So I have a brand new oil pan, with a great couple coats of orange paint waiting to be installed.  The only problem is that the old oil pan is stuck to the block like it was welded on.  Anyone have any ideas for removing this thing?  I have tried getting a putty knife in between the oil pan, gasket, and block, but that doesn't really work.  I have been able to wedge about a 1/4 of an inch of a flathead screwdriver under the pan, but that doesn't accomplish much either. 

After googling "stuck oil pan", I found a few Jeep forums about this and they say that using a sharp wood chisel and a hammer is the way to go, I just wanted to check with my fellow C3 owners before giving this a shot.

with the pan bolts out there is no reason for the pan not to come off, the wood chisel is a good way, start on one side and drive it through a little past the inside pan rail  and push the chisel up and down, then move the chisel down a couple ins. and start another spot, and another spot, then go to the other side and do the same thing, the idea is to work front to back side to side, its got to come off, who knows what kind of glue someone used, if its an original pan try not to bend it up to bad, good orig. pans are worth money.

|UPDATED|12/20/2011 7:45:08 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Thanks for the tips.  Yes it's the original pan, it's not in terrible shape, but it's not cherry by any means.  It has a ding and some scrapes on the bottom of it, and the original paint is almost completely gone.  I was thinking about throwing it up on the parts section once it's off, assuming I don't accidentally damage it.

That's what happens when a good cork gasket is installed properly....you'll need a bulldozer to get it loose after a few years!

Yeah... a wide bladed scraper, or chisel will get it done, just be careful, and not damage the sealing surface on the engine block in the process.


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Joel Adams
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Thanks for the tips guys, I went back under tonight to give it a shot.  I gently tapped a chisel into one spot, gave it a little wiggle and *THUNK*, it dropped off the block.  Couldn't have been simpler. 

Now I just have to finish scraping off the 35 year old gasket.  I got all of it off except where it is rounded by the flywheel inspection cover.  It seems to be made of a hard rubber there, or at least it turned into a rubber like substance.  I will go back out tomorrow night and give it another go.

if that rubber stuff is black and its on the rear main cap behind  the oil pump it could be the rear oil pan oil seal, theres one on the timing cover also, they sit in a channel in the bottom rear main and timing cover, they pry out with a screwdriver, or maybe some one used sillycone instead. 

|UPDATED|12/21/2011 7:29:04 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

It's definitely the oil pan seal.  The one from the other side fell out when I took the pan down, I just wasn't as lucky with the rear one.