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Truck Oil Pan Gasket Replacement Without Removing Intake Plenum
Material :
- Degreaser (Gunk)
- carb cleaner or brake cleaner
- anti-seize
- loctite
- Liquid wrench
- Kroil or equivalent
- Wheel chocks
- Assortment of wood blocks e.g., six inch long pieces of 2x4, and a couple of 1x4 blocks
- Magnetic parts tray
- Mechanics gloves
Note :
Wear safety glasses or goggles. There is a lot of junk under the truck that gravity will direct into your eyes!
Procedure :
- Pressure or steam clean the bottom of the engine and surrounding area. No use getting completely greased out. Remember you’re doing this because it leaks oil. In addition, it will make checking your work afterwards much easier and will help preclude contamination getting into the open oil pan.
- Raise front end of truck and support on stands, ramps, or better yet a lift. Make sure the vehicle is securely supported. Chock wheels.
- Disconnect negative battery terminal. You will have to reset your radio afterwards and it will take a few miles for your computer to reset.
- Begin draining the motor oil.
- While the oil is draining, remove the upper radiator fan shroud bolts and lay shroud against fan. The bottom of the shroud is held by clips not bolts. Finish draining oil and replace plug. Time for a new plug? Remove oil filter.
- Disconnect automotive transmission cooler lines from left side of radiator. Watch the bottom one because it will leak fluid. Put a pan down first and then cap off the lines. If you don’t disconnect these lines you run the risk of distorting them when you raise the engine. Use flare wrenches (two) because you sure don’t want to twist off those fittings from the radiator tank!
- Loosen rear transmission mount nuts and remove front motor mount nuts (bottom ones).
- Remove the starter. It will just be in the way and you can’t access the exhaust flange bolts with it in place.
- Remove exhaust flange bolts. This will probably require lots of liquid wrench and patience. The nuts on truck took a 5/8” socket. Soak with rust buster, tap, and don’t get frustrated. With the exhaust loose, you can replace the pan gasket without removing the pan completely. If you need to totally remove the pan, you will have to support the tranny, remove the cross member and drop the exhaust system.
- Using a hydraulic jack and a wood block (2x4) under the oil pan begin raising the engine. Take it easy and check to make sure the plenum does not hit the firewall. A helper is handy during this step. You may need some extra blocks to get your jack up close to the oil pan if you have the truck on stands or ramps. Take it up as high as you can, i.e., until the intake plenum almost touches the firewall. Don’t force it any further!
- Place a wood block between the motor mounts and support bracket. Carefully lower the engine onto blocks and remove the jack.
- Remove all the oil pan bolts. There are two sizes. Do not lose the metal plates that the bolts pass thru. You might want to mark the plates so you can put them back correctly. An air ratchet makes removing all the bolts easier but do not use it to replace them.
- The oil pan should drop down. If not, gently tap it but do not distort it! Mine dropped right down with the old crappy rubber gasket. Make sure to remove all of the old gasket and be careful that pieces of the old gasket don’t fall into the oil pan.
- The new Fel-Pro gasket called for clean and dry surfaces…no oil, gasket cement, or sealer.
- When you are satisfied that the surfaces are really clean, you are ready to install the new gasket. Push the dip stick up. The trick now is to work the gasket past the oil pump and inlet screen. Take it easy. It is not too hard to do. Patience. Be sure you have the gasket going the proper direction and the correct side up.
- Install the “blue studs” from the gasket kit. One in each corner hole. You can put the studs on before fishing the gasket or get the gasket in place first. Then pop the gasket on to the studs. Either way will work fine. Check the alignment and make sure the gasket is in the groove at the front and rear bearing caps. The studs keep everything in line. Raise the pan and snap it onto the studs. Pretty cool!
- Check to make sure everything is aligned and clean, and begin reinstalling the oil pan bolts. Don’t forget the metal load spreader plates. Don’t torque them down too tight just yet. Get them all in and then remove the blue studs. Put the last four bolts in place. Gradually tighten all the bolts. It is handy to have lots of extensions and u-joints. Double-check to make sure all the bolts are tight and you can see even, undistorted “blue gasket” all around the joint. Drain any residual cleaner from pan and replace the drain plug.
- Raise the engine slightly, remove wood support blocks and lower engine back on to motor mounts but leave the nuts loose. You may have to shift things around a bit. Be careful what you pry against.
- Reconnect the exhaust pipes. Make sure that both of them are fitted before you begin tightening bolts. This may require a little persuasion to get them to line up. Evenly tighten the bolts. If your stud bolts are pretty corroded you should probably replace them with new ones.
- Tighten the motor mount nuts, reinstall the starter, and oil filter.
- Reconnect transmission cooler lines and replace radiator fan shroud. Don’t forget that the shroud has to seat into the bottom clips.
- Don’t forget to fill up the engine with oil! Hook up the battery ground. Check everything over once more; make sure no trouble light cords, etc. are hanging in engine compartment. Remove stands or ramps. Don’t forget the oil!!
- Start the engine. Check for oil and exhaust leaks. You might have to cinch down those exhaust bolts a quarter turn or so. At this point you don’t want to break off the studs so take it easy.
- If the oil leak was your pan gasket, you should be back in business, if it was the rear main or front seal you got another job ahead!
- Test drive and check for leaks. Success! And, you saved considerable bucks.
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