Can I just lift on the bellhousing to get the engine high enough to pull the oil pan, or do i need an engine hoist for the front for support? Or both? Also I'm assuming the tranny stays bolted up the whole time? Will I be able to just lift the engine or will i have to drop the k-member too. Thanks, I tried searching but there are a lot of conflicting opinions.

 

I don't think it would be a good idea to support all that weight on the bell housing. I would raise the car and support it at the lifting pads, take motor mount loose and try lifting the engine as far as possible with a hoist from the top. If you still do not get enough clearance you may have drop the subframe a little. Someone else may chime in. I have never removed it with the engine in the car.

 

Well I raised the engine as far as i could, and dropped the subframe as far as i could and there was still not enough room. The trick to getting it out was pushing forward hard on the k-member to get the oil pan to make it past the bellhousing. Thanks for your help, all is well now.

 

Just drop the K-Memeber, would eaiser and faster. Just unfo the shocks, 3 bolts on both sides, motor mounts and brake lines, power streer lines. support the engine from the top on the shock towers. run a bar strait accross and bolt them to the motor. whole proccess should take about 2hr max.

 

Yeah, that's the thing, the k-member wouldn't drop more than about an inch. I tried unbolting one shock tower but it still didn't move. There should be nothing holding the k-member up other than the three bolts on each side and the shocks right?

 

I've been there. The tranny/bellhousing run into the body before there is enough clearance to get the pan off with the stock K-member. I hung the engine from the STB and dropped the K-member since I was switching to a BMR anyway. You can get the pan off with the BMR by lifting the engine off the mounts.