Aaron Thomas

iTrader: (1)

Well my Ls7 clutch has been collecting dust in my garage for months, so finally got off my lazy butt and pulled the trans last night. I know there was possibly going to be a little weeping from the rear main seal, but when I pulled the flywheel is was worse than I thought. Looks like the oil pan is leaking. Hard to tell where with everything spinning back there, but looks like where the drivers side pan seals to the block is worse than the passenger side. So from swapping out a clutch, now to lifting motor and dropping front cradle to change the oil pan gasket. I already have the rear main seal and had planned on changing that. My question is, is there anything else that "I might as well do while I'm in there?" I was figuring the rear engine cover gasket, but anything else? Also I've typically just run the Fel-Pro Gaskets and dabbed silicone at the corners, but anyone recommend anything better to use? Any tips to dropping the front cradle/lifting motor? Definitely not the first motor/trans I've pulled, but first time on a CTS-V. Sorry for the long post. Any advice is very much appreciated.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

Good luck with the pan gasket. I've had to change my oil pan, I think I would have rather been kicked in the nuts by a horse.

Aaron Thomas

iTrader: (1)

I'm thinking I am halfway there with the trans out already, but I guess that has nothing to do with it as you can lift the engine and lower the cradle with the trans still attached . Well atleast my wife knows what I am doing while she is out of town....getting greasy with the mistress. And to think I just changed her oil two weeks ago.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

Just by having the trans out you'll have a little more room at the back of the pan as normally it sits right agains the bell housing. You might be able to get the pan lowered down as far as you can, remove the 10mm bolt holding the pickup tube on the oil pump and slide the entire mess backwards towards where the bell house normal sits.

When you lower the cradle there are some things bolted to it on the passenger side. If I recall there are one or two 10mm bolts that attach some bracket to the cradle. I've tried to erase most of the memories of that experience from my mind.

ryridesmotox

Remember, the oil pickup is attached to the windage tray and to the block in the front.

If it was me, I'd remove the headers, unbolt the motor mounts and lift that bitch straight up as high as I could. Luckily the V engine compartment isn't like a Fbody, in that we have more vertical room. You might be able to get in there enough to drop the oil pan out. The oil pickup is in a little baffled box inside the oil pan, so the easiest might be to unbolt the pan and see if you can squirm it out. Then clean the old rtv off the back of the block and reapply new stuff. Either way, its gonna be a pain in the anus

ls1247

iTrader: (2)

read this...

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...b-05-06-a.html

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

I managed to pull the pan with the trans still attached and the engine in the car. I had to push the cradle forward as I tilted the pan downstairs the back. The gasket on mine was metal with a silicone/rubber embossed in the metal. And the metal is damn near tack welded to the pan. The new pan came with the gasket attached to it in the same way.

It was a major pain, not a fun afternoon.

Aaron Thomas

iTrader: (1)

Not a fun afternoon I can handle. Not a fun weekend would **** me off to no end. My plan is as 05CTSV outlined to un-bolt the motor mounts, lift up the engine and lower the cradle enough to drop the pan. Clean all the oily mess and put new gasket on the oil pan and then a new rear cover gasket and rear main seal, and then finish the clutch install. Yup, in reevaluating my laundry list, my weekend is shot.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

Be prepared to be pissed off. Provided you have the motor lifted up securely you can remove all 4 of the cradle bolts. The shocks will be the only thing holding the cradle at that point. You can sort of swing the cradle forward as you pull down on the pan. Once you clear the pickup tube pull the back of the pan toward the floor and front of the car. I also took the top radiator brackets loose and popped the radiator out of the cradle before lowering it. PITA!

Aaron Thomas

iTrader: (1)

Update: Oil pian gasket, and rear cover gasket replaced. If I had to do this again, I would probably remove the fans and radiator. I have an Alradco radiator and it was real tight. Is it needed, no. For the extra couple of bolts I would remove it if I had to do it again. If I had the stock radiator it would have been removed in a heartbeat. I would have been worried that any lifting of the motor would have placed stress on the hose connections to the plastic radiator and springing a leak. Well the hard part is done, now to finish the clutch install and pray for no leaks when starting it up.

DarkCharisma

I assume you dropped the front crossmember?

Aaron Thomas

iTrader: (1)

Combination of both. Used an engine hoist to lift the engine up about 3-4" and then dropped the subframe about another inch, which was enough to clear the pickup. Not fun to do on jackstands, but doable if you have a lot of patience. After cleaning all the grime off of the back of the block, bell housing and transmission it looks much better. I had to go out and buy a new torque wrench as the torque values go from 106 in-lbs for the oil pan baffle up to the 141 ft-lbs for the front subframe bolts. Not complaining as I like justifying new tool purchases, but before you start check to make sure you have the range covered.

05CTSV

iTrader: (16)

Ahh, that was my problem. My patience was running thin the day I was replacing my pan. I was ready to light that thing on fire!

bmylez

iTrader: (3)

Bah! My gasket is leaking in multiple places, but I just don't care anymore, haha. Done a lot of wrenching on my car and this is one thing I'm not interested in doing right now. Looks like I need to find a friend with a hoist and do the motor lift/cradle drop technique.