Hi Folks,

This is my first post here so let me start by saying howdy to everyone.

Like the title says I have a leak at the back of the engine. It s either the pan or the main seal. I know that the rear seal requires removing the transmission and that most folks here have ended up either raising or pulling the engine to do the pan gasket.

In case your not familliar with the Troy Lee version, it has a torsion bar front suspension and sits somewhat higher than the other models. Anyway, just from looking at it, it looks like the pan will drop straight out. There is nothing really in the way. I had read a couple of posts by people who have the later edge models (with the torsion bar suspension) where it was mentioned that the pan comes out fairly easily.

Where exactly is the obstruction on the ranger? Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

By the way this is a 2wd with an automatic transmission

 

I can't speak for the torsion bar suspension, but in the coil spring versions there is a frame crossbar that goes right underneath the oil pan, preventing it from dropping far enough to change the gasket. I did mine several weeks ago, by taking the engine loose and jacking it up from underneath about five inches, which enabled me to drop the pan far enough to remove the old gasket, clean up the surfaces and install the new gasket by pushing it over the oil pan, kind of like putting on a pair of pants. If you change yours get the upgraded gasket not the OEM. I think it was around $55 at NAPA. Can't remember the make right now but someone here will know. Hopefully it is easier with the torsion bar front end.

 

I got the gasket changed. The pan did not come all of the way out. The cross member on the torsion bar suspension is further forward than the coil springs so the pan drops a good 4" before getting stuck. I think that it would come all of the way out if you took off the oil pump pickup or the steering rack which sits on the cross member. I ended up just dropping it as far as I could to clean everything up and sliding the gasket up over the pan. I used the squishy one from Fel-Pro. I tried using the rigid one but ended up snapping the plastic trying to get it over the pan. This is not to say that it won't go, I just wasn't successful with it. I used zip ties through the holes to keep it from moving while I positioned the pan. Anyway, no leaks. I'm pretty happy because I thought it was going to be the rear main seal. If I had to do it again I think I could do it in about 2 hours.

Thanks for the reply.