That would have been a lot nicer than what I used!

Do oil pan studs do a better job at sealing an oil pan then bolts?

For a low torque application like this the studs don't necessarily do a better job as far as helping it seal. It does help line the pan up and helps keep RTV out of the blind holes.

Dale

All-

Thanks for all the input. I've decided I'm going to attempt this over the next several weeks. I'll be ordering some parts and tools tonight, so be on the look out for threads titled "What is this thingy and how does it come off?" and "Oh my God, what did I mess up now?"

Thanks!

Okay everyone, I'm doing it. I've gotten so far as to lift up the engine with my new engine support bar, and I don't think I've broken anything. That said, there is one thing making me anxious:

I only lifted the engine with the front lift point. When tried to do both, the engine lift points looked like they were more bending inward than lifting. The instructions in the FSM also looked as if they only used the one lift point, so I proceeded. It seemed to work, but when I was getting close to height, I heard a pop. I think itwas the drivers side engine mount bolt coming out of the subframe (I had removed the 2 14 mm nuts securing it to the subframe), which is fine (and what I wanted). Now, however, the bolt doesn't appear to align with the hole. Is that normal? If not, how should I think about getting the stud lined up when I re-lower the engine?

Also, as a PSA for all those amateurs who may take this on, even if you take the drain plug out, there's still plenty of oil left in the oil pan to make a decent sized pool under your car when you lift the engine. Keep that in mind!

Thanks for all your help!