journal

[e30 fiend]

I've got the m20. i got it finally. i had to undo the oil pump bolts and let it drop in the pan as well as turn the crankshaft and jimmy the steering rack. i tell you, they don't mean for that pan to come off while the engine is in the car

[Jordan325iC]

To remove m20 oilpan:
1: Unbolt all 25 oilpan bolts, the engine ground strap, and unplug the oil-level sensor.
2: Unscrew the radiator fan shroud.
3: Unbolt motor mounts from the bottom.
4: Jack motor up a few inches from the transmission bellhousing or use a cherry picker to lift engine a few inches. Do this slowly and make sure that nothing is being stretched or getting caught.
5: Remove oilpan.

It's not hard. I've done it several times. No unbolting of the oil pump required.

If you're not working on an m20, disregard this post.

[Adrian_Visser]

awww please cry me a river i had to do it in outside november in vancouver at eleven o'clock at night cuz i had to work the next day.


and i had to drive up hill to work both ways in blowing snow in my underwaer too btw. it was real tough

[twothrees]

An extra tip when you install the new gasket/pan: Buy some small zip ties and "loosely" zip tie the gasket to the pan in several strategic points. This will keep the gasket attached to the pan when you install it. As you re-attach the pan (don't over-torque those bolts), carefully cut the zip ties without damaging the gasket.