Need some HowTo for Oil pan replacement

[Huw Powell]

> 1988 5000Q, non turbo
> 
> I need to replace the oil pan(rusted thru).
> The back pan retaining bolts are hard to get at.

As I recall from way back, after you remove the "engine-transmission 
damper" which is the thing that covers the front of the flywheel, you 
will see that the flywheel has two cutouts in it to access the rear pan 
bolts - you just have to turn the engine to the right place.

> Huw already told me to remove the  front subframe bolts and loosen the back
> ones. This will lower the subframe enough to get at those rear pan bolts.

I have to plead ignorance of the type 44 front subframe here - is it at 
all like the type 85/89 I am familiar with?

> I'm afraid of stripping out the nut or breaking off the bolt. I was going to
> use an impact wrench to remove the bolts.

I'd think that if you could break them, they were potential trouble 
anyway.  A better way might be a long cheater bar, so you can modulate 
the force by how the motion feels.

> Its my understanding that the subframe nuts are captive in the body. Is
> there access to these so I can put penetrating oil on them before I remove
> them?

I don't think so... but if you can't get in there, at least it might 
mean that the tips of the bolts aren't all rusty (you'd be fighting the 
rust until the tip is drawn all the way into the nut...).  Please people 
correct me if my type 44 anatomy is off here.

> I also want to sandblast the cover and paint it before putting it in. Any
> preferences for primer and paint? I would assume to use a high temp type
> paint.

Powder coating is nice if you can find someone to do it.  A hard, 
durable finish.  High temp paint should be fine - remember your oil 
rarely gets over 150 C - and normal running is just over the coolant 
temp.  Just do a good, slow job, thin coats, etc.  The oil pan takes a 
lot of "natural" sandblasting as you drive, so it might get ugly fast 
with normal paint.

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/