I want to lift lift my engine a couple inches to change the oil pan gasket, and I was wonering, can I just unscrew the engine mounts and lift it a couple inches, or do I need to disassemble some other parts ?

thanks

 

I'd do a search on replacing the oil pan, there's a lot of posts about doing it from under the car. Most people drop the subframe to make it easier.

Some important points are to make sure you clean the hell out of the mounting surface, do not use an oil pan gasket, use the Right Stuff as a sealant, and make sure you give it plenty of time to cure before adding oil.

 

that'll do it. GL! It's a PITA with the engine in the car.

 

Make sure the radiator hoses, intake piping, wires, extra have enough room and you should be fine. But like mentioned above..this is a PITA with the motor in the car. No easy way to do it. Don't use the OEM gasket. Just use gasket sealer. Yu may also look into the sakebomb oil pan stud kit. Its only around$25 and is supposed to help with sealing.

 

Thank you

 

Get a Garfinkle oil pan brace while you're at it. Between the brace, stud kit and The Right Stuff you should have a drip free FD.

 

I'm running the Banzai Racing Brace. I prefer to support those active on this forum. Here's a link.

http://banzai-racing.com/store/FD_oil_pan_brace.html



Here's how I did mine - take what you want from it:
1) put the front of the car up on jack stands (put the parking brake on - duh)
2) remove the exhaust manifold and turbo w/ dp
3) remove the engine mount nuts
4) place floor jack w/a block of wood under transmission (there's a flat spot there) and jack it up until it hits the transmission tunnel
5) remove the oil pan and engine mount bolts - completely remove the passenger side mount should be easy.
6) reach inside the pan (it won't come out at this point) and remove the oil sending tube
7) rotate the around so that it'll slide out the passenger side
8) remove the driver side mount
9) clean and clean and clean the surface and bolt holes

Install is in reverse but you have to move quickly to get the pan back in w/ the oil sending tube before the sealant cures too much.

The other option is dropping the subframe. I opted not to do this b/c it seemed like a lot of work --- and when I tried nothing budged and I got kinda wigged out about getting crushed by accident.. LOL. So it all stayed in and I hacked my way through it. By far the biggest PITA procedure on the FD that I've done. Not done the fuel filter change yet so I may recant that statement.

 

+1 for what good things I have heard on the banzai brace. I don't have one, but I have heard good things.

Grimple, I think this sounds like far more of a PITA than the fuel filter. Don't get me wrong, changing the fuel filter is miserable. Twice I decided to relocate it. This just sounds like such a PITA I would have to be desperate (or REALLY bored) to do it.

OP, Grimple's little help guide sounds like a pretty good way to attack it. It does suck to have to pull the turbos to get the pan out. But I guess it is that or drop the subfame...

 

well technically i already had my turbo and manifold off the car when I did the brace install. but without dropping the subframe, I don't see how one could get the pan out with the mani/dp still in there.

I'm sure it's been done and I bow to those folks skill. But that'd make this job about a billion times more difficult (which is saying a lot b/c it's really difficult)