Some projects never end. A simple swap of a M40 and a M41 has turned into something else. There was 36 years of oil/dirt/grease accumlated so the cleaning part was/is a bear. But, it now seem that most, if not all, of the oil leaks are coming from the oil pan gasket. Looking at the Haynes manual, they talk about dropping the front axle to remove the oil pan. That's beyond my pay grade. Has anyone replaced the gasket without removing the pan, engine, front axle, etc? If so, could you give me some directions? Thanks
Jim

Sometimes the sump bolts vibrate loose & just need a quick tighten. More likely is that the oil is coming out of the front or rear seal housing & running around the sides to make it look like a leaking sump gasket.

Looking at the Haynes manual, they talk about dropping the front axle to remove the oil pan.

The haynes manual is rubbish, you don't need to drop the front end just to change the gasket.

Both front and rear main seals are good. I've loosened everything up as suggested. Will I be able to raise the engine enough to get the pan off? Or will I also have to drop the cross member? I looked at the 4 bolts mentioned and it looks like a lot of suspension parts will also drop--like lower a-arms etc. Will that be a problem?

You can't pull the sump off without lowering the crossmember, but you don't have to. You only have to unbolt it, scrape the gasket off, fit the new gasket & bolt it up again.

Was going to do it that way, but after taking all the bolts out of the sump, it was clear someone had overtightened most of them, dimpled the holes, and made any future attempt to stop the leaks with a new gasket a waste of time. So, we put a chain on the engine, raised it 5", dropped the pan, took it to a machine shop for repairs, and will reinstall next week. Will also use 1" long x3/8" wide x 1/8" thick plates with a hole in them at each bolt location. Then when I tighten things up, the clamping pressure will be spread over a wider area.

If some clown did that to the sump it would pay you to have a look at the bearings & re-torque the conrod & main bolts properly. Make sure the one you use on the conrods is perfectly calibrated. Also, have a look in the oil pump. Have a good look at the spring, they have a habit of wearing badly in one spot & failing. New springs are cheap.

Do you still have no transmission in the car? If so, you're just a few bolts from being able to lift the motor enough to get that pan off.

If you have already bolted up the transmission... well, have you tried tightening the oil pan bolts? That's surely a good place to start...

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-Matt I ♥ my ♂

I already have the radiator, transmission, clutch, flywheel out of the car. So it looks like if I raise the motor a couple of inches, making sure to disconnect the throttle linkage, all I have to do is undo 4 bolts from the cross member and it should work. Does this sound like a plan? Thanks
Jim

Right now I have the oil pan off my 1969 144S so I can replace piston rings. It is not a difficult job. There are variations of how I do it--choose your own path depending on available equipment. To gain the needed clearance to pass the oil pump I raise the motor a little bit--and also drop the rear of the crossmember. Since I have the cylinder head off with the cooling system drained I removed the radiator completely so as to not have any chance of damaging it. If you are only removing the pan you can leave hoses and trans cooling lines attached but remove the mounting bolts so the radiator gets raised with the motor. I also disconnected the heater hoses. It's a good idea to remove the long firewall to manifold throttle linkage shaft on cars with carbs and EFI. Jack up the car and support it with jack stands under the standard jacking points (front only-or front and rear). Remove the nuts on the bottom of the motor mounts. Loosen the nut on the transmission mount. I raised the motor with a professional jig spanning the fenders. I've used home made units made from scrap lumber. You can also jack it up with lumber using a floor jack placed under front pan edge or pulley. Jack the motor so the mount studs clear the crossmember bracket. Place a piece of cut 2x4 under each mount--resting on the crossmember bracket (be sure to place the lumber in such a way that it clear of the pan). If you aren't using a rig from above you can now lower the motor so it is resting on the wood blocks. Use a floor jack under the crossmember. Loosen the front crossmember bolts a few turns. Remove the rear bolts and replace them with 4 inch long bolts. Lower the jack and the crossmember will tilt back. You will now have enough clearance to remove the pan. I remove all of the pan bolts but two--leaving them very loose. I use a hard rubber mallet to smack the pan--hitting it at the stronger curved areas. Of course, you drained the oil fourteen steps ago. It should shake loose from the motor in short order. I don't like to pry the pan from its edges but sometimes it's necessary if it has been glued in. --- Dave

Lowering the cross member isn't that bad. Get the car in the air, and unbolt the rubber motor mounts. Use an engine lift tool that rests on the fenders if you have access to one. If not, lash the engine to a 4X4 laying across the fenders with heavy rope or chain. Lift one side up and stuff a phone book under it. Then lift and stuff a phone book under the other side. The engine should be slightly off it's mounts. Support the cross member with a floor jack and unbolt the four big bolts that hold it to the chassis. Lower the cross member a few inches and support it with jack stands.

About an hour or so if you have done it a dozen times before.

Charlie