Best way to do an oil pan gasket on a 4x4?

[th3 shifty]

Is there a good and bad way to get to the oil pan gasket on a 4x4? Seems to me I have to remove the front diff to get the pan out.

I really don’t want to have to do that, but is there another way to get it out?

 

[drakon543]

it was suggested to me you "should" get enough clearance if you raise the engine up as high as you can without damaging anything. word should was definitely used tho so i never tried it. i got lucky with my pan and just tightened them up a bit.

 

[willxfs]

Oil pan gasket on the 4x4 is a pain. I've found the best way for me is to "lift" the engine 2-3 inches off the mounts. I don't have a way to lift the engine so I jack up the truck front end from the center of the forward most cross member. Then support front end of engine with two pipes or 2x4's and then slowly lower jack about two inches or so. The engine mount bolts have to be removed first. Then the oil pan can be removed. You will likely have to rotate the engine from harmonic balancer bolt a bit to get the forward most crank shaft counter weights turned to the upward position. The whole process is a pain as the y pipe and cats have to be removed first. Pay careful attention not to crush any wires in between top of transmission and tunnel at the fire wall. Good luck. Maybe lowering the front diff is easier. I've never done it that way.

 

[wildcatgoal]

Drop both sides of the front differential and tube as far as they will go (supported along the way). Remove pan by fishing it out in the 1 way it'll come out -- face forward toward front of car, shift and shimmy to your right a bit as you bring it back toward the rear of the car. May need to yank down on the differential case a but but she'll come.

 

[DenaliReyes]

I'm about to do this soon on my 05 Denali xl. Researching youtube like.crazy. Preparing myself.
How did it go?