[OldWagon]

2004 Vulcan with (I'm told) a y-pipe design new to this year.

Do I really have to drop the y-pipe to change the oil pan gasket?

My oil pan is starting to seep, as you can see in the photos.

A view more or less directly under the front of the oil pan (where front = that part of the engine with the pulleys and serpentine belt). Looks like only a slight overlap... the O2 sensor is vulnerable, definitely would remove that:
[attachment=29093oI1.jpg]

Angle with the camera further to the driver's side, showing clearance on the left (front of car) side:
[attachment=29094oI2.jpg]

Again more or less directly underneath, camera a little more to the front of the car, another view of the clearance:
[attachment=29095oI3.jpg]

 

[animex2]

In the time it took you to take those pictures you could of had the y-pipe dropped, its just 2 bolts out of the front manifold, and 2 bolts from the rear, then 2 more attaching the y-pipe to the catback system.

at least thats what im assuming, thats how it was on the G2 and im not thinking much as changed piping wise.

 

[OldWagon]

QUOTE (animex2 @ Apr 7 2009, 06:33 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=716046

In the time it took you to take those pictures you could of had the y-pipe dropped... just 2...2...2... bolts...[/b]

Yeppers, but there are situations and then there are situations.

Back in '64 I didn't mind adjusting the valves on my brand new VW bug, because all you had to do was loosen a rear wheel, jack up the car, remove the wheel, pop the valve cover, pull all the plugs, then rotate the engine to TDC for the cylinders, then put it back together minus the plugs, go to the other side... etc. No problem when you're 22. Took me 10 minutes maybe.

But now, at 67 and with a bad back, less is more.

Guess I could figure out a way to suspend the Y-pipe on 2x4s so it doesn't fall on my rapidly balding pate...

 

[OldWagon]

Which reminds me of a story... stop me, if you can.

I got into car wrenching because Howard Cooper VW in Ann Arbor had the gall to charge me $32 for a tune-up. Hell, it was only plugs, points, condenser, valve adjust, tire rotate, engine oil change, transmission oil change, and 15-point chassis lubrication and couldn't have taken more than 2 hours. A little more, because they also washed and waxed every car that came in.

(For those born later than 1964, which is most of you, the shop rate wasn't $60 or $80 or $150 hour, it was $10/hour, and a complete tune-up kit was $2.25 and that's 4 plugs, points and condenser. But then gas was 22 cents/gallon and we could drive from Ann Arbor to Cleveland for $2.80...)

So, anyway, I took another $32 and went to Sears and bought a complete set of tools. Blew another $6 on a Floyd Clymer VW repair manual and never looked back...

 

[bull geek]

QUOTE (animex2 @ Apr 7 2009, 06:33 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=716046

In the time it took you to take those pictures you could of had the y-pipe dropped[/b]

Wow...that's some great advice... :hsugh:

The job is much easier with the Y-pipe removed. I can't imagine trying to work around that pipe, angleing it with RTV Silicone applied etc. When I removed mine, I paid $20 for my local independent guy to loosen the bolts since I only had hand tools. Drove the car home (loud ride), made the repair, then drove it back up to his shop. He tightened everything back up when I was done, no charge. Especially being up in the salt belt...you might want to look into this.

Good idea with the 2x4s. I just used my hands and knees/legs. That was a fun day...

 

[OldWagon]

QUOTE (Bull Geek @ Apr 7 2009, 07:27 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=716056

....When I removed mine, I paid $20 for my local independent guy to loosen the bolts since I only had hand tools. ....

Good idea with the 2x4s. I just used my hands and knees/legs. That was a fun day...[/b]

Thanks. I made a great purchase 5 or 6 years ago -- a Craftsman 1/2" electric impact wrench which for some reason was on deep sale, $100 off. What a life saver!

Would have liked to see you wrangle the y-pipe that way. I did a similar thing in the 70s when I swapped the crankshaft on our Dodge 225 slant six. Didn't think of using a floor jack and just held it up with one hand and put the front and rear caps on with the other. My son claims this was the first lesson in vocabulary building that he had under my tutelage.

 

[ford_ses]

:lol: @ vocabulary!

I did the same thing as Nick with the old '93 when my dad and I replaced the oil pan (it was his car at the time). We took it to Midas and let them worry about loosening everything...that way it's up to them to get apart the rusted stuff. It's cheap and saves you battling rusted exhaust bolts laying on your back with no lift.

 

[silvapain]

The two bolts from the Y-pipe to the catback are usually very badly rusted; I would just give them a try, and if they don't budge easily cut them off with a sawzall. The manifold to Y-pipe nuts usually come off pretty easily with an impact. Also, don't forget to disconnect the HO2 sensors so you don't damage them when the Y-pipe drops.

The Y-pipe MUST be dropped to drop the oil pan in the G3 SHO; I have no idea how it's routed on a G4.

 

[shoz123]

That's not leaking bad enough to require changing. It will never be as easy as it looks. Why temp fate and screw something up over a rustproofing of the underside?

 

[animex2]

I live in the salt capital of the world (self proclaimed tital for Buffalo) and had no issues with the y-pipe bolts going to the catback and the 4 manifold bolts, all with a hand wrench on my 95 SHO.

Though I can see being a little bit older how you wouldnt want to have to go through with all of that.

But I had to exert much more force to get the oil pan bolts out then I did the y-pipe bolts.

 

[OldWagon]

QUOTE (SHOZ123 @ Apr 8 2009, 01:14 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=716246

That's not leaking bad enough to require changing....Why temp fate and screw something up over a rustproofing of the underside?[/b]

I'm just planning ahead at the moment. It's one drip on the driveway right now.

But there is general seepage around the perimeter (maybe -- since the oil will wick around the pan to block mounting points) and the starter motor is pretty wet with oil.

So it's coming sooner rather than later. And, without a garage, it's better in the few temperate months ahead.

 

[OldWagon]

QUOTE (animex2 @ Apr 8 2009, 01:32 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=716249

.... Though I can see being a little bit older how you wouldnt want to have to go through with all of that.

But I had to exert much more force to get the oil pan bolts out then I did the y-pipe bolts.[/b]

Thanks. And thanks for softening the reality ('little bit older').

Force on the oil pan bolts? Uh-oh. I've never experienced problems with bolt-on bits that are bathed in oil....

Maybe someone did the brute force oil pan leak fix (reef seriously clockwise on all the bolts to see if the drips stop)?

Well, I'll worry about that when the time comes.

 

[animex2]

QUOTE (OldWagon @ Apr 8 2009, 01:48 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=716254

QUOTE (animex2 @ Apr 8 2009, 01:32 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=716249

.... Though I can see being a little bit older how you wouldnt want to have to go through with all of that.

But I had to exert much more force to get the oil pan bolts out then I did the y-pipe bolts.[/b]

Thanks. And thanks for softening the reality ('little bit older').

Force on the oil pan bolts? Uh-oh. I've never experienced problems with bolt-on bits that are bathed in oil....

Maybe someone did the brute force oil pan leak fix (reef seriously clockwise on all the bolts to see if the drips stop)?

Well, I'll worry about that when the time comes.
[/b][/quote]

ahaha, I bet they did knowing the people I got the car from. Seriously the car was up on stands, and I was pushing my entire body on the wrench trying to move it, and I was getting pushed away from it. half the bolts I needed to hit with a hammer to get it to crack the first turn.