Finally took it apart for the duals,manifold,H&C. Man, are these new 'gaskets' nice. The timing cover fell off with the last bolt. No cork to scrape!!!

Only downer is that, contrary to a couple of posts I read, the oil pan will not come off with the engine in the car. Must be a year/model issue. I've pulled the mounts and lifted the engine up until the lugs on the trans hit the tunnel. I am still an inch or so short of clearing the bellhousing. I can drop the K-member, but I didn't want to do that until I get a BMR replacement, and the STB is holding the engine up. Or I could pull the trans, but I didn't want to do that until I was ready to rebuild it.

Which would you do - drop the T-56 or the K-member? Or take a sawzall to the lugs?

 

the tranny is not to hard to drop, I say go for that. just make sure you got some long *** extenions for the bell housing bolts. I mean like 2 ft worth of extensions haha.

 

Are you trying to drop the pan enough to get the oil pump off? Are you sure you got all of the bolts, there is one hidden by the oil filter that you have to remove the little plastic tray to find. The other thing to remember is you have to remove the 2 bottom bellhousing bolts that bolt into the oil pan from the transmission.

 

No. Changing the rod bolts to ARP. I have all the bolts out. The problem is physical clearance to get the pan out once all the bolts are removed.

 

I still have the extension I used to use. It is at least 2 ft long. I guess my wobbly sockets are not useful as they are not metric though.

I guess I would need a cherry picker to hold the engine up once the T-56 was removed.

 

Can't you get a wrench on the p/u tube bolt and take it out?
Once the P/U tube is loose, won't the pan slide out, p/u tube and all?

I guess the question remains, though, how does one get it all back together this way ...

 

Gotcha, you know it may be easier to just drop the k-member. I think that maybe the only way since the pickup tube may still hold the pan on if you pull the transmission.

 

Man the K-member would drop out by removing the 6 bolts (three on each side)the four bolts holding the struts in on the top can be had with an impact but you have your motor on it so you could just try to drop it down like that I am sure it will give you an inch or so at least. That is why it's all coming out on mine K-member and all. I am going to change my rod bolts also. Let us know how hard it is with it still in the car. Good luck!

 

Pan won't slide out 'cuz it hits the block in the front, the K-member in the middle, and the bellhousing/flywheel in the back. It only gets maybe 25 degrees down in back. If I could lift the engine higher and get 30 degrees or so, the pan would come out (perhaps having to take the pickup off).

 

That is where I am leaning. I really should put in the BMR stuff if I pull the K-member, but you guys don't have a sale on

 

That is the way I am leaning now. Problem is, the STB that is holding the motor up is held on by two of those four bolts on top. I need a new plan that doesn't involve waiting 3 or 4 weeks for a $60 engine-holder-upper from Harbor Freight. I don't have much scrap steel around anymore (cleaned the garage 15 years ago in a fit of depression when my wife left. Really dumb so I don't have much to build anything with.