changing oil pan gasket

[94benZo]

is this a major job??
I've search and search in this forum but has not find an instruction for it. Has anybody done this themselves?

thanks

Z

[jnolte]

no gasket it has a silicone goo

[jnenad16]

yes, there is a pan gasket. it is somewhat difficult for a weekend warrior to replace it because you need to jack up the engine to change it.

nenad

[94benZo]

how much do you think an independent shop would charge?

[jnenad16]

well, you are looking at about 3-5hrs or labor, plus the parts.

nenad

[enawazh]

it cost me $180( parts and labor) but my guy didnt jack up the engine, he removed the sway bar instead.

[jnenad16]

sway bar isnt that much of an issue, its the frame cross member, but its still doable with the engine down, only thing is you will have very little space to scrape the old gasket and you will have to slide the new gasket in, which for most inexperienced people is a bitch, since they might not be able to align the gasket properly with the pan.

nenad

[94benZo]

how do you "jack up" the engine? using engine lift? or jack it from under?

[jnenad16]

you disconnect the engine mounts, and with an engine hoist, you lift it up just enough for the pan to clear the cross member, which is only a few inches. also, the sway bar will need to get lowered(no need to remove) as well.

nenad

[detroit202]

cost me about 500-600 i think older models can remove the sway bar and frame bar i was told ..i have a 98 c230 they had to lift the engine a bit.. plus the goo was replaced with a metal gasket ..has not leaked in over a year since then.

if your engine dosent need to be lifted should not be that much.. best repair i ever did .. now i have a clean driveway !

[94benZo]

okay... Finally got it done... and along with some other overdue maintenance:

Replaced Oil Pan Gasket
Replaced Valve Cover Gasket
Replaced Timing Chain Cover Gasket
Replaced Transmission Fluid, Filter and Gasket
Replaced Differential Fluids
Replaced Oil and Filter
Replaced Coolant
Replaced Steering Damper

All of this cost me $438 in labor... I thought that was fair, wasn't it?

[jnenad16]

$438 for all of that isnt bad at all.

nenad

[enawazh]

Thats a pretty daam good price
where at?

[94benZo]

Originally posted by enawazh
Thats a pretty daam good price
where at?

Oklahoma...:D

but a problem just arised, this morning when i started the car, it shakes, unstable idle, and the brake was hard to push, like the brake booster went out... anybody has any idea of what's going on? it ran fine for about a week after i did all that stuff...

[Proven Guilty]

Originally posted by 94benZo
Oklahoma...:D

but a problem just arised, this morning when i started the car, it shakes, unstable idle, and the brake was hard to push, like the brake booster went out... anybody has any idea of what's going on? it ran fine for about a week after i did all that stuff...

get the codes read to give a clear picture of what's trully wrong with it. the symptoms you described with the idle could be one of dozens of problems related to that.

as far as the brakes; it could be related to how the car is running since it's a lucas system, but better safe then sorry... it could just be coincidence and you actually have a failing brake system. check the lines under the hood, and at the wheels to make sure you dont see ANY brake fluid. the system is 100% sealed, and you should never see brake fluid on anything, else you have a leak.

[94benZo]

yeah.. i need to get the code read.. the brake pedal was HARD to push... if i got a leak wouldn't it be pushed all the way and wouldn't come back out? I checked the lines under the tank and by the wheels.. everything looks dry... i gotta feeling one of my cylinder is dead... hmmm...

[jnenad16]

sounds like you have a vacuum leak between the engine and the booster, probably the booster vacuum line.

nenad

[94benZo]

once again.. you're right to the point nenad.. vacum line split right below the booster... $43 part + $35 labor...
hope nothing else going bad in the near future... I'm brookkkee... :D