CJ8 6cyl oil pan progress but stuck again

I'm coming in on this one late, but could you loosen the bellhousing bolts, and pry between the engine/transmission enough to give you clearance?

Spdloader

Well... It came out.....

So it has to go back, you just have to try and remember which end came down first and put that up last.

You can use thread to tie the gasket in place for all this then snip it later.

The pan will go on with the mount in place, it just can't be bolted up if worse comes to worse. You could put the mount in and out again...

Mike

Well, for the first time ever I'm __completely whipped__. Only have one thing I know left to try and I'm not optimistic.

Not any high cliffs nearby or I'd be tempted to see how this CJ8 can handle gravity; don't smoke so I can't drop a match into the tank. This has been ridiculous. (My problem, I know.)

The latest ....

Mike, you know you are my hero but I can't. While still held up by the floor jack under the transmission and with the motor mount removed I originally got it down by modifying (flattening) the useless little tabs on the "inspection plate", putting a large screwdriver between the pan and the top of the plate so it would not catch, having a friend pull down on the pan from the front (which of course was loose) and hitting the back of the pan mightily with a weighted hammer cushioned by wood. (No damage force.) Ultimately it dropped down directly onto my face! Of course.

But no way I can replicate that getting it back short of jacking it up, and that would seem way too much force. Front end of the pan raised up; as close as I can get the back of the pan to being in place is probably 1/2 - 3/4 inch. And at that place it STOPS! That's it.

No worries about this yet, because cannot get the pan back.

I remembered we couldn't get it down until the mount was removed, but decided to give this a try because it was your suggestion and your history speaks for itself.

So I took my time and carefully correctly replaced the mount, dropped the motor and removed the jack. Looks great, all shiny and perfect. But NO WAY. If I try to put the pan back up it will not pass the mount. Not by twisting it or moving it as far forward as it will go or anything -- and I have tried.. The mount is in the way. Not by much but there is not enough clearance. And the only direction that looks like this 'might' work .. the pan hits the shaft coming out of the transfer case. Not this one, unless I'm being incredibly stupid! Tried and thought and tried other ways and thought, etc for about an hour.

Please remember I've owned this CJ8 since new, never wrecked, never even been in a shop except mine, no rust .. no major damage is what I'm saying that would effect these clearances.

I can easily take some photos if anybody thinks that would help, but after 30-40 hours working what should be this simple project .. all I've managed to do is get enough 26 years worth of CJ 8 oil on me that I'm probably a personal toxic hazard. And now I have to give up .. unless somebody can give me a clue. Guess its NOT "A Jeep thing"?

Photos? Suggestions??

I'm whipped .....

No hands on experience with your model but some times I've had to use an engine hoist to support the engine and gain enough clearance to work on the pan.

Make sure the oil pump pickup is in the proper place and not hanging on a baffle in the pan. I beat my brains out once just to eventually find out the pickup rotated and that was keeping the pan from fully seating.

This may not help, but have you tried jacking the front bumper a little to drop the front axle to gain just a little clearance? I have to do that on my MJ (after pulling the starter). I don't remember it being a problem on the MJ (4.0), but I have also had to rotate the crank just a tad to get that smidgen I needed to clear the journal throw.

Wow...

To start I know for sure I got an oil pan off with the mount still on. Maybe the lip was narrower on the one I had? Maybe you could take a grinder and trim the lip a little on yours or even better trim off the bottom edge of the mount?

Being stopped by 1/2" or so does imply the oil pickup might have shifted as Doug mentioned. This has also happened to me once.

What about removing the inspection plate? It should go on last anyway?

What about the front cross bar under the engine? Is that in the way? Jacking the front bumper up does make some sense for clearance also.

With the hours going into this, maybe it would be easier to just pull the engine out?

I wonder what is so different about the CJ8....

Sometimes I can get things by using the other hand... Literally I come at it from the opposite side or turn my body right around and come at it from the back or front instead of the way I was doing it. Sometimes the change in angle is all it takes.

Good luck!

Mike

snipped-for-privacy@murklago> Well, for the first time ever I'm __completely whipped__. Only have