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1996 Sunsetter oil pan removal


tfrost77

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Admittedly I’m a lurker, been reading this forum for 3 years, I enjoy watching the re-builds of older models like mine, and find a ton of helpful information when I get stuck....so please keep them posting.

I have a 96 sunsetter lx that I was bringing out of hibernation a few weeks back, started right up and ran like a top, so went to change the oil with my new topsider oil extractor, down the dipstick tube and yep you guessed it the tube got stuck, after wrestling with it for a few hours and into the next day I removed the dipstick tube and got most of it free but eventually lost some into the oil pan, no idea how much though.  I understand there’s a drain tube on the engine but the fitting was stripped out so that’s why I went through the dipstick, eventually fixed the tube fitting and drained the oil that way (topsider works good through that tube), can’t undo what I did so I have two questions for the group

1.  Has anyone actually just left it there?  I have read a ton of forums and posts here where it leaves off “I’m going to roll the dice and leave it in” with no follow up or a post a few days later stating that they had the engine pulled and the oil pan dropped.  Has anyone actually left the piece of tubing with no ill effects?

2. If I do pull the engine (which I am leaning towards) how difficult is it to do yourself? I have the Indmar manual outlining a step by step process which seems pretty straightforward but I have never pulled an engine before but feel I’m mechanically inclined enough to stumble through it. Any posts showing the process? And should I get a harbor freight cherry picker to get the job done enough to gain enough height to drop the oil pan or a chain fall on the forks of my tractor?

Ok that’s more than two questions....unfortunately I can’t afford $1000 or more to have someone else do it and I don’t want to loose a season waiting until I do have the cash so any advice is appreciated 

Tim 

 

 

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There is a screen on the oil pump pickup-so it probably wont get sucked up right away, but it might get broken down into smaller pieces which could cause problems.  Pulling it out isn't all that bad, you could have it done in a weekend.  Pull the engine and trans together and make sure to mark the mounts and reinstall in the exact same position.

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the engine does not have to be completely removed.

loosen / remove most electrical harness and fluid lines as well as most nuts/bolts as you would to remove the engine and trans.

allow it to pivot on the front motor mount while hoisting trans up.

while the trans is up (slightly) consider swapping trans fluid using the recently exposed bottom plate for drainage.

if your boat has oem fuel lines it would be a good time to replace them.

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What exactly fell into your pan? I didn’t get it. A piece of tube? A fitting?

What size/shape? Material? Weight?

Will the piece sink to the bottom of the pan? Will it get dissolved in the oil over time? ...

As stated above, the oil pump has a screen preventing debris from getting sucked into the pump. Depending on what exactly fell down your dipstick I probably wouldn’t worry enough to pull the pan and would just keep on using the boat. But that’s just me and again, depends on what exactly is floating around (or laying at the bottom of) your oil pan now.

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It’s a piece of plastic tubing that fed down the tube but got stuck on something, after pulling the tube it stretched and snapped.  I was leaning towards leaving it but cannot find anyone that has done this without any issues seems like everyone eventually dropped the pan and gets the tube out 

if I do want to fish it out I will probably lift the engine enough to get the pan off 

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Tvano

so you’re saying I don’t need to unhook the transmission just take the rear bolts and electric connections off, loosen the front bolts to lift the engine up and get the pan down?

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martinarcher

About half way down this thread I have some pics of pulling the shaft coupling apart (I wrapped up by blower hose) and rocking the engine forward on its front mounts to pull the tranny rear seal out and replace it.  You'll have a similar procedure to get at the oil pan and bolts and slide it out.  I'd suck all the oil out before starting so you can jockey it around a bit to get it out without dumping all that oil.  Good luck.  Should be too bad of a job.  If you don't touch the lower engine mounting nuts it should be really close alignment wise when you sit it back down.  

 

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I see what you did, I will have to try it... maybe on a day when its not snowing out there though!!

