Dropping/replacing the Oil Pan

[goyal99]

Is there a way to replace the oil pan on a 1980 FI Spider without unbolting the suspension cross member?? Can I rise the engine (how much is ok?) to safely remove the oil pan??

I do NOT have access to an engine lift and the Spider is not currently running....I've take out most of the oil pan bolts and drained the oil at this point but I need to replace the pan itself.

Any suggestion will be helpful - Thanks!

Bill K.

[So Cal Mark]

you have to undo the mounts and lift the engine as high as it will go, then once the pan is loose reach up inside the pan and unbolt the oil pump (unless the pump pickup is already broken off)

[mbouse]

engine lifts aren't that difficult to find, rent, borrow, buy-then sell. i see them frequently in garage sales. guys tend to use them once then sell them to regain the floor space. they are a long term PITA to store.

pullin' that two litre pan without one is gonna be a real great task. if anyone can do it... I'd like to know how.

[So Cal Mark]

use a floor jack with a block of wood placed under the bell housing, no problem

[ga.spyder]

I used that method to change mine.Once the engine was jacked up,the bolts were easy enough.The oil pump bolts were a PITA,but I managed to work them out.I had the car on ramps and then jacked up the engine.It gave me room to work.It took me the better part of a day.
Craig

[goyal99]

Thanks to all of you for your responses and suggestions...

It would be nice to have an engine lift for this task but I don't know anyone who has one....Therefore I will follow the suggestion to lift the engine from underneath to clear enough space for the pan to come out (after the oil pump is moved out of the way).

Best regards

Bill K.

[adrians]

You may also need to unbolt the header pipe from the manifold in order to lift it high enough, also check the clearance between the firewall and the rear of the cam boxes as you lift the engine, the engine may tilt backwards and dent the firewall.

[manoa matt]

Is it wrong to site another fiat forum? Sorry in advance, but this should do it: http://www.mirafiori.com/faq/content/2Loilpan.htm

[goyal99]

I don't think is wrong to reference a link (Fiat or not) which contains relevant How-to-do Fiat procedures and information...

It's a very useful write-up and outlines all the steps needed from someone who's already done it....What could be better than that??

Thanks for the link - much appreciated.

Bill K.

[baltobernie]

OK, I can't stand it anymore; your oil pickup seems to be intact, so why do you want to drop/replace the pan?

Curious

[spider2081]

I fabricated an engine support to remove the crossmember from stuff in the garage. I placed a 4x4 on top of the member in front of the radiator and one on top of the firewall. On the one in front of the radiator I screwed a piece of 3/4" plywood on either side so the 4x4 could not slip off of the member. These pieces of plywood were about 8" high. I attached a single piece of plywood to the 4x4 on top of the firewall. I used a piece of 2" pipe for the support by drilling the plywood with a hole saw. Passed the pipe through the holes over the engine. From Home Depot I purchased the longest 1/2" threaded eyebolt and a couple nuts and washers. Opened the eye to make a hook and hooked the foward engine pick up point on driver side of the engine. Drilled the pipe to take the eye bolt. passed the eyebolt throught the pipe, put on a couple washers and then the nut. Tightening the nut raises the engine. I was able to raise the engine and support it this way while I did over the crossmember and front suspension. Sorry I didn't take a photo because it sounds complicated but is really very simple to fabricate. There are fender engine supports availible from auto supply houses that would accomplish the same thing.

[JohnnyB]

use a floor jack with a block of wood placed under the bell housing, no problem

Hey,
Is this procedure really possible without causing damage to the gearbox?
This would make changing the oil pan gasket much easier^^


Regards, Daniel

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Is this procedure really possible without causing damage to the gearbox?

Yes, although I never liked the idea of supporting a 250 pound engine using just the thin aluminum metal on the bellhousing bottom. Nowadays, I have a chain hoist in the garage ceiling for lifting the engine, and it that's not an option, I put a floor jack under a square of wood that supports both the bellhousing and transmission oil pan and lift on that. That just takes a little bit of the load off of the bellhousing.

-Bryan