Oil Pan Help!!

[Monroefiredog1]

Hi All,

I was attempting to jack my 06 Dodge CTD, it has a AT, with a floor jack a week agoo and it slipped off and crushed the front part of the oil pan. I have not started the truck since. I drained the oil, and watched many videos on here and other places on how to remove the oil pan. I have been wrestling with this for several days, and have tried many suggestions from the videos on the internet. None of them has worked! I loosed the motor mounts, removed the transmission mount bolts, removed the exhaust flange clamp, intake clamp. I have a cherry picker that I lifted the engine with, several differeent combanations, and raised it about 3 1/2". But the oil pan will not come down low enough to clear the transmission.I did manage to remove the pickup tube, but that didn't help. I have tried all of the things that I saw in the videos, but none has been successful. If anyone has any ideas that I can try, I am all ears!! I know that there are many on here that have done this, and know how to do it the right way, without pulling the transmission. Please give me your advice! Thank you all, in advance for any assistance on this.

 

[Darkbloodmon]

As someone who has removed their transmission several times in the driveway and looked at the nether side of a Cummins ISB.

I can tell you from experience....... that there are very.... very few ways to remove that oil pan that work. I had to cherry pick the engine up with transmission (NV56) removed to clear when I re-sealed my oil pan.

My best advise would be to remove both drive shafts if it's a 4x4 and loosen both engine mounts and lift the engine and trans up (supported and lifted with a jack) to gain enough clearance. The bellhousing adapter extends past the block a good bit as you already know.

 

[sag2]

If I recall you need to lift the engine until you think everything is going to snap off to get enough clearance.

 

[Darkbloodmon]

until you think everything is going to snap off

Aye, tensile strength testing.

Additionally tilting the engine with the mounts loosened and drive shafts out may help.

 

[Signal73]

The valve cover hits the cowl, remove it for a extra inch or 2. Then let the front axle droop by jacking the frame for additional clearance, Clarence.

 

[Monroefiredog1]

Darkblood,
Thanks for the advice, I have tried many combonations, but I will remove the drive shsft and try that.
Sag2,
I think that I am already past that point, I had it up as far as it would go, and was cracking and poping.
Signal 73,
The front wheels are drooping, I have jack stands under the frame just in front if the cab mounts. The valve cover is against the cowl, like you said. I will remove the valve cover and see if I can get another inch. It only needs about a 1/2" it looks like. It's almost there, but not quite. Thanks to you all.

 

[Timd32]

I seem to recall a thread not too long ago about this and it also was mentioned the factory lifting bar has a certain angle so that you lift it that way to gain a little bit as well.

Seems like the above should put you over the limit but either way here is the factory instructions. And that bar deal to look over if you still are stuck.

 

[Udaloy]

I changed the oil pan without removing drive shafts or valve cover. However, I had a car lift and tall Jack stand. I lifted it, put the Jack stand under the harmonic damper, and lowered the truck until the pan cleared. You could do the same using a 4x4 block of wood cut the right length. Once it's all cleared, put your safety stands in.

 

[BigPapa]

Was the jack stand not a screw stand? What you’re describing sounds incredibly dangerous unless I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying.

 

[Darkbloodmon]

Was the Jack stand not a screw stand? What you’re describing sounds incredibly dangerous unless I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying.

I think I have a good picture in mind of what he did. Using a vehicle lift he lowered the truck with a stand/support underneath the harmonic balancer, the weight of the truck being lowered tilted the engine in it's mounts enough to clear.

if it works it works, putting leverage on the crank like that makes me nervous.

 

[bcbender]

As Scott said it is / sounds incredibly dangerous as it removes a large about of weight from the front lift arms and can cause the vehicle to fall from an imbalance of weight or lift to fail by overloading the rear arms. (not to mention you are now working on a vehicle that is roughly 4+ tons over your head that is not sitting on the safety locks!

Only way I would even remotely consider said method, would be to support the rear of the truck FIRST with a tall stand on the receiver hitch and then use a screw type stand as has been mentioned to lift the engine slowly to monitor and reduce the unload on the lift (or overload the rear arms) Full discloser, I am assuming this was a 2 post, a drive on 4 post would be a whole different scenario and not nearly as risky.

I use a 2 post in my shop at home and FWIW these trucks are VERY sensitive to CG and it is very important to get it right as you don't get a second chance, I do not work under a Cummins powered truck (anybody's) unless supported with a tall jack on the rear to account for the length and propensity to move, and when removing large components, (transmissions, etc) I use 2 tall jacks, one at each end...

Be Safe guys! JM2C.

 

[BigPapa]

you are now working on a vehicle that is roughly 4+ tons over your head that is not sitting on the safety locks!

This was my point.

I am assuming this was a 2 post, a drive on 4 post would be a whole different scenario and not nearly as risky.

My assumption, also, and, yes, a drive-on 4-post would be different.

 

[Udaloy]

And I lived to tell the story, crazy!! It's pretty damn hard to use an engine lift when the truck is six feet in the air. Don't worry, the lift has locks every few inches. You don't quite understand what I'm saying and you cast aspersions. Nice job. Have you replaced the pan on your truck? Tell us exactly how you did it vs picking on how I did it.

 

[Darkbloodmon]

Have you replaced the pan on your truck? Tell us exactly how you did it vs picking on how I did it.

I have, without using a vehicle lift in my driveway. As well as pulling my NV56 several times in my driveway. (HOA loathes me)

I wouldn't call it "picking on", we're all here to offer help and suggestions to problems we may have encountered or have some experience with. I understand where you're coming from though, sometimes times "help and advise" can seem overly critical or patronizing. (check out my ongoing NV56 thread about my clutch issues) But it's well meant, at the end of the day this is just a forum for discussion, you yourself are the boots on the ground.

 

[NIsaacs]

And I lived to tell the story, crazy!!

Yup, if you have never went under a barbwire fence with a sled @ WOT or climbed an A-frame roof as a kid, you might want to hire your work done.

This is pretty much me and my brother liven it up...