'93 4.0 4wd Oil Pan Gasket - Can I just jack up the motor?

[rfl]

Thinking about replacing the clutch in a '93 Ranger XLT, 4.0., 4wd. Since the transmission will be free, and the oil pan front seal is leaking, ideally I will replace the pan gasket at the same time, but...

I am really not in the mood to pull the motor. I have worked on other vehicles that said you needed to pull the motor to get the pan out, but have had good luck with just raising the motor and placing 2x4's on the motor mounts, then letting the motor back down. Does anyone know if the pan for this truck can be removed without pulling the motor? If it can be done with only raising it, how much needs to be unbolted (other than the transmission, radiator hoses, and engine mounts)?

 

[rfl]

In case anyone else has the same question, the answer is the engine does not need to come out, but it does need to be raised about 5 inches. By the time you remove enough stuff to get it that high you may as well just pull it, which is what we did.

In the end, it turned out to be a good, but expensive, endeavor. The exhaust needed to be cut apart to lift the engine. It was also so bad at the connector that the exhaust manifold coupler bolts would have needed to be cut off and replaced. With the engine out, there was no way it was going back in without a thorough exam. Findings...

• Push rods were way past due, to the point that a couple of the rockers were

• grooved. Several of the lifters had the alignment rollers seize

• Intake gasket was not properly seated so the intake ports (manifold and heads) are in bad shape

• #4 cam intake lobe has a small scar - can barely catch a fingernail

• A couple of other lobes are questionable without measuring them

• Cylinders still have crosshatching, no grooving

• Piston tops and valve faces look really good, way better than expected considering the gasket problem mentioned

• Piston skirts are showing signs that have about 30k left

• Water jackets and 1 freeze plug have what looks like ash, but the consistency of putty - thinking one of the prior owners ran some Bars stop leak through it to cure something

Bottom line, this engine is not going back in. Ordering a manufactured complete (really a long block+) from Ford, Headman headers (arrived today) remainder will be some combination of a 2.5" exhaust. going to replace most of the sensors, harmonic balancer, a/c lines, and few other items in the process. Picked up a 70mm MAF housing. Sending the intakes (upper and lower) out to be cleaned.

With some luck it should be back together mid-March. Needless to say, bittersweet for my son. Gets a bunch of new stuff, but a newly licensed driver without a ride. Such is life.