Pulling Oil pan?

[woodoggie]

'05, 3.8 naturally aspirated needs new main bearings.
Can I, or has anyone ever pulled the oil pan with engine in the car?
I was thinking about rolling new main bearings in without pulling the engine.
But has anyone done it?

Thanks,

 

[blueguy]

You can, but you have to drop the cradle.

 

[woodoggie]

Have you done it before? 4 or 6 big bolts? reassembling problems?

 

[MoarkatsINmuhtrailer]

4 big 18mm head bolts on all four corners of the cradle

 

[copgtp]

Didn't you say in another thread that you drove the car, with bad main bearings, for 100+ miles???

If that's the case, just replacing the bearings would be an absolute total waste of time. Just do what was suggested in your other thread, get a L36 short block. Problem solved.

 

[blueguy]

Yeah if the bearings were toast PRIOR, then the block would need to be machined and align bored so it wouldn't chuck another set in like an hour after starting it...if that.

 

[Sandman]

Definitely just get a new shortblock. I pulled the pan on my car without dropping the cradle and it was the most pain in the a55 job I have ever done.

 

[BillBoost37]

Being an 05 with the aluminum oil pan, it's quite easy and the cradle does not have to move at all.

Jack and support the car
Drain oil
Remove oil level sensor on front of pan
Pull pass tire and splash shield
Remove two 15mm nuts from engine mount to subframe from under the car
Jack engine from oil pan (use block of wood to keep from hurting pan, it's aluminum structural, not impervious to everything)
Remove 3 15mm bolts holding mount bracket to the oil pan
Wiggle mount out of place
Remove 20 oil pan bolts and lower pan

That's how you do it. I absolutely do not recommend putting bearings in a bad 3.8 unless it has been align bored and assembled by either a machine shop or someone with that same level of skill/machinery. These motors are quite finicky about how they are put together.