Changing Oil Pan Gasket

I have not much work on engines, I usually have other people do that, but I have a nasty oil leak and I am thinking of ghanging the oil pan gasket myself.
Is it possible without lifting/moving the engine. I realize the center link will have to come out but I'm not sure if that pan will drop and clear the kframe.
Its a 440 , stock oil pan in a 71 Roadrunner.

Thanks

real pain in the butt if you're using a windage tray. an extra pair of hands doesn't hurt either. i'd probably never do it again.

FIRST make sure it’s leaking there ....

Then ADD a windage tray if it doesn’t have one ....

AND ... you can make that ADDING A TRAY lots easier

you ever done this before WITH a windage tray?

Ive pulled the pan on a 383 with a windage tray but on a 68 Charger. Once center link was out of the way it wasnt that bad. I think I only removed 1 point of the center link and just pushed it out of the way instead of removing but its been a long time.

Yes .... several times.... but it’s TONZ EASIER if you glue(silicone) the gasket on both sides of the tray FIRST ..... AND let it set up for a couple of hours OR overnight....

I was thinking of using that molded gasket that incorporates the windage tray. It would easier than trying to piece a tray and two gaskets.

So I gather there is room to remove the pan, I wasn't sure if the oil pick up would be in the way.

Still not convinced I should try this lol

Get the car up in the air and just check to see if you can get a socket on every bolt. If you can get a socket on each bolt then you should be able to pull the pan without too much of struggle. I use studs on the ends to make things easier. The studs line up the gaskets and windage tray so it all goes together easier.

Gaskets and the tray already together ??

A tray IS a worthy add on performance item

Hi,

Yes, this is possible. I've done it on a 1972 Road Runner with a 400.

As mentioned, the center link needs to be disconnected at one point and moved out of the way, doesn't need to be removed.

Here's a link to the one-piece windage tray I used:

https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/502000/10002/-1

Was it easy? Not completely but I've seen worse.

Good luck,

Mike.

Ok thanks evryone, I think i'm going to try it, just ordered that one piece tray.

Another tip is that on some cars, the front of the pan gets caught a crank counterweight when you're sliding it backwards.
Just rotating the crank maybe 30 degrees clears that.
You do want to verify it's not a rear main seal leak - all too common - which a pan gasket won't fix.

That’s a PLASTIC tray ?

Jegs says for use with a flat pan rail like a fabricated pan would have. Here is a picture of the gasket/tray and a picture of a typical stock type stamped steel pan rail. Good luck with that. Maybe you could fill the stiffening beads in the pan rails with epoxy so that the ribs in the gasket would have something to seal against.

I believe those are designed to be reuseable, if so then tie each hole in the gasket to the pan using thread and install it.

I will make your life so much easier.

the pic of that gasket is the up side, the engine block sealing surface, I wonder what it looks like on the bottom side, where it would seal against the cover. I see your point about the stiffening beads, Summit site does not say the same as the Jegs site

Ok found my answer on the Mr Gasket website, it has pics of both sides and they are the same. See the info under Tech Resources at the bottom
https://www.holley.com/products/accessories/oil_pans/oil_pan_accessories/parts/61100G