Oil Pan Needs Replaced. Tubular K-member Questions.

First off I have a '89 LX vert with a damaged oil pan thanks to the sway bar. (Problem fixed due to MM Sway Bar Relocation Kit) Well now the pan is past the point of being "okay", leaks from front plug like crazy. Been getting by since 2009 but now the pan has had it.

I know 3 ways to change the oil pan from these forums.

1. Pull Engine.
2. Drop K-Member.
3. Jack up engine and try to dance it out. (Sounds frustrating)

Option 2 seems best.

I am looking at the QA1, UPR Tubular K-Member from LMR. Or maybe the Maximum Motor sports but the price point is driving to QA1. I have many Maximum Motorsports parts on mine.

Looking for easy, as this is 99% cruse car that sees 1-2 trips to the strip and is not a daily driver.

So I am wanting to know are the tubular k-members easy to install? Bolt in?
Can I stick with my current spring and shock combo or do I have to go coil over?
What all is required? I assumed control arms.

Any input would be GREAT as I know this board has saved my ass many times.

Thanks in advance.
 
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First off I have a '89 LX vert with a damaged oil pan thanks to the sway bar. (Problem fixed due to MM Sway Bar Relocation Kit) Well now the pan is past the point of being "okay", leaks from front plug like crazy. Been getting by since 2009 but now the pan has had it.

I know 3 ways to change the oil pan from these forums.

1. Pull Engine.
2. Drop K-Member.
3. Jack up engine and try to dance it out. (Sounds frustrating)

Option 2 seems best.

I am looking at the QA1, UPR Tubular K-Member from LMR. Or maybe the Maximum Motor sports but the price point is driving to QA1. I have many Maximum Motorsports parts on mine.

Looking for easy, as this is 99% cruse car that sees 1-2 trips to the strip and is not a daily driver.

So I am wanting to know are the tubular k-members easy to install? Bolt in?
Can I stick with my current spring and shock combo or do I have to go coil over?
What all is required? I assumed control arms.

Any input would be GREAT as I know this board has saved my ass many times.

Thanks in advance.
I'm about to install my UPR K member myself and I pulled my engine + trans to replace some seals. Being able to reuse springs and struts really depends on what kit you purchase. Some offer tubular arms and k member with a spring perch. For me I bought the QA1 tubular arms (LMR) but I have MM coil overs (worth every penny!). The ride quality with the c/o's is an incredible improvement. My car is purely a street driven cruiser and the roads where I live suck so ride quality was important.

Is it easy to install? Depends on your skill level. You'll need to completely tear apart your entire front end to do this which is labor intensive but not difficult to do. Be very careful with how you support the front of the car.
 
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I'm about to install my UPR K member myself and I pulled my engine + trans to replace some seals. Being able to reuse springs and struts really depends on what kit you purchase. Some offer tubular arms and k member with a spring perch. For me I bought the QA1 tubular arms (LMR) but I have MM coil overs (worth every penny!). The ride quality with the c/o's is an incredible improvement. My car is purely a street driven cruiser and the roads where I live suck so ride quality was important.

Is it easy to install? Depends on your skill level. You'll need to completely tear apart your entire front end to do this which is labor intensive but not difficult to do. Be very careful with how you support the front of the car.

Thank you for your input. Im happy with the ride quality I already have but yes room for improvement. I have done plenty of work so I can figure stuff out.

Just cant handle this oil pan issue any longer.
 
Thank you for your input. Im happy with the ride quality I already have but yes room for improvement. I have done plenty of work so I can figure stuff out.

Just cant handle this oil pan issue any longer.
I understand that. My engine only has 75k miles on it but leaks oil from every place possible from living in the PNW too long. My rear main seal and my oil pan gasket makes a big mess and now it's time to address it since it's winter here. Make sure you double check that the K member nor the a-arms will NOT change wheel location.
 
Oil pan replacement

Been there, done that - You can do it in the car, but it is hard to do. The best way is to pull the engine.

Disconnect the battery at the battery ground terminal, remove the fan and fan shroud. Both motor mounts will need to have the large nuts that secure them to the frame removed. The trans mount will also have to be loosened, and it is a good idea to remove the drive shaft.

I also had to disconnect the cat pipes at the headers to get the engine high enough to remove the oil pan. Be prepared to have to drop the steering rack and disconnect the steering shaft. The flex coupling for the steering shaft needs to be disconnected before you can get the rack out. You should disassemble the coupling by removing the 2 bolts that hold it together Jack up the engine with a wood block under the oil pan and watch for things that bind or hoses/electrical wiring that may need to be disconnected. I put a couple of wood blocks between the headers and the frame to support the engine. You will likely need to jack up the rear of the transmission as well to get the required clearance.

