Changed My VR6 Oil Pan Gasket

[gregski 0]

I change my oil every 5,000 miles. Why? Because I use the trip meter to keep track. For example I change the oil when it reads, 70,000 miles, then 75,000 miles, then 80,000 miles, you get the idea.

 

My 1993 Corrado SLC VR6 hit 155,000 miles so it was time for another oil change. Since I am at least the third owner I have no idea if the oil pan gasket is original or not, either way I decided to drop the oil pan and see what lurks beneath.

 

This is not a difficult job, it is so easy it makes you wonder if the Germen's had anything to do with the oil pan placement or if they contracted that out to say the Pollacks, or the Cave Men lol.

 

but first some mundane air filter pictures:

 

 

 

[gregski 0]

why can't I update this thread?

 

---------- Post added at 06:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:54 AM ----------

 

well Quick Reply works but not the Reply to Thread button, it just keeps loading and loading the page....

 

---------- Post added at 06:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:56 AM ----------

 

obviously you need to drain the oil first, so I used my funky oil filter wrench aka the Claw shown in one of the pics - good luck using a conventional oil filter tool, or turning that plastic nut on the bottom, lol this tool works great

 

here I also removed the fly wheel inspection plate and once the oil pan was off you can see what it hides, if you look closely you can see the hardened gasket start to come off in pieces

 

overall things looked super clean in the crank assembly area

 

 

 

 

 

---------- Post added at 07:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:58 AM ----------

 

Only TWENTY SIX 10mm bolts stand between you and the pan sitting on the ground, there is no cross members to remove, no torsion bars to drop, nothing of the sort. Well technically there is TWO more bolts in the fly wheel inspection plate cover thingie you have to remove to access a few oil pan bolts, but you get the jist of it.

 

If you get one thing from this post it should be this: After I dropped the oil pan I noticed there was approximately half a quart of oil in there still !!! That is after I drained it over night. Note the high position of the drain plug it appears 1/2 an inch off the bottom of the pan. The clear plastic bin in the second picture shows all the oil that was still left in the pan.

 

Think about it. Every time we replace the oil we are already starting out in the hole with this half a quart to contaminate the new stuff right off the bat. Now I realize there are some people out there that change the oil and do NOT replace the oil filter, to me that is as effective as sucking a titty through a sweater, but I digress.

 

I washed the oil pan with a garden hose and some good ol' dish washing soap to make it squicky clean especially on the outside. Yes I rinsed it out real good and dried it like a bone before putting it back on. I wanted it to be exceptionally clean so I can tell if there are any leaks down the road.

 

The old gasket comes off in two inch chunks (for your convenience :evil: ) if you're lucky, in other words it is stuck at each hole opening you will need a trusty old gasket remover or razor blade to pry it off GENTLY and then smooth out all the residue.