Changing the oil pan gasket

Well, since i'm waiting for a new thermostat housing, i thought i'd fix that darn leaky pan gasket in the mean time. Everything was caked in oily crud. I took the starter off, cleaned it up real nice. Then took all the pan bolts off, then came to a halt on trying to get the pan out . I found this thread with what seems to me a great plan of attack. Plus pulling the crossmember would give me a chance to give it the good cleaning it needs. But...where is the front engine lift bracket ? And once i find that, how do i go about disconnecting the engine mounts from the crossmember?
Thanks for any help.
Bill

Ive never seen a front engine lift bracket on anything original. I prefer to get a chain into a couple head bolts myself if possible. The motor mounts havea single bolt on each side that comes up from below into the rubber pad. I think a5/8 endwrench or shallow socket set up will get to them. Id get those cracked loose first. You can lift the front of the engine enough with a hydraulic jack and a wood block under the crank pulleys, you really dont even have to lift it just get it settin there. Those bolts holding the X-member on might be a challenge if they have never been removed but usually will come ok. Check your frame for opening behind them that might allow you to get some kind of penetrant shot at them from the inside. Supporting the engine from above is the best way tho if you can. Remember work as safely as possible , extra blocking anywhere you can and chock the wheels.

My trans is a 700r4 that is held up by another 1st gen van engine crossmember (this was done by previous owner, not me). If I jack up on the front pulleys, how high should i go? An inch? 2, 3? What kind of stress might there be on the trans?
thanks

NipRing hope this helps...i did the same thing a few months ago. A jackstand placed within a 1/4 from the pulley will allow you to drop the crossmember slowly until the harmonic balancer rests on the jackstand..

Seems simple enough. For the record, I'm not a mechanic, Im a carpenter, so I am pretty capable, but please be patient with my ignorance. Digz, are the head bolts the nine bolts on the front, driver side, and back around the valve cover that take a 3/4" box wrench? I can just take out 2, slip them through a link in the chain and thread them back in, do my work, remove chain and bolt them back down? Does the head need to be retorqued in a certain order, etc?
Thanks

Yeah , that looks easier than headbolts! Just for the say so ,I like the way Whopman has pictured alot and it doesnt disturb anything else. Even if you suspend from above I would have some sort of jackstand or blocking below for your own protection.

Thanks for the picture Donivan. Where on the other side can i bolt to?

resurrecting this thread for further questions.

I am getting near to re-installing the oil pan and timing cover on my 250 after clean-up and paint. I am guessing I put on the oil pan first, then the timing cover, or do I put them together first and install as a unit? Any particular order of the pieces of the multi-gasket set?

Also, I am going to use a fair amount of RTV on the intersections of the gasket pieces, but how thick of a bead between the gaskets and parts? Sorry for all the questions I was not seeing any good you tube videos or threads on this for inline sixes.

Uh-oh, another thing - where can I find torque specs? Sheesh - such a beginner!

timer cover first then oil pan....use anaerobic gasket maker by permatex...part # px51813 ...could not find a torque spec for the bolts...just be careful not to over tighten and squeeze gasket...when i install the oil pan i always use a 1/4 drive ratchet...go hand tight all around the pan then make a second round of tightening to snug up a tad more...

thanks - I found reference to centering the timing cover in a scan of an old manual. They showed a small tool which was basically the inner circle of a harmonic balancer, I guess I could thread a couple of bolts then use an actual balancer.

I also found these torque specs in a couple of locations:

In-Line 4.1L (250 CID) Car - Truck Engine Bolt Torques

Size Usage Torque
----------------------------------------------------------------

1/4-20 Cam Thrust Plate 80 in.lbs.
1/4-20 Crankcase Front Cover 80 in.lbs.
1/4-20 Flywheel Housing Cover 80 in.lbs.
1/4-20 Oil Filter Bypass Valve 80 in.lbs.
1/4-20 Oil Pan To Crankcase 80 in.lbs.
1/4-20 Oil Pan To Front Cover 50 in.lbs.
1/4-20 Oil Pump Cover All 80 in.lbs.
1/4-20 Rocker Arm Cover 45 in.lbs.
11/32-24 Connecting Rod Cap 35 ft.lbs.
5/16-18 Camshaft Sprocket 20 ft.lbs.
5/16-18 Oil Pan To Crankcase 80 in.lbs.
5/16-18 Oil Pump 115 in.lbs.
5/16-18 Push Rod Cover 80 in.lbs.
5/16-18 Water Pump 15 in.lbs.
5/16-18 Rocker Cover 45 in.lbs.
3/8-16 Clutch Pressure Plate (All) 30 ft.lbs.
3/8-16 Distributor Clamp 25 ft.lbs.
3/8-16 Flywheel Housing 30 ft.lbs.
3/8-16 Manifold (Exhaust) 35 ft.lbs.
3/8-16 Manifold (Ex. To Int.)
3/8-16 Manifold (Intake) 30 ft.lbs.
3/8-16 Manifold To Head
3/8-16 Thermostat Housing 30 ft.lbs.
3/8-16 Water Outlet 30 ft.lbs.
3/8-16 Water Pump
3/8-24 Connecting Rod Cap
7/16-14 Cylinder Head 60 ft.lbs.
7/16-14 Main Bearing Cap 65 ft.lbs.
7/16-14 Oil Pump 65 ft.lbs.
7/16-14 Rocker Arm Stud 50 ft.lbs.
7/16-20 Flywheel (All) 45 ft.lbs.
7/16-20 Torsional Damper 60 ft.lbs.
1/2-13 Cylinder Head 95 ft.lbs.
1/2-13 Main Bearing Cap 110 ft.lbs.
1/2-14 Temperature Sending Unit 20 ft.lbs.
1/2-20 Torsional Damper
1/2-20 Oil Filter Hand Tight
1/2-20 Oil Pan Drain Plug 20 ft.lbs.
1/2-20 Flywheel
14mm 5/8 Spark Plug 15 ft.lbs.

Is crankcase front cover the same as the timing gear cover?? 80 lbs.???


1/4-20 Crankcase Front Cover 80 in.lbs.

The same and thats Inch Lbs. be kinda like using your wrist on the head of the ratchet (not the handle) and just going snug.

OK, cool. Yeah, I finally noticed the inches versus pounds, almost sounds like I don't need to worry about finding a small 1/4 torque wrench, just snug them up by hand like you say.

I usually toss the gaskets and use the grey GM silicone they sell it in a calk gun sized tube 1/4 in bead on timing cover make sure the surface is very clean take non chlorinated brake cleaner and hose it down till it's totally oil free tighten to about 35-40 in. Lbs that's inch pounds let set up for 20 min then make sure to do the same inside the crank area and inside of block really dry and clean usually i take a lil scotch bright pad to the gasket surface and the same 1/4 in bead tighten from center out in a cross pattern it will never leak and will still come back off someday if it has to