So ends day one of my first timing chain replacement attempt. Anyone want to guess where I'm stuck? That's right, trying to get the stupid oil pan out.

Situation:

Pulled the four bolts on the cross-member supporting the front differential, lowered it as much as I could, unbolted the engine mounts and jacked the engine up 1" - 1.5". Supposedly I should be able to get the pan out now??? I can't figure it out for the life of me. Is it supposed to come out towards the front or rear of the truck?? It seems that the oil pickup (or whatever its called) prevents the pan from coming out towards the front. Does that need to come out?

Looking at the pictures that bloodbath4runner posted, it looks like my front differential isn't dropping nearly as far. But I've pounded like hell on the sucker, and it's not moving any further.

What am I missing?

The pan will go down and aft; at the midpoint on the long sides are your studs, where you pulled off a couple nuts. They act as guide pins.

Some guys remove the 2 flange bolts that hold the pickup tube on and drop it all together.

what I did for mine just last week was drop the whole front diff. including the axle. there are two bolts holding the axle to the frame(one on each side.) Then I took the front mount off the crossmember and the front axle and diff just "floated" down on a jack (after disconected the crossmember for the frame). then I took the oil pickup (or whatever its called) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> off. putting it back on is triky put the oil pickup loosly then the oil pan over that. now tighten the oil pickup and then put the oil pan on. This is what I did, There maybe easier ways.(I know if you disconnected the axles the diff would go all the way to the floor, but my axle bolts were stuck on) good luck.

The bolts are knurled and pressed into the stub axles. Use a six-point-1/2" drive socket on a breaker bar to break them loose. If you do that, you do not have to loosen the motor mounts and the pan will basically drop off without taking off the oil pick up tube. For you guys that are working on your junk with nothing but 3/8's drive sockets, you are in the big boy world now get yourself a set of 1/2" drive sockets, ratchet, extensions, and breaker bar, six-point only (twelve point sockets round off bolts to easy).

You might get some more flex/drop in that front differential if you jack up the truck too, so the wheels can droop. Just a guess, not sure about that. I cannot remember if I also did that the last time I pulled the pan by this method.

Did you remove the two large bolts that hold the rear of the differential up to the frame?

Yeah, definately forgot about those! I'm going out right now to try removing them.

Thanks!

Matt

I think you only need to pull those two out, then the front diff will pivot down about the big horizontal bolt up front.

Well, I guess I wouldn't know, since I unbolted just about everything attached to the front diff. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />
But is was those two bolts you mentioned that finally did the trick.

But, I got the pan out, finally! And, of course, inside I found just about the entire driver's side chain guide. Once more, for the archives: it might be a PITA, but pull that oil pan!

Now to see about sewing this whole thing up!

--Matt

If I owned a 22r and was replacing the chain and guides pulling the pan would be a given. Why, I hate rework!!!!! Shortcuts in the long run are not short cuts at all!!!!