On a '71 Malibu, stock 350 with AT, can the motor oil pan be removed/replaced without removing the engine from the chassis? Some books say you can, some individuals say you can't. Who is correct?

Kurt,
It can be done, I've done it. However, it's probably easier and faster to pull the engine. The only reason to do it in the car is if you absolutely have to, like no way to get an engine hoist or something.

Don't forget, you're not just pulling the pan for fun, there's some kind of work to be performed in there, it will be difficult in the car. Then you've got to scrape the old gasket, glue the new one up there, get the pan back in without disturbing the gasket, etc. This is hard even in a well-equipped shop with hoists and stuff. I'd plan on pulling it unless it's just impossible for some reason.

Tom

Tom may be right. But I have never seen a Chevelle where the pan could be pulled without lifting the engine. ESPECILLY A BB! If it is a SB, it may be worth a try. In my son's 66 pickup, the pan can be pulled without lifting. But the crank must be positioned with the front counterweight up.

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My dad was telling me back when he was in college in the early 70's him and his brother decided to rebuild the 327 in his impala. Due to the fact they had no where to keep the car at night they rebuilt the engine in the car. Can't imagine doing a bottom end lying under there.

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JT
71 SS 350 soon to be Vortec 355 then a 454
www.angelfire.com/co/KellyMotorsports (http://www.angelfire.com/co/KellyMotorsports)

DZAUTO,

I didn't say it could be done without lifting the engine, it can't. I said it can be done without *removing* the engine from the car. It will be lifted every stinking fraction of an inch that can be had. As I recall, the engine has to be jacked up tight against the firewall (dist cap and fan shroud pulled), the crank has to be turned with the first throw up, the pan pulled part way out, then the crank turned so the second throw is up and then removed the rest of the way. Problem is, usually there's a jack under the balancer, makes it hard to turn the engine! When you block it up to get the jack out, you inevitably lose a little height, making it even harder to get the pan out. This is a real PITA job, that's why I recommend pulling the engine instead.

Condition of hands = hamburger helper.

Tom

Last year I jacked up my 71 to remove the pan from the 307. I crawled under the car and took one look at it and thought to myself, time to rent a hoist. As it turned out, the 307 was completely shot and I ended up with a 350.