engine and drivetrain Procedure For Dropping The Oil Pan In A Tii With The Engine In The Car

[thehackmechanic]

Having just had to do this for a second time (loose rod end cap), I thought I'd get it down. Most of this comes from Paul Wegweiser. I did it the support-the-engine-from-above-with-a-chain way the first time. This was much easier.

 

Dropping the oil pan with the engine in the car is more difficult in a tii because of the location of that blasted alternator. Because the Kugelfisher pump is where the alternator usually is, the alternator is lower in the engine compartment -- below the battery tray. This makes it so you can't jack the engine up without the alternator hitting the battery tray. And removing the alternator completely is non-trivial because you can't get it out the bottom without removing the front sway bar, at least I can't with a 22mm front bar.

 

Much of this applies to a standard 2002 as well.

 

1) Disconnect battery negative lead.

 

2) Disconnect all electrical connections to the alternator.

 

3) Unbolt the alternator from its bracket and its swing arm.

 

4) Take the alternator and park it above the left frame rail, below the battery tray. You may need to rotate it so the pulley faces right. Hold it securely in place with a bungie.

 

5) Swing the alternator's swing arm up and out of the way of the oil pan.

 

6) Remove the distributor, or at least the cap, as you're about to tip the engine back. The cap WILL hit the firewall. The distributor probably won't, but I just pull it out for safety's sake.

 

7) Remove the tii's air cleaner assembly.

 

8) Drain and remove the radiator. You may be able to leave it in and get enough height by letting the hoses stretch, but I needed to pull it anyway.

 

9) Detach the long linkage rod going to the accelerator pedal.

 

10) Undo the 17mm nut on the left (vertical) engine mount.

 

11) Remove the two 13mm nuts and bolts holding the right engine mount to the subframe, and the 13mm nut on the top of the mount holding the engine to the mount.

 

12) Using a floor jack and a block of wood beneath the oil pan, jack up the engine. Get it high enough so that the #4 intake plenum almost hits the cowl.

 

13) Slide one of the 2x4 sections WITH THE 4" AXIS VERTICAL where the right engine mount was. 

 

14) Slide the other 2x4 section with the short axis horizontal between the bolt on the left hand engine mount where it slides into the vertical subframe slot, and that slot. This isn't nearly as secure a location as the right mount. If you have any doubt as to its security, don't do it. I shoved it around and convinced myself it wouldn't budge, but obviously you'd hate to have your hand between the pan and the subframe if it let go.

 

15) Undo the oil pan and drop it.

 

I'm looking at Paul's notes. He didn't remove the right motor mount; he unbolted the bracket at the top and shoved the wood on top of the mount. I couldn't do that; the wood wouldn't clear the metal "hook" in front of the mount, so I removed the whole mount and put the 2x4 in with the 4" axis vertical. Paul's notes also say that he didn't use a block of wood on the left side; he just loosed it and jacked it up. Paul said that this method gave enough clearance that you could drop the front of the oil pan, reach in, disconnect the oil pump, and then pull the pan out (since the oil pump's pick up tube sits behind the baffle in the pan, you always need more clearance than you think). But in my case, with this method, by placing the right 2x4 vertical and also blocking the left side, it gave enough height that the whole pan came right out without having to undo the oil pump. Joy. 

 

--Rob

[bnam]

Rob,

I'd like to try this approach. Was the car a 5speed? Any worries about clutch slave hitting tunnel?

Byas

[thehackmechanic]

Yes, the car is a 5-speed. I did not have clearance problems with the slave, but the tunnel is pounded out there. 

[jgerock]

You CAN leave the alternator in place, but you must remove the oil pump so the pan can be R&R'd.  Also, rotate the engine so # 4 cylinder is at TDC.  This allows more clearance to pull the pan out between the crank and subframe.

[FB73tii]

... removing the alternator completely is non-trivial because you can't get it out the bottom without removing the front sway bar, at least I can't with a 22mm front bar.

 

As I previously mentioned, the tii alternator can be removed without removing the front sway bar. Just undo the nut holding the alternator pulley and remove the pulley and fan from the alternator. You can now work the alternator out of the engine bay without removing that sway bar. --Fred

[Mike Self]

So....one step closer to a repaired engine and a car ready for MidAmerica...

 

Go Rob!

 

mike

[peterschop]

Dropping the sub frame sounds easier to me, all except for disconnecting the steering linkage. I supported the engine with a chain, wired up the calipers, disconnected the steering linkage, took out the six nuts holding the struts and six bolts holding the sub frame and lowered the frame on a transmission jack from HF. Radiator and all the hoses stayed in the car still attached. The oil pan was then wide open to remove.