Scrape the pan mating surfaces clean as possible - old gasket stuck to the surfaces are a source of leaks.

There is a one piece oil pan gasket which will help re-assembly if you can find it; FEL-OS34508R. If you can't get this gasket, use weather strip adhesive to secure the cork gasket to the pan rails and the rubber strips to the bearing caps. Use lots of Acetone or MEK to clean the gasket surfaces so the weather strip adhesive will stick good. Read the instructions on the adhesive carefully to make sure the gaskets are permanently stuck in place and won't move when you slide the pan in place. Use lots of blue silicone sealer on top of the front and rear rubber seals where they mate with the pan.




Drop the K member
- let's think about that for a moment... I haven’t actually done this, so I will likely miss some details. But here’s the rough outline. Input from anyone who has actually changed a K member is welcome...

Disconnect the battery at the battery ground terminal, remove the fan and fan shroud.
Jack up car using floor jack under the K member
Remove the front wheels.
Remove the front brake calipers from their mounts.
Put jackstands under the A arm close to the ball joint.
Disconnect the roll bar links.
Chain the front springs so that they don't go flying out when you release pressure on them. Flying springs can kill you, so this is crucial.
Remove the top nut from each shock strut or remove the bottom shock strut mount bolts.
Put floor jack under the A arm, put pressure on the A arm so that you can remove the jackstand.
Move the jackstand to the K member to A arm pivot point. Place it so that it des not inhibit the A arm movement.
Slowly release the pressure on the jack while watching the spring. Once the tension is off the spring, remove the chain and the spring.
Repeat the process for the other side.
The flex coupling for the steering shaft needs to be disconnected before you can remove the K member. You should disassemble the coupling by undoing the 2 bolts that hold it together.
Both motor mounts will need to have the large nuts that secure them to the K member removed.
The trans mount will also have to be loosened and the bolts removed.
Use a chain host or engine lift to support the engine.
Put the floor jack back under the center of the K member and relocate the jackstands to support the car.
Remove the bolts on each side that secure the K member to the body.
Disconnect the hydraulic lines from the steering rack.
Lower the floor jack with the K member on it and remove it from under the car. You will need a helper on each spindle to keep the K member from falling off the floor jack. Your helpers may need to turn the K member so that it lays flat to have enough clearance to get it out from under the car.

Reverse the process to re-assemble. The springs will probably need a spring compressor to re-install them. Again, caution is the main thing, since a flying spring is very dangerous.

Some alternative possibilities are to leave the springs and struts alone and remove the bolts that mount the A arms to the K member. Again, I haven’t tried this, so I don’t know if it can be done successfully.

After looking at all the work, I think that I would rather pull the engine or do it with the engine jacked up to clear everything.

thehueyPilot’s comments:
That's pretty close......I did not remove the fan or shroud or the trans bolts. I used a cherry picker to hold the engine in place. The k member is held on by eight bolts (four on each side) I left the spindles in place still attached to the struts but removed the rotors to get better access to the lower ball joint.
 
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All while lay'n underneath 400+/- lbs of iron held by a couple bolts of unknown value, a chain that may or may not have a tweaked link and a hydraulic cylinder that could fail with increased speed. Just say'n.
Maybe just pull the engine?
Not that much more work, less likely to die from it.
I know ya'll done it a hunnert times, but I'll sleep better.
 
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All while lay'n underneath 400+/- lbs of iron held by a couple bolts of unknown value, a chain that may or may not have a tweaked link and a hydraulic cylinder that could fail with increased speed. Just say'n.
Maybe just pull the engine?
Not that much more work, less likely to die from it.
I know ya'll done it a hunnert times, but I'll sleep better.

you dont have to support an engine with an engine hoist.. Many guys have fabricated braces that go across the shock towers with either wood 4 x 4 or metal or just buy this

http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...000-lb-capacity-engine-support-bar-96524.html

P5300172.jpg
 

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^^
you dont have to support an engine with an engine hoist.. Many guys have fabricated braces that go across the shock towers with either wood 4 x 4 or metal or just buy this

http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...000-lb-capacity-engine-support-bar-96524.html

P5300172.jpg
^^ This is exactly how I would do it

I personally would use the UPR K member. If you are set on re using the stock control arms and springs you can do that providing you buy upper spring perches and are willing to grind on the back side of the stock lower control arms to proper clearance (I have done this to plenty of cars in the past with no ill effects) and you should be good to go. I can't see this whole project taking longer than a day, oil pan replacement included, in the drive way on a set of jack stands.
 
