is it worth my time to do the oil pan gasket or should i just pay the mega bucks and have a shop do it.......did anyone here do it....some tips on how to get the pan out from the cross member would be great

 

As always ~ SAFETY FIRST!

- Chock the wheels as needed.
- Disconnect the Negative battery cable from the battery.
- Have a known good fire extinguisher within sight.
- Have a clean, uncluttered work area.
- Have good lighting.
- Considering you'll be lifting/holding the vehicle with a jack and safety stands, be sure they're rated for the load with a good safety factor. Don't cut any corners here. Cinder-blocks WILL kill you! When considering all this, don't forget to include a strong, level area to park the truck.
- With any work I do, I usually power wash everything the night before. If you don't have the means at home, the local car-wash works well. If you don't walk away soaking wet with gritty/grime on your face, you need to strike it again.


- Raise the front of the truck and support it by it's frame so as to put the front axle in full droop.
- Remove the cooling fan shroud.
- Loosen the engine mount bolts (as needed) and remove the lower nuts.





- Lift the front of the engine till the rear valve-cover just kisses the firewall. Some even remove the valve-cover and lift a little more. I did, and lifted till the cab just started come up a little.
- Remove all the pan bolts except for that last bolt, rear driver's side. Leave it in a couple of threads. This will help with the following step.
- At the front passenger's corner of the pan, reach in between the pan and block, and remove the two bolts that hold the oil pick-up tube connection.
- Go back to the opposite corner and remove that one bolt letting the pan drop on to the axle.
- Just in front of the starter, there's one bolt that holds the oil pick-up tube's support. Remove it.





- Now, start sliding the oil pan toward the rear of the truck on it's way out.
- You'll need to roll over the crankshaft so as to move the connecting rod throws out of the pan's way as you complete removing it.





* The interior of the pan is Teflon coated, so you won't need to bother trying to get gasket shellac to stick a new gasket in place. It just plain won't stick.
* Be sure to put a small booger of sealant at the seam of the front timing case and the block (both sides of the block).




* The gasket is most fragile at the front, where it passes under crankshaft behind the damper. So be careful sliding the new gasket in with the pan and dinking with the oil pick-up tube.

 

thank you so much....i think faith will have to sticky this thread....nice write up and thank you again

 

It's my pleasure (I'm editing it).

 

Good procedure above. However, I'd like to respectfully add one step on a 1st gen truck.

-Drain the coolant then disconnect the lower rad hose from the engine. I've found on a 1st gen truck, that hose is so short and stiff that if you try to stretch it that far (when you jack up the engine) that it will put a lot of stress on the radiator nipple.

 

Good point!