Oil Pan Removal help

[ryanb]

I just bought my 2nd ford ranger. 2001 with 103k
It was leaking out of the oil pan. The gasket pushed itself out just beneath the harmonic balancer. I bought a new oil pan gasket along with 850 dollars worth of other parts I plan on replacing whether or not they even need replacing. I have known this truck since day 1.
I truly thought removing this oil pan would be a snap, however it has proven to get the best of me.
I have raised the engine and transmission up at least 4 inches and actually have the oil pan just literally sitting there. All I need to do is slide it out.
Well it wont come out. period. Ive tried raising the motor and trans up as high as I could get it. Nothing.
In reading the Chilton book, the ONLY thing I haven't done is remove the "passanger side axle beam"
First off what the hell is an axle beam? Lower Control arm????????
and 2) if it is the lower control arm, and it does indeed need to be fully removed, how is this going to help me? Ive laid under this truck looking at that and do not see any way that removing the lower control arm is gonna help me any.
Am I missing something here? Does infact the entire motor need to come out?
This is only a 2wd model, and the cilton says it does not need to be removed.
Any help is very very much appreciated.
Ryan

 

[adsm08]

Axle beam is not the same as control arm.

A 2wd shouldn't really have anything similar to an axle beam, not in that year. A 97 or older would though.

Pics would be helpful, but I'll bet that you are hung up on the oil pickup. What engine are we working on?

 

[ryanb]

I have a 3 Liter in it

 

[ryanb]

If it is the oil pickup Im caught on, and seeing how I do have another oil pump, can I just muscle this pain in my neck pan out of this confind space???

 

[ryanb]

dropped the pump blindly....still cant get the oil pan to slide out...
looking like the entire engine has to come out
This Chilton book is better off in my burn barrel

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

I've never been able to pull the pan on any RBV, with any engine, without lifting the engine.

We tried pretty hard at work a few months ago to do a 3L in the truck... Didn't happen.

Pull the upper intake, fan shroud, fan, and motor mounts nuts. Lift.

 

[kryptonitecb]

I managed to replace the gasket without full removal but it would have been easier to remove the engine. Mine was a 3 piece gasket on a 4.0 and I just needed enough room to remove & replace. If you wanted an easy oil pan removal you should've gotten an old chevy.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[Rearanger]

This Chilton book is better off in my burn barrel

Never liked Chilton. My Ford FSM under "Oil Pan Removal" in first sentence says: REMOVE THE ENGINE.