Oil Pan removal

[Archive]

My oil pan has rusted from salt air and water exposure to the point that it has small pinholes in it. Ive used marinetex a couple times but it comes off after a couple months. Dealer says engine R&R is necessary to change pan and I cant afford it. What about removing the crossmember under the pan. Its rivited but I could replace them with good bolts. Doesnt appear to be anything else in the way. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Its a 93 4x4. Thanks.

 

[Archive]

I would not recommend drilling out the factory rivets on the crossmember. With the engine installed, the frame structure would probably shift to the point where you would never get your rivet holes to align back up again. Also, when a rivet is installed, the shank is swelled in the hole and provides an interference fit condition which will withstand very high shear loads. If you replace the rivets with bolts, you have lost some structural integrity.

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89 D-250 LE 5 speed 3. 55 Limited slip, K&N, straight piped, Boost/Pyro. & 16cm2 215K and still going. 91 W-250 5 speed, 4. 10 Limited slip, 16cm2, 6" Skyjacker lift, RS9000, Dump bed, 18K original mi.