can someone walk me through the steps of pulling an oil pan on a 83 280zx? I know im going to have to lift the motor a bit but how much? Am I going to have to disconnect the motor from the tranny? Or the tranny from the driveshaft? The oil pan gasket is leaking pretty bad and I just want to know the easiest way to change it right. If anyone knows a way to do it without a engine hoist that would be good, but if I have to buy one to do it right, so be it. thanks for the help!

 

You can always support the motor and drop the front crossmember. I would personally just pull the motor and replace all of the seals if the pan gasket needs replaced.

 

I would suggest what hoov said. But if you just want to only replace the oil pan gasket. It will be a little easier to take the engine off the mounts. Then I would suggest removing the radiator, shroud and fan. Then take a floor jack, and lift up gently on the transmission, where the bell housing is. Just make sure you don't jack it up too high. You want to jack it up just enough, make the space you need. Which would be just enough to get the pan out. It will still be a little tricky, but it would be easier than trying with the engine still on the mounts, or pulling the engine out itself. But it is all up to you.

Also while you have the pan out. I would suggest you replace the front and rear main seals. I made that mistake before, by not replacing them when I had the engine out. And kicked myself, when down the road my seals started leaking.

Hopefully I described it enough, that it is not confusing. It is a lot easier for me to do, then do tell you how to do it. But I try my best.

 

thanks wildman and hoov i think i got it now. its just wierd to lift the motor while its connected to the tranny and the tranny is connected to the drive shaft.

 

On My 81 I Was able To Replace My Gasket Without Lifting Engine All I Did Was Unbolt The Pan And There Was Enough Room To Work(About 3 Inches)Just Scraped The Old Gasket And Put The New One It Was Very Time Consuming But I Didn't Have To Pull Out The Engine..

 

I did that once and if I ever have to do it again I WILL be pulling the motor. Its a ton of work. If you have a lift it would be easier but changing the gasket while the car is up on jackstands or ramps ins annoyingly hard.

You have to undo the motor mounts and lift the motor up by either the transmission, or by the crank pulley (I actually used an engine hoist). then you undo all the pan bolts and break the pan free of the block and undo the pickup tube bolts and slide the pan out towards the transmission (you can now see why lifting from the trans makes this even harder at this point) Then pretty much do what you did in reverse to install.

 

having a bit of a problem getting the motor to sit on the mounts right, the motor is sitting about a half inch back. I've tried lifting and pulling and prying, any advice? anybody ever have this problem before?