What are the steps for replacing oil pan? Remove starter?

[FordF550XLT]

Hello, on to the latest situation:
I have to replace my dented up oil pan and I am hoping to not have to remove the starter.
As fo replacing the pan, I have a new pan and the 2 pcs gasket kit. Am I missing anything?
Should I put some sealant on the engine and pan to stick to the gasket?

PLEASE advise.
Chritian

[hummer4x4guy]

Christian..
before ya do the 2 piece seal... double check and make sure there isnt a one piece seal (tho they are more expensive) I HATE the 2 piece seal myself...
BUT when I did my last 2 peice seal here is what I did.... apply your sealant on the entire lip of the oil pan then and hopefully you will have a 2nd pair of hands... have some pieces of string bout 6" long and gently tie the gasket down ESP where it bends down on the front of the pan... I even used some c-clamps to help get that seal to hold to the sealant so that when you put it on the engine it will be stuck in place and wont get moved all around...
When I was ready to put the pan on.. I also made sure to have a good glob of sealant on the rear area of the pan where the cork and the black U shaped gasket comes together this is generally the most liable area to get an oil leak..
I was lucky I was putting in a new engine the last time I did this and had it upside down on engine stand and this is the first time I have had an oil pan 99-100% leak free...
use a torque wrench on the bolts also or you will distort the gasket and indent the oil pan as was done with my old one...
hope these tips help ya
Joel..

[fsutterbadass]

remember to disco the batteries before working around down there, tho i'm saying this more for newbies reading this. i knew a guy that was a new hmmwv owner that was taking the oil pan bolts loose with the cables hooked up & he touched the positive lug under there with his wrench by accident and was also touching the pan....the current blew a hole in his pan......not good.

lil' tip.....

freddie

[nf6x]

It's been a long time since I dropped my pan to change my rear main seal, so I don't remember all of the steps. I do remember that I needed to remove the starter though. I distinctly remember holding that heavy thing with one shaking hand while turning a wrench with the other, and thinking that it would really ruin my day if my strength gave out and I dropped the starter on my face.

[hummer4x4guy]

I gotta disagree (tho with good reason) the starter dont have to come down I have messed with sealing that oil pan a number of times only did I get it right once I had the newer engine on a stand ..upside down so I could take my time and not F it up..

As a side note I saw in one of the PS Magazines there is a tool you can make for the starter you get some threaded bar of the same thread as the bolts and make it I think 14" long and put a T handle on it...and a nut...and ..uhh the rest is fuzzy as far as how it worked BUT

What I did to help out on starter installing...measure it while its in the truck and cut a 2x4 just a lil shorter that way once its up there..you can get the 2x4's to steady it up there and you can regain your strenght
hope this helps someone..
Joel

[dunsbr]

Here you go Joel:

https://www.logsa.army.mil/WEB-PAGE/1998/545/545-7.pdf

Cheers

[Ozhumvee]

Just did it today
1/ drain the oil a week ago
2/ disconnect the batteries
3/ remove the starter
4/ remove the dipstick tube
5/ undo all the bolts holding the pan on, remove the battery cable bracket and the two studs holding the pan on on the RHS
6/ lever the pan off if it hasn't already fallen off.
7/ As I didn't have a new neoprene seal for the back where it goes over the main bearing cap I was very careful not to damage it.
8/ clean the surfaces of both the block and the pan.
9/ run a 3/16 bead of anerobic sealant as per the manual, around the bottom of the block with a blob at each end of the neoprene rear seal
10/ refit the pan and carefully torque all the bolts evenly to the correct torque.
Note: apart from the seal on the rear main cap you don't use any gasket, just the sealant.