I am in the process of replacing the leaky rear main in a 1960 235 in my 1953 Chevy truck. I have the oil pan loose but it will not clear the tie rod. I think I can place a board under the engine mount and jack up the truck there thus letting the wheels/tie rod hang a it hoping the pan could clear then. Can anyone who has done this help me with how they got theirs to clear?\ Also, I am about to do the rear main as well. any tips for this?
Is the truck sitting on its front tires? If so, suspend it with jack stands on the frame and let the front axle hang down. You'll gain a lot of clearance. Be real confident about your jack stands. No cinder blocks or wooden Coke cases. Check your life insurance policy.
Take lots of photos I have yet to tackle mine, please post lots of pictures as you go. Many thanks Jim
" Sneaky Pete " Tool I was in East L.A. on Saturday and stopped in at an older partshaus , way up high I thought I spotted one of these handy dandy tools , makes the replacement of a rope typ (' dog turd ') rear main seal a bit less painful .
Yes, jacking it up and putting the frame on stands got me the clearance I needed. Still kinda PITA but I got it. Sorry no pics but my camera is currently out of order. I also added the external oil filter and installed the lines I bought here at classic parts but they leak... or in fact POUR out at the movable joint. Anyone with any advise? I email classic parts to see if they will replace them.
Oil Filter Hoses If they leak at the swivels , they're defective , return for others or full credit , Chevy Duty did well by me .
Back to the Oil Pan... I just did this last month. I feel you pain! Mine was up on stands and it still required a multitude of expletives. Good thing there was no one within a mile of me. The hardest part for me was the fact that the gasket is in four pieces. Keeping the pieces in place while you try to fish the pan under the tie rods making sure the bolt holes are aligned all while on your back was a b@#*h. The worst part is that I won't know if I did it right until I fire up the motor and pressurize the oil. Greg
Yea, I got it back buttoned up and yes, I would say a few choice words cleared my lips. I had the same issues with the 4 piece gasket. I couldn't find a one-piece one anywhere. I think it lined up good but until I get the oil lines (hopefully today) I will not know if I got it on without a messed up gasket. Thanks also for everyone's input. Its nice to know there are people to help with these little things.
When installing a gasket, try tying it to the oil pan with thread thru the pan holes- when you have it in place and the bolts started, you can snip the threads and pull them out. The good part is , if you cannot reach them, thread is so small it will not cause a problem if it is just left in place. Good luck.
3M spray adhesive A light spray of adhesive to the cork was enough to hold the gasket onto the pan while wrestling the pan into place was my solution.
