It looks like I have the unfortunate necessity to get a good look at my oil pan, and the underside of the lower end in the very near future (timing cover is off right now, so maybe a good time!).
Clearly this is a PITA b/c of the front end (I have IFS, '89 G1 4Runner) being in the way.
A buddy suggested maybe unbolting engine from mounts, then jacking it up, placing blocks btwn mounts/engine to agive myself room.
Was wondering if anybody's done this, or found another good trick - how would the tanny(auto) etc deal w/ having the engine lifted like that? I haven't inspected real closely, but I assume there are things bolted to the body that would get in the way?

 

This is only a guess, (since I had an 85 and had no trouble getting to the oil pan,) but I can tell you that I could not have jacked up the engine more than about an inch if that. If was fit pretty darn tightly to the bottom of the firewall area. (Try changing that factory fuel filter or doing a clutch and you'll see tight spaces to play...) I took a good look at the neighbor's stock 90 the other day, and it looks to me like with the skidplate out you really could reach all the oilpan bolts but it doesn't look like fun.

 

yeah, the prob ain't reaching the bolts - you can get to 'em all pretty much from underneath w/o too much trouble. It's it dropping the pan down > 1-2 inches befoe it hits the front diff parts. Hence, you can kinda get a gasket in there, or at leat the Toyota Form-in-place stuff - but completely removing the pan so oyu can clean it, and inpect bottomn end of engine, is another story.

 

is this possible with out dropping the front diff?

 

To remove the oil pan on my 86 I had to remove the crossmember that support the front dif, lower the dif about 5" and cuss like hell till it finally came off. The oil sump pick up goes way down in the pan almost to where the dain plug is so you will need to lower the dif to get the pan off. Jacking up the motor is not enough room.

 

Once you have the oil pan loose and dropped down, you should be able to reach above the oil pan and remove the two nuts that hold on the oil pickup. Remove them and drop the pickup into the pan. Then if the pan does not come out, you may have to raise the engine up a bit, by undoing the motor mounts and jacking up the front of the motor. Beware of the fan hitting the rad and use a block of wood on end to jack up the motor. I have placed this block of wood under the crank pulley to jack up the engine, but if you can find a different spot then use it. I don't think any damage would happen to the pulley, but if another spot is available, then better safe than sorry.

Hope this helps!

 

The pick up on my 22re is held on by two bolts in the front, one on the side, and one on the #3 main bearing cap. Looks like it would be a royal PITA to get them all out, but anything would beat taking the front suspension apart.