Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
As the title says, I am having trouble getting my oil pan back on my 318. One of the end cap bolts keeps popping the rubber gasket off one side of the front of the pan. If I didn't need that gasket (ha, ha!) the pan goes back on quite easy. I can't jack the engine up any higher since the pan is off and since this is my first time doing an oil pan with the engine still in the car, is there a trick I'm missing? Online, I found a reference in an old Mitchell's manual to making sure all the counterweights are up but there's nothing about that in my FSM or any other manual I have and I don't see exactly how that would help considering what the pan is catching on.
Edit: A friend of mine who is a mechanic reached the same conclusion I did which it looks like I'm going to have to borrow his hoist, loosen my motor mount bolts and raise the engine for clearance. This makes no sense to me, but it's the only way I can see doing it. Because my mom is having cancer surgery tomorrow, I'm going to put the pan back on without the gasket to protect my engine until I can get back to it.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
I have another idea to approach this. I had to replace the timing chain a few years ago and while the timing cover was off, I replaced that same gasket with the pan on. I may just do it that way again, use it as an opportunity to clean up and repaint the timing cover and put a new gasket on it. Fuel pump too.
Joined: Sun Feb 26 2006, 08:46PM
Location: Kingston,Ontario
Posts: 5622
I had to undo my motor mounts and jack up the engine. Removing the timing cover is extra work,but if you want it to look nice,then there's the rigors of hard work and better pay off in the end.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
68Cbarge wrote ...
I had to undo my motor mounts and jack up the engine. Removing the timing cover is extra work,but if you want it to look nice,then there's the rigors of hard work and better pay off in the end.
With the pan off, I don't see a good place to jack up the engine. Since this whole project slowed way down, I may clean up the oil pan and repaint it along with the timing cover. I see this escalating into repainting some other things too, I better be careful!
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
68Cbarge wrote ...
I had to undo my motor mounts and jack up the engine. Removing the timing cover is extra work,but if you want it to look nice,then there's the rigors of hard work and better pay off in the end.
Because I have too much going on with my mother recovering from cancer surgery this week, I just pulled the motor mount bolts and jacked up the engine at the harmonic balancer. Of course, then the pan went right in. Tomorrow morning, I'll change the oil filter, fill it up with oil and leak test it. If it passes, then I'll put the steering back together with all new tie rods, idler arm and pitman arm. It's a shame that not a single manual,not even the FSM mentioned having to raise the engine to get the pan back in. Really should have figured that out myself much sooner.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
furious70 wrote ...
I ran into the same thing on a 68 Coronet with a 318 in it. Funny how I can R&R the 383 oil pan on the Fury without lifting the engine at all...
Equally funny is how you can pull the pan from the VIP without raising the engine but you can't put it back on. If I have to do the oil pan again, the whole engine will come out because by then, it will be time for a rebuild.
Joined: Sat Mar 29 2008, 03:36PM
Location: North eastern Wis.
Posts: 1638
I never even thought of doing it with out lifting the motor. Big block, small block ,B or C body. I guess owning an engine hoist might make that decision easier to make.
Sorry to hear of your Mothers situation. BEST OF LUCK
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
bboogieart wrote ...
I never even thought of doing it with out lifting the motor. Big block, small block ,B or C body. I guess owning an engine hoist might make that decision easier to make.
Sorry to hear of your Mothers situation. BEST OF LUCK
Thanks, my Mom did very well with the surgery. She won't have to do chemo or radiation.
I don't have an engine hoist, but nothing in the text of any manual I looked at had the slightest indication that the 318 would have to have the engine raised to replace the pan.
Joined: Sat Mar 29 2008, 03:36PM
Location: North eastern Wis.
Posts: 1638
Really Glad to hear about your Moms good fortune. That kind of stuff can sure get scary.
I started playing with cars long before I found out there was a manual. No inner net in those days either. I do refer to them from time to time these days.
Learned a lot from the older guys in the neighbor hood, some by trial and error, and more by plain dumb luck.
Still learning more all the time right here at the dock. Thanks to all of you folks for that.