Oil pan removal question (oil pickup?)

[Jeff Berk]

I'm going to be replacing my oil pan gasket and in reading up on it, I found a set of instructions that said: Knock pan loose with rubber mallet. Then loosen the two 12mm bolts on the oil pickup. 

So, do I drop the oil pan a few mm's and reach in with a 12mm wrench and loosen two bolts? Is that so I have some wiggle room to get the pan off?   

 

[grannyknot]

9 hours ago, Jeff Berk said:

I'm going to be replacing my oil pan gasket and in reading up on it, I found a set of instructions that said: Knock pan loose with rubber mallet. Then loosen the two 12mm bolts on the oil pickup. 

So, do I drop the oil pan a few mm's and reach in with a 12mm wrench and loosen two bolts? Is that so I have some wiggle room to get the pan off?   

 

Yes,  it's not too bad of a job to get the pan off after the oil pump pick up has dropped into the pan, the problem comes when you have to reinstall the pick up, not a lot of room to get your hands in there and start the two  12mm bolts.  As I remember I had to bring the engine hoist in from the side and lift the engine 3-4", disconnect the engine mounts to get enough clearance. 

[Jeff Berk]

I don't have an engine hoist so this could be interesting. I can picture myself getting one nut on and dropping the second one several times.

I'm going to be switching out my transmission as well so I hope that getting that out of the way will give me more room to slide it back.

[madkaw]

21 minutes ago, Jeff Berk said:

I don't have an engine hoist so this could be interesting. I can picture myself getting one nut on and dropping the second one several times.

I'm going to be switching out my transmission as well so I hope that getting that out of the way will give me more room to slide it back.

That might buy you more room . Make sure #1 rod is TDC and out of the way to help clear crossmember 

[Jeff Berk]

I'm at TDC, dip stick is out as are all but one bolt holding the oil pan. Unless someone can come up with an idea, I'm having a tool made because nothing I have or purchased can get to that one last bolt. The oil pan lip blocks access using a box wrench and the oil pan's budge doesn't leave enough room for a socket wrench. A flex head box wrench won't lock on possibly because of the pan lip. The exhaust is welded so I'd likely have to cut it to remove it but I gained an inch or two by unbolting the manifold.

I'm trying to get a shop to make a short offset for a 1/4-inch drive wrench. The offset from a crows-foot wrench is too short. If that doesn't work, I'm going to give up and put all the bolts back in and refill it with oil.

Edited May 11, 2021 by Jeff Berk

[mailnome]

How about something like this

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-35-Piece-Standard-SAE-and-Metric-Polished-Chrome-Mechanics-Tool-Set/3387640?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-tol-_-google-_-lia-_-218-_-mechanicstools-_-3387640-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI96iR68bC8AIV0AeICR0FtQgpEAQYCSABEgLbEPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

With a nut driver bit like this in it, possibly modified/shortened

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-IMPACT-RATED-3-Piece-1-4-in-Nutsetter-Impact-Driver-Bit-Set/1000600279?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-tol-_-google-_-lia-_-215-_-pta-drillinganddriving-_-1000600279-_-0&placeholder=null&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI88LSu8fC8AIVjwWICR07XQ1xEAQYESABEgLYm_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or basically a 1/4” ratcheting wrench and a modified nut driver bit.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cgsheen1]

We just did this in the shop on Saturday - stock 280Z. It's a mite easier when you have the car on a lift but it IS doable without and without lifting the engine. "Patience is the key to joy." (Fortune Cookie circa 2015) Just make sure the number one piston is UP (so the crank shaft isn't in the way at the front of the pan) and you have the car as far off the ground as you can manage. Dropping the oil pickup is pretty easy, and there's actually a bit more room than you think there would be to get the bolts back in once you're ready to reassemble - refer to Fortune Cookie quote above. My fingers are fat and beat up in my old age and I could do it.

[grannyknot]

Wait minute, that's a custom oil pan.  Previous advice may not work considering the pan isn't stock so might not have the same clearance for dropping, also your oil pick up was probably lengthened to reach the farther down into the pan, that probably won't affect the removal but might on installation.  Sorry, that probably doesn't help very much.

[Jeff Berk]

I have it up on a lift which makes the effort more tolerable. That extra-wide oil pan is a real PIA. I'm trying to get the maker space near me to make a couple of offsets but with C-19, I have to rely on students to fabricate the part. Their waterjet would cut these out in minutes. I might try a 3D printed wrench but I'm not sure a PLA wrench can hold up.wrench offset.pdf

Edited May 11, 2021 by Jeff Berk

[heyitsrama]

PLA might hold up if you just need to use it a couple times, and there's not a ton of torque applied to the fastener. Can maybe increase the in-fill density to 70% and give it a try.

Can you post up some photos of the oilpan when you get it off? Interested in some photos of how it was made.

 

 

[Jeff Berk]

I got the oil pan off! The PLA wrench i printed didn't work but it gave me the dimensions I needed to get a couple of steel wrenches made. The oil pan is surprisingly complex with several baffles, screens, and 4 spring-loaded flaps. There was hardly any sludge in the bottom of the pan but the car likely had just 40K miles on it since the installation in the early 80's. I still see no reason for the second oil drain plug on top of the tank. I had to remove the plug to get even my modified wrench with a ground-down socket in there. I will need to cut or grind off some of the brim around the oil pan so that I can get that one troublesome bolt back in.

[Patcon]

Thats a nice pan!