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I have used the harbour freight engine support to do a bunch of k members. The hardest part is finding somewhere to jack the car up...if sub frame connectors aren't installed. Pinch welds are too week for stands. The only option is usually the boxed part of soft metal the sub frame connectors would weld to. Smh

The stock k member isn't as heavy as you may think. You don't have to remove fenders or struts.

Raise vehicle and support on stands.

Remove brake calipers and hang on bungy cords.

Remove outter tie rods from spindles

Remove sway bar end links

Use a jack and support lower control arms

Remove bolts in struts

Slowly lower control arms

Remove springs

Remove control arms and spindles from k member

Install motor support brace.

Remove bolt to steering coupler

Remove PS lines at cooler ( by core support )

Remove power steering pressure line from rack

Remove rack and pinion

Raise motor with support bar

Remove motor mount bolts

Remove o2 sensor/ oil level sensor harness

Remove rear subframe mounting bolts. (4)

Remove bolts going up through the frame below strut towers. ( I remove 1 on each side...then I remove the remaining bolts using a jack to support the opposite side. )

Going back in try to measure diagonally to other points on the car to center the new k member. That can be done with the 4 bolts going through the frame loose.

In your case, you could do the pan easily while the k member is out.

My AJE k member allows the use of stock control arms. Been under different cars for many years...daily driven.
AJE doesn't have the best reputation right now but mine has held up very well.[emoji106]
 
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I have used the harbour freight engine support to do a bunch of k members. The hardest part is finding somewhere to jack the car up...if sub frame connectors aren't installed. Pinch welds are too week for stands. The only option is usually the boxed part of soft metal the sub frame connectors would weld to. Smh

The stock k member isn't as heavy as you may think. You don't have to remove fenders or struts.

Raise vehicle and support on stands.

Remove brake calipers and hang on bungy cords.

Remove outter tie rods from spindles

Remove sway bar end links

Use a jack and support lower control arms

Remove bolts in struts

Slowly lower control arms

Remove springs

Remove control arms and spindles from k member

Install motor support brace.

Remove bolt to steering coupler

Remove PS lines at cooler ( by core support )

Remove power steering pressure line from rack

Remove rack and pinion

Raise motor with support bar

Remove motor mount bolts

Remove o2 sensor/ oil level sensor harness

Remove rear subframe mounting bolts. (4)

Remove bolts going up through the frame below strut towers. ( I remove 1 on each side...then I remove the remaining bolts using a jack to support the opposite side. )

Going back in try to measure diagonally to other points on the car to center the new k member. That can be done with the 4 bolts going through the frame loose.

In your case, you could do the pan easily while the k member is out.

My AJE k member allows the use of stock control arms. Been under different cars for many years...daily driven.
AJE doesn't have the best reputation right now but mine has held up very well.[emoji106]

The only things I would add are

1. disconnect the battery- duh
2. raise the car on jackstands as high as you can to give yourself enough room to manuever the K member out.
3. I would raise the car on all 4 corners- not just in the front so it is level- sounds obviouls but you never know
4. I would scribe marks on the frame where the K member bolts bolt in to as a reference and also drill a small hole for the string of the plumb bob.. IF you go to the MM website they have great instructions, but you basically want to
use two plumbobs, a measuring tape, some masking tape amd a merker. . Hang one plumbob on some string from the front driverside lower control arm bolt so it just touches the floor. Then.mount the other plumbob on the passenger side rear control arm bolt at the body mount again with the plumbob just touching the floor. Don't tighten up the bolts . Mark a spot on concrete where the plumbob rest at. Take a ruler and measure between the two and do the same thing on the opposite side front passenger control arm and rear driverside control arm. Adjust the K member to try and get the measurments exact to close, then, tighten the front driverside kmember bolt first. Then measure both again, then tight front passenber side kmember bolt next. Check measurments again.

Per Jack Hidley-

For the front plumb bobs, remove the FCAs. Run the string through one of the FCA holes in the k-member. The string will tend the find the bottom of the hole, but you may have to jiggle it a bit to get it right at the bottom due to friction.

For the rear plumb bobs, I would drill a 3/8" hole with a uni-bit through the bottom of the torque box just below the front edge of the bolt. Then you can run the string through the hole and around the bolt threads. Just make sure that the hole is large enough that the string doesn't touch it.
 
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