1.8L oil pan stuck
 

Hey all, it's the weekend to work on the miata again, sooo another newb question for ya. I am trying to get the oilpan off the block so i can replace gaskets, ect ect, I've gotten all the bolts and the drive pully off and yet the oilpan won't budge.

Attachment 207991
all the bolts
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front of engine where pully was removed
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rear of engine where tranny bolts were removed

the miata could be different but on the escort i *think* there are two medium-long bolts as well.

Make sure you have all the bolts out. You have to look really hard to be 100% sure as some are hard to see. Then use a pry bar or something to break it loose. It's glued to the block with sealant shit. Mine had never been removed before and it was an utter BITCH getting it to come off. I had to pry on it till I thought I was gonna break it. It finally came off though. I swear the bolts weren't doing shit though.

the silicone and the oil baffle are holding it on. Use a wide thin flat razor putty knife etc to get some seperation without scarring the block or pan. Once the silicone is cut the pan should lift off the oil baffle wich u can free after unbolting the oil pick up tube. The bolts are also pretty weak and breack easily so i would go to a hardware store and buy some more just in case.

Be careful not to bend up the metal thats between the oil pan and the block, it's part of the "cage" on the oil pickup..

i just did this on a motor a few weeks ago.

if you have a rubber or soft plastic mallet, you can tap on it to break it loose. dont use a lot of force though, bent oil pans aren't worth much.

yeah, they are pretty much glued on. the seal is black RTV.

Ya just smack it with a malet, I wouldent worry about bending it its cast if anything it will crack. Mine broke free no problem with a mallet but it was also on a stand

I would take the tranny the rest of the way off.

Mallet did nothing for me. I had to hammer a razor between the block and pan in a corner to get it opened up enough to get a thin guitar string between the layers, and used it to cut as much of the sealant as I could. Then I used a flat screwdriver to pry it apart. Dont owrry too much about bending up the windage tray. I bent the shit out of mine all over the edges, but was able to tap them back flat with a screw driver handle and sealed up any minor left overs with a good dose of sealant. No leaks yet after 1k miles.