So i've been reading around and a few folks say that if you loosen the rear subframe bolts a bit you can get some more clearance for oil pan removal. I'd prefer not to remove the subframe altogether if possible and would like to try this.

(Here's the thread: https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...easier+oil+pan)

But before I started taking off subframe bolts, I just wanted to double check that these were the bolts that are being referred as the "rear subframe bolts".

 

From my experience, you'll need to do all the subframe bolts to get any clearance.

 

my engine is pretty bare bones at the moment... all the turbo components (mani, dp, oil return items, OMP) are off the engine. I was hoping that'd give me some more room.

mahjik, are those the rear subframe bolts that i highlighted? Never done much with this part of the car (suspension).

 

I have done this a couple of times and frankly I think it's foolish to not remove the subframe. You want the best possible bond and assembly and that's not going to happen while trying to shimmy a sealant-covered pan around a bunch of really tight stuff.

I'm sure someone with the magic touch can do better than my attempt, but really it's better to give yourself plenty of space so that once the sealant is spread it's on the block ASAP.

Dave

 

Yes, those are the rear bolts, but you still have 4 bolts on the front. Unless you bend the subframe in half, it's not going to budge with those other 4 bolts on the front still torqued. The problem is that you can't really lift the engine high enough while it's bolted to the transmission to get the job done (i.e. you are limited to the height of the tranny tunnel). There are a few who have, but IMO it just makes things harder. You don't have the "remove" the subframe; just unbolt it, leave it in place and pull it down to get more clearance for the pan.

 

just so that i understand completely... if i remove those two rear bolts and the four front ones (plus the front sway), it'll just hang there? it won't come crashing down because of the A-arms & shocks?

(thanks for everyone's help)

 

You can leave the sway bar. Just unbolt the steering rack and it will hang there (provided you have the engine supported).

 

It's really a lot easier to do this with the subframe out. When I was under my car I couldn't even imagine taking the oil pan off with the subframe still under there. From my experience the subframe is major bitch to take out from under the car....but easy as hell to put back in. It was worth it in the end though (pan was leaking bad).

 

thanks all for the input i'm gonna start on it either tonight or tomorrow night.

 

I would just remove the whole subframe and make your life easy. Its just a few bolts to the chassis and a few bolts for the a arms. Only down side is you have to get an alignment after you reinstall it. But I would much rather know that the thing wont leak on the first try and pay $100 for a re-alignment rather than having to do the whole process over again. Make sure you install the engine mounts after you goop up the pan and reinstall it as these are a key part of torqueing the pan.

 

is there a possibility to snap bolts? I never took of my FDs sub frame but i did remove the sub frame of my old FC and 3 bolts snapped inside the body and i couldn't get them out. can this happen to the FD sub as well?

I was going to remove my engine next week to fix the oil pan leak and install an oil pan brace but if there is an easier way to do this then woohoo. I am just a little paranoid bout the sub frame removal.

 

I have removed a few subframes and am yet to have any problems removing the mounting bolts. Dont know if I was more fortunate than everybody but they all came out no problem.

 

just a quick update on my experiences thus far.

There's not a lot of room. I couldn't get the pan out until i took off the oil sending pipe (Whatever it's call that sucks oil up out of the pan to the engine). I snaked my hand in between the pan and the engine to get it out. Once that was removed the pan was able to slide out the direction of the exhaust manifold (thankfully, I'd removed all that stuff earlier and it slid right out).

I took out all the subframe bolts but couldn't seem to get it to drop. I'm maybe overlooking something - or maybe it's stuck. I had 2 bolts in the rear and 4 up front.... I thought maybe it was a sway bar situation and took it off too (not the endlinks). I'll take another look at it tonight as today I'm tinkering with the pan.

Anyways, the pan is out and now I'm trying to figure out if i should buy a new pan to replace it... any suggestions on when/how to tell if replacement is needed? I'm installing the banzai brace when it all goes back in so I don't know if that'll make it all sit more flush or not.

 

You should be able to tell if you need to replace the pan or not. If it looks as if the pan is really bent up/warped and you think it wont sit flush then replace it. You could try to straighten it out with a block of wood and a mallet if it's not bent up too bad.

 

Did you undo the steering rack from the subframe?

 

Did you unbolt the motor mounts?

 

Ha, you beat me to it. Thats what I was gonna ask as well.

 

Be damn carefully under there when lowering the Subframe. It could be holding some spring tension and when you remove the motor mount nuts come flying downward. Put a floor jack under it, remove the nuts and lower slowly.



Later

 

yeah the mounts are out of it. I also took off the steering rack bolts. i'm not sure what's holding it up but i'll be extrelly careful. After it wouldn't come down and I couldn't figure it out, I put a few of the bolts back in just in case it tried to be funny with my hands under it.

I have the car on jack stands, a jack under the tranny (w/ wood block), and a jack near the subframe.... so i'm pretty cautious under there since it's just me out there.

I think it'll need a new pan, it's pretty bent and sometimes a piece of mind is worth a little bit of money.

 

sorry to thread jack, but grimple, where did you get that image? Also, I need a shot of the read subframe/suspension if you have one.

thanks