Oil pan gasket - Gen 2.5, 3.5L

[DonnaJaneMontero]

I tried to search the forum but couldn't find the answer I need.
Has anyone replaced their oil pan gasket *without* taking apart the front end? Can you just kinda lift the engine? ?
I tried replacing it once before, only to discover the clearance issue. Stubborn me just finagled the new gasket and RTV in there, buuuuut of course that didn't work, and it's leaking the same as before.
I don't have the space to take it all apart so I'm hoping just jacking up the engine a smidge would suffice.

 

[mudraider]

Since no vehicle info, going to guess no. AFAIK, all Mitsu engines need to come out, or have the under side stuff out to replace the op gssket.

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[PaydayGabe]

Morning DonnaJ, ,
With my current engine related issues,
I also would have loved to gut the engine block for a complete refresh. I have no hoist to lift the block?‍♂️, and removing the front drive assembly is beyond complicated/ time consuming... l have no leaks currently.
So I'm going leave it be?‍♂️. Those are your options.
Lift the block,, or drop the front drive assembly. Good luck,, G.

 

[DonnaJaneMontero]

Oops, forgot to say it's a 98 Monty. This week has been a blur for me and I'm not thinking clearly at all.
I don't have an engine lift/hoist, just a floor jack. I probably don't have the tools, even if I had the space, to take apart the front end. One would think there's not much movement needed. Just enough to get it out from under the oil puller.
I feel stuck with this awful leak and es no bueno

 

[Salonika]

Random thought, and I’ve never attempted or even thought about the job before, but could you lower the pan just enough to try and re-seal it without fully removing it? Seems like you’d need like 1/8 or 1/4 inch to squirt in a new bead.

 

[mudraider]

Random thought, and I’ve never attempted or even thought about the job before, but could you lower the pan just enough to try and re-seal it without fully removing it? Seems like you’d need like 1/8 or 1/4 inch to squirt in a new bead.

The problem with that is getting it clean enough for the silicone to work. It's not just a matter of squirting more up in there.

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[mudraider]

Oops, forgot to say it's a 98 Monty. This week has been a blur for me and I'm not thinking clearly at all.
I don't have an engine lift/hoist, just a floor jack. I probably don't have the tools, even if I had the space, to take apart the front end. One would think there's not much movement needed. Just enough to get it out from under the oil puller.
I feel stuck with this awful leak and es no bueno

The only special tool needed for the front end is a pickle fork. 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, 19mm, 21mm, 24mm, screwdrivers, bailing wire. And a hammer. That's all I can think of.

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[Salonika]

The problem with that is getting it clean enough for the silicone to work. It's not just a matter of squirting more up in there.

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I get it but it might be worth a try vs. the work involved otherwise. The person is saying they don’t have the tools or the space to attempt the proper repair.

 

['round n' back again]

this , u did not hear from me but I'll say it anyway.
"The right stuff" or equilivent and ur first technique u explained to us, should get u a fix u can live with.
loosen pan , drain oil, save for refill if it's still good.
use starting fluid, not brake clean.
use ventilation and not an electric fan. spray starting fluid through the gap where ur leak is, this removes oil residue without harming gasket material.
remove , using a 90 degree pick, any silicone debris that will harm.
spray right stuff according to instruction.
and swiftly capture the result by snuggling up the pan bolts. u try to avoid too much getting actually inside the pan. that's the tricky part.
I have not used that stuff for a decade, I do not remember the curing process , but follow that, and u should meet with good result


u did the proper thing by dropping the pan and wiggling a fresh gasket in etc. it just dint work, but that dont say it won't work.
try again.


but first , determine that it is for sure the pan gasket.

one time... I used a strand of tire plug material. u know that sticky gooey rope string u get in tire plug kits.
wired bits of brass wire to it, shoved it through the gap left by the missing brittle pan gasket snuggled up the pan bolts as I pulled on the brass wire which jammed the string into the crack from the inside.
worked a charm.
meaning, there are many ways to fix these mechanical irritations using a bit of creativity.

 

[Oso]

it's either pull the engine, or drop your front diff. I've been down both roads and either works. The only advantage to dropping the front diff et al is th tit can easily be easily done by one person and doesn't require and engine hoist.

 

[PacS14]

Engine support bars are not that expensive and are quite easy to use, Google them and find one within your budget, they are universal so if you are going to work on more cars or plan to keep the Monty it'll come in handy again later and it pays for itself on the first use.

 

[DonnaJaneMontero]

Engine support bars are not that expensive and are quite easy to use, Google them and find one within your budget, they are universal so if you are going to work on more cars or plan to keep the Monty it'll come in handy again later and it pays for itself on the first use.

Those hadn't even crossed my mind, to be honest. Though I'm still not sure how I'd get the front end apart. I don't live in an area where I feel comfortable leaving stuff taken apart overnight, nor do I have a space (unless I lay a tarp on the grass/mud to lay stuff on), and I'm honestly not sure I have the skill level.
And yes, definitely keeping the Monty. I don't have the funds or desire to rotate through project cars. They're a lifetime thing, to me.

 

[DonnaJaneMontero]

Revisiting this with more details, for anyone who needs it or cares ?‍♀️
I should have specified I was referring to the lower oil pan, not upper. My dumba$$ finally looked it up in the FSM, and lo and behold, you only have to remove the exhaust pipe to get the lower pan down.
The upper pan is what requires the removal of the front diff for on-vehicle servicing.

That being said, I have not fixed it. I have it in a shop and they don't think it's the lower pan, but runoff from my valve covers. So we'll see after the valve cover gaskets are replaced.
And before anyone asks- yes I'm aware the valve cover gaskets can be done at home. I tried, but for the life of me could not figure out how to get the intake off. I undid every visible bolt, and bolts tucked by the firewall. Unbolted the EGR pipe and the bracket next to it. Loosened any suspicious bolts to see if I got any movement from the manifold. Thing wouldn't budge. Had it apart for 2 days. So before my amateur knowledge put me in a tight spot, I buttoned it all up and found a shop willing to do it. Yes, I had the FSM with me, but it just shows all bolts to the manifold, not the ones specific to holding it to the engine, and I'm not gonna risk losing anything by just unbolting random crap (yes, I had stuff marked and labeled, but the growing pile of bolts just made me nervous). I used to do the valve cover gaskets on my '95 LS in about 2 or 3 hours flat, so this ordeal had me deeply frustrated lol
The only positive is the shop caught a mistake from the last guy to mess with it over 3 years ago, that I wouldn't have seen, so I guess things happen for a reason, right?

 

[Salonika]

Take photos as you go and don’t make piles of bolts......lay them out on a table or floor if you have to, in the order you remove them.