Can anyone give me a tip on how to get the oil pan off a 390 engine. The manual says to get the crankshaft counterweight out of the way but the pan seems to be banging against it. I've turned the crank but can't seem to get it in the right position. Should I line the timing marks up on the sprockets or is there any way other than trial and error to get the crank in the right position. I'm doing this with the engine in in case you're wondering and the oil pan has to come out to the front because of the I beams. Thanks Bud

 

Bud, It is hard to tell from what you have posted, but have you raised the engine. I have never tried to work on a pan while still in the truck, but I believe I have read posts where jacking the engine up was required.



John

 

You'll need to unbolt the motor mounts and jack the engine up an inch and a half or so. For safety be sure put some wooden blocks between the mounts and stands. Also do not use the balancer as a jack point it can damage the crank. Another also is either remove the fan or unbolt the shroud so it doesn't get broken while you raise the engine.

 

wont that hurt the bellhousing and tranny and whatnot?

 

No it won't. The bellhousing may contact the firewall/floor seam but the sheet metal lip will bend long before it could ever damage the bellhousing.


Newer trucks I wouldn't be so sure about.

 

Thanks Clay, I hadn't raised the engine but looks like that's the answer from some other threads that I found on the forum. Is there any other things I should disconnect or watch when the engine is raised? Were you able to pull the oil pan after raising the engine only or did you still have to drop the pump and tube to the screen into the pan first? Thanks everyone for the tips. Bud

 

Bud, I've always dropped the pump and screen into the pan. I don't think it's possible to raise the engine far enough for the pan to clear with the pump installed.

Clay

 

Easy as pie. You may need to detach the fan shroud but that is all. All lines can stayy connected except for the rubber fuel line going from the pump to the line on the frame rail if it is short. Remove the motor mount nut and washer on both sides. Use a cherry picker or chain fall to pick up the engine until it touches or shows resistance in moving (watch that you don't break something). Take out all the pan bolts. Lower the pan. If a 2wd...remove the 2 bolts and the oil pump pickup tube. You don't have to remove the oil pump on a 2wd. A 4wd you may have to remove the whole unit. Then remove and plug the trans lines going to the radiator if you have a automatic. **MAKE SURE YOU PULL OUT THE OIL DIPSTICK!** You can now slide the pan out the front of the truck. Done it many times. Hope this helps.

**Note: if you remove the oil pump it is a pain in the A** to get the shaft back in with the collar on. I prefer to leave the pump on.