My oil pan has almost rusted through on the entire lower section and needs to be replaced. My dealer wants almost $600 to do this. I will be doing it myself due to cost.

Question, is it necessary to raise the engine to do this? Engine is the 4.7 Magnum. I checked it out and it looks like it will just about slide right out after removing the trans support at the rear of the pan. Truck is a 2002 quad cab 4x4 Ram.

Thanks. Carl

 

Carl-

Straight from the Mopar Service Manual

OIL PAN

REMOVAL

(1) Disconnect the negative battery cable.
(2) Install engine support fixture special tool #
8534.

(3) Loosen both left and right side engine mount
through bolts. Do not remove bolts.
(4)
(5) Remove the structural dust cover, if equipped.
(6) Drain engine oil.
(7) Remove the front crossmember(Refer to 13 -
FRAME & BUMPERS/FRAME/FRONT CROSSMEMBER
- REMOVAL).

CAUTION: Only raise the engine enough to provide
clearance for oil pan removal. Check for proper
clearance at fan shroud to fan and cowl to intake
manifold.

(8) Raise engine using special tool # 8534 to provide
clearance to remove oil pan.

NOTE: Do not pry on oil pan or oil pan gasket. Gasket
is integral to engine windage tray and does not
come out with oil pan.

(9) Remove the oil pan mounting bolts and oil pan.
(10) Unbolt oil pump pickup tube and remove
tube.
(11) Inspect the integral windage tray and gasket

and replace as needed.

Now this does not address guys with 4WD. Considering the promixity of the oil pan to the front diff, it would be easy to assume that needs to be lower/removed to drop the pan.

Good Luck!

 

Wow, who would think something full of oil would rust!!
it's hardly ever an easy job so make sure you have plenty of time to complete the work.

 

Carl, Please keep us posted as to what you decided to do. I have been under my 02, and noticed the same thing. I wonder how long I have before it goes.

 

My stratus oil pan was almost rusted through. i was surprised to see that myself. My fathers Diff cover rusted through on his Ferd. it was only a 2002, but he does lots of snowmobiling and the roads are just smothered with rocksalt. They use so much here, it's like driving on the beach all the time in the winter! the roads are just stained white until about April or so.

 

Rotting from the outside in. I hate it when they salt the roads around here!! Just make a mess, I'd rather drive on the snow!!!

 

well having pulled my oil pan before i personally thought it wasnt too difficult. the directions posted above are way non-essential. theres a cross member thats in the way of dropping the oil pan, you must remove that, i believe its 4 bolts. once you do that remove all the bolts around the oil pan. once you pull that down thats it. theres 2 maybe 3 bolts holding the gasket in along with the pickup tube. remove those and replace the gasket and your rusted pan. bolt back together and your done. ill get under my truck tomorrow to be sure, but PM me if any questions...i think there was 1 or 2 bolts on the pan that were a PITA to get to, but ill look to remember. oh and you have to remove that dust cover on the tranny as stated in the directions above...almost forgot that...i believe that was the 2 bolts that were hard to get to...remove the dust cover and your good.

 

I know this is an old thread but, just in case you came to this thread wondering....

The guy that did my oil pan in my 2002 4.7 ram 1500 (last week), said that although he prepared to, raising the engine was not absolutely necessary. AND at 57,000 it would have started to weep through real soon.

Snax

 

I am wondering if there is enough clearance to rebuild lower end bearings, if i take off pan does anyone think this is possible? My gauge kept showing low pressure this week. I replaced the sending unit today. I am hoping that was the issue. With 400,000 on it I don't think it has long either way. So i am thinking ahead on this one.

 

You certainly would spend a lot of time on your back. The 4.7l mains are part of a cast section, there are no single bearing caps so they can't be changed one at a time. I think you'd have to take the front of the engine off, remove the timing, and remove that portion of the "block". I'm not sure how the transmission would play into things but it would be the only thing left holding the crankshaft into position.
Steve