Pulling oil pan with motor in car 69 F-body

[jlwdvm]

I see that improved racing has a baffled trap-door oil pan for the Holley 302 oil pan that wasn't available last spring when I put the motor on the subframe and the subframe onto the car. I'm working with a 69 firebird with a ls3, lakewood bellhousing and T56. Is it possible to pull and change out the oil pan without pulling the motor? I have the car on a 2-post hoist in my garage, so access isn't an issue.

[Che70velle]

This will depend solely on how much room you have between the pan and crossmember. The pan will have to drop down far enough to laterally clear the pickup tube, which is going through a hole in the top of the bolt in plate on top of the sump, and is down in the sump of the pan. I have this pan in my Chevelle. I don't know what mounts you used, or where your engine is, placement wise...Outlook not so good.

[Rod P]

99.9% of the time....no...I left that TINY percentage because some one some where will cut the crossmember and ...say I did it...

[Z06vette]

I would just pull the motor. Its not that bad of a job- I have done it in a weekend easily.. and it makes it much easier to do a good job re-installing the pan. It would suck if you went thru all that work & it leaked, etc. Scott

[Carbo]

Based on your lakewood and T56 I'm gonna say no, you won't be able to do it in the car. When I had my SBC in mine with a muncie and regular bellhousing I did pull the oil pan without removing the engine. I later did a TKO swap and a McLeod steel bell and attempted to pull the oil pan at a later date and it didn't have enough room. The steel bell's do not allow enough lateral movement of the oil pan to slide to the rear and drop down. You also have to get the crank's counterweights in the up position to allow more room for the pan to clear so you can work it towards the rear of the engine. But then you have to deal with the pick up tube as well.

I'm with Rod on this one, I'll say 99% no, but there's always that chance. It will be a much easier job pulling the engine.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

If your on a 2 post rack, have a few tall stands, a trans jack you can drop the subframe a few inches and get it done. Getting past the trans bell is the dipper.....unless you pull the trans and can get to the bolt to drop the pickup tube.