hey everyone, so tomorrow night i start to do my timing chain.. only thing is i want to take out my oil pan to make sure i get everything nice and clean. Only thing is i have a stock 4runner with ifs up front and have no idea what to undo/remove to get enough cleanance to get the oilpan out. And i was wondering if you guys know what to do so i can get a head start?

Thanks!

 

I disconnected the 3 diff bolts and the add vacuum lines and the bar between the LCA's (diff was on jack of course). This allowed me to lower the diff enough to clear the pan

Note: I had the tranny out (and therefore front DS) and I have a 3vze.

 

Remove the front axles, and drop the differential.

 

what i did when i had to remove my oilpan to fix the clear silicon mess the previous owner used as gaskets on my timing chain cover and oilpan was pull the entire diff out, i had access to a lift and an extra set of hands, but you may be able to do it with jack stands and a floor jack.
i unbolted the bolts that the cv axles attach to the diff, then i unbolted the bolts holding the diff to its frame, after a bit of help from a pry bar and a friend we muscled it out and placed it in the corner while we took the oil pan out.
air tools helped immensly with this project.

putting it back in was another story, if i remember correctly it took a whole bunch of careful prying to get the cv shafts to line up with the holes . after a night of rest it went in easier in the morning.

another reason to swap in a solid axle...sigh...but thats my story on how i did it. hope it helped somewhat, i'll cut all that ifs crap off before i have to deal with that again lol

 

regardless of what 411 you get for taking the oil pan out, one word for the gaskets when putting it all back together: Hylomar
In my experience, it seals as well as any FIPG out there, flows well to cover scratches and the like, and lacquer thinner or even acetone won't strip it off... but will clean up with a blunt scraper and clean rag.

 

I never had to remove the axles to drop the diff down . After dropping the diff down some, I let the pan down enough to remove the pickup tube, then the pan comes out.

 

i imagine it would have been easier this way, but my mechanic friend had to make things complicated. it DEF was easier to access everything though, and also easier to get a grinder with a gasket removal disk in to grind off the silicone mess the previous owner used for a gasket

 

hmm piston man i like your way..
but will it work with the ifs?
ive never tried it, but it just seems like it wont clean it.

 

You have to drop the diff down, three bolts- and the front crossbar, four bolts. You do not have to pull the axles. It is pretty easy, and yes it is IFS. When I pull the pan on a high miler, I roll in rod bearings too.

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. That sounds alot easier (three bolts instead of 15).

I wonder if you just undid the two bolts at the back (near the rear of the control arms. if you could just allow it to pivot down enough to drop the pan.

 

I just did this a few weeks ago.

Remove the 2 bolts from the motor mounts on each side.
Remove the 2 bolts from the rear of the front diff.
I used a block of wood on my floor jack and jacked up the transmission as high as it would go.

There is just enough room to remove the oil pan, you have to maneuver it around the oil pickupand bellhousing to get it out.

My pan was full of broken tensioner parts, oil pressure is higher now.

Clean it up and put it back together.

Good luck

Robb

 

awesome guys thanks!

how hard is it to put rtv on the oil pan and get it lined up without it coming off?
ive never done anything with rtv so i imagine its just going to slip off no?

 

^^ Please read again ^^

 

RTV is pretty sticky stuff. not the stickiest but it will hold on there as long as you dont run the bead accross anything while getting it into possition to mount.

 

ive never seen Hylomar, i already got some permatex red.. hmmmm
times like these i wish i had sfa=(

 

Instead of using RTV, I highly recommend going down to a local dealership, and picking up a tube of Toyota FIPG (form in place gasket).

It's about 10 bucks, but a tube is more than enough to do like 10 oil pans.

 

hmm good stuff then hey?
i guess il have to pick some up tonight or tomorrow

 

once you try it, you'll likely never go back to RTV again.

It's a bit thinner, making it easier to apply, it sticks to EVERYTHING, and creates a really nice seal. Make sure you have some paper towels nearby, it likes to apply itself to every surface you touch.

 

This may be one of those instances in which my 4" ifs lift has an extreme advantage...my diff is lowered 4 inches from the stock height.

 

damn!

thanks annoyingrob!! il go pick some up tomorrow.. hopefully my mom will drive me haha