must I pull the engine to remove oil pan?

[whitebroncoii87]

I'm wondering if I need to pull the engine in order to remove the oil pan, there is a cross bar underneath the oil pan that appears to be in the way. I have an 87 bronco ii 2.9l. anybody actually done it without pulling the engine? thank you!

 

[holyford86]

yes, it needs to be pulled out

 

[AndyB.]

You can get by with jacking it. I've done this on a 2.8, it was an awful job. I looked over the procedure for the 2.9 and it's the same deal. You'll pull the distributor, disconnect the y pipe, pull the starter, remove the nuts from the engine mounts. My manual said to use 2x4 blocks name tween the engine mounts and the mount flanges, but I was unable to remove the pan with that clearance, I had to add a 1x to raise it more. I used spray high tack sealant to glue the oil pan gasket and rubber end seals to the block.

 

[AllanD]

While it is technically possible to remove the pan from a 2.9 with the engine in the chassis, and in point of fact I;ve seen it done twice...

I will also say I'm not enough of a dipshit to have done it that way myself

THE FIRST problem is that to remove the pan from the engine, first the transmission
must already be removed.

The second problem is that you cannot remove the oil pan completely without reaching up inside it and unbolting the oil pump, because the pan WILL NOT come off in the chassis
with the oil pump bolted in place...

In the end it is far quicker and easier to remove from the chassis

 

[hank857]

Supposed to be simular engines, but they replaced the pan gasket and oil pump without pulling the engine, just picking it up off the mounts. Now the trans was out so it was possible to get high enough. Mine is a 94 4.0

 

[adsm08]

Replacing the oil pan gasket on pretty much any 4x4 vehicle with the engine in place is like replacing the LS clutches in an IRS Explorer with the diff in the vehicle. It is physically possible, but 100% not worth it.