  • Like 1
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@tfrost77:  Pulling the engine / transmission in combination is actually very easy.  Just my opinion, but doing the oil pan removal and replacement out of the boat would make sense to keep any accidental oil spills from happening in the boat or on to the carpet, it will allow you do a comprehensive bilge cleaning and will give you the best access to the pan rail for reassembly.  If you go the H-F cherry picker you will need to pull one trailer wheel off to get the needed lift to go over the gunnel.  Get a couple of able bodies to stabilize the unit as you lift it up and over the gunnel.

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Pics of an engine pull, hope it helps.  I had to remove the trailer wheel, and I also had to make an extender for the HF cherry picker to get it on center of the engine.  Then I had to add counter weight to the cherry picker via fork lift forks I had laying around because it was otherwise trying to tip forward.

I did all of mine by myself, it's pretty simple if you take your time.  I was stripping mine down for an engine rebuild so I had everything disconnected.

 

 

Forks on stand.JPG

Engine pull #5.JPG

Engine pull #4 compressed.JPG

Engine pull #3.JPG

Engine pull #2.JPG

Engine pull #1.JPG

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1 hour ago, Michigan boarder said:

 I also had to make an extender for the HF cherry picker to get it on center of the engine.

You've got more courage than I do, looks like that extension might have put you beyond the rating of a Harbor Freight lift. 

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20 hours ago, MadMan said:

You've got more courage than I do, looks like that extension might have put you beyond the rating of a Harbor Freight lift. 

There were some tense moments.

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Did you use the 2 ton cherry pick or the 1 ton?

thanks for the feedback, I’m going to be picking the engine soon, I’ll get some pictures of the operation 

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12 hours ago, tfrost77 said:

Did you use the 2 ton cherry pick or the 1 ton?

thanks for the feedback, I’m going to be picking the engine soon, I’ll get some pictures of the operation 

I think it was the 2 ton.   Something I borrowed from a guy that has since moved away.

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Had this happen to me:Frustrated:. I paid to get it removed. I didn't want to risk it. Mechanic found it wrapped around the cam and would have caused problems had I left it in. While you are lifting your engine add the drain hose kit onto your oil pan.  The you can either drain it the old fashion way or you can get the kit that will attach to your oil extractor.

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3 hours ago, jrvs23 said:

Had this happen to me:Frustrated:. I paid to get it removed. I didn't want to risk it. Mechanic found it wrapped around the cam and would have caused problems had I left it in. While you are lifting your engine add the drain hose kit onto your oil pan.  The you can either drain it the old fashion way or you can get the kit that will attach to your oil extractor.

good catch.  

even if you have a drain hose, inspect the rubber for age/cracks and metal pieces for corrosion.

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I too pulled my engine by myself in a garage. However, mine was for a damper plate replacement. I used an engine hoist but positioned at the rear (without the swim platform). I had to make a 2' extension for the hoist, but for the vertical column, not the horizontal reach. I only raised the engine high enough to pull transmission, replace parts, and immediately set back down. Engine part easy - all the seats and framework, tedious.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Working on getting the engine out, so far going fairly smooth.  I’m at the point of getting the transmission and engine mounts out but they just seem to keep spinning and spinning. I’m assuming that they thread into the rail and there’s not a nut on the other side that I got to get to correct?

at the rate they are going these bolts should be about 10” long so I feel like I’m missing something here, all 6 transmission bolts just seem to spin endlessly and aren’t backing out any suggestions or advice?

 

ill post pictures of the operation once I figure out how to post pictures 

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You may have just stumbled onto some repair creep. Simple project leads to finding rot next thing you know your rebuilding the entire boat. Hope that isn't the case.

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Not the case fortunately ends up there were vent covers that were actually hand holes that were essentially Chinese torture devices, ended up tearing up my arms pretty good but got the back end free, pivoted on the front bolts and was able to get everything out oil pan dropped, about a foot of tubing removed and everything back together for the most part👍

Hopefully finish it up tomorrow, glad I went through the process. Peace of mind and learned a lot about my boat 

  • Like 3
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