Shop Labor Time For Oil Pain Gasket

6 to 8 hours book time is about right
they need to drop the exhaust, trans, clutch, bellhousing or flexplate
undo the motor mounts, remove the starter jack up and support the the engine possibly remove trans lines, cables, possibly sway bar, steering rack. headers
$20 in parts but very labor intensive.It's almost easier to yank the entier motor out and do it with the engine removed.
make sure they get the proper pan one piece gasket and put RTV in the corners, and use the FelPro Rear main seal with the SS bushing sleeve

mikestang63 said:

6 to 8 hours book time is about right
they need to drop the exhaust, trans, clutch, bellhousing or flexplate
undo the motor mounts, remove the starter jack up and support the the engine possibly remove trans lines, cables, possibly sway bar, steering rack. headers
$20 in parts but very labor intensive.It's almost easier to yank the entier motor out and do it with the engine removed.
make sure they get the proper pan one piece gasket and put RTV in the corners, and use the FelPro Rear main seal with the SS bushing sleeve

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That's the most realistic answer you have gotten so far; 6-8 hours labor at $80 = $480-$640.

Why?

Here's why....

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. 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.

Fill with oil, replace the filter. Reconnect the battery, switch the ignition on to enable the gages, but DON'T crank the car. Remove the distributor and use a 1/4" hex socket to turn the pump counter clock wise (same direction as distributor rotation) until you see oil pressure (an external gage is a great help long about now). And keep turning for about 30 sec after you see the pressure come up. A reversible drill is the best tool to use to turn the 1/4" socket. The pressure should come up to about 50-80psi with cold oil. Once you see good pressure, check for obvious leaks, and then and only then, lower everything back into place and bolt down the mounts and anything else you had to take loose.

Re-install the distributor and set the timing with the engine running using timing light (don't forget to disconnect the SPOUT plug and reconnect it when finished) 12-14 degrees BDC is good. Start up and check for leaks, let it warm up and look again for leaks. It took me 2 days plus, but I am old and slow, maybe your granny is faster.

Its not that hard with an engine support bar from Harbor Freight.

Support the engine with the support, disconnect the steering shaft, the pressure line at the PS pump, the return line at the rack, the 2 sway bar end links, the 2 motor mount nuts, unplug the o2 sensor harness ( passenger side frame rail ), put a jack under the kmember, remove the 8 bolts for the k member, ....drop the k member. Now, there's nothing under the pan....easy peasy.

If doing the rear main seal its better to pull the engine to service the gasket and the seal if it's automatic. If its a 5 speed I'd do it the way mentioned above only with pulling driveshaft, exhaust h pipe, starter, fan, fan shroud, place plywood infront of radiator, shifter handle ( just the handle), clutch cable, speedo cable, place jack under trans, trans mount, cross member, bell housing bolts, remove trans, clutch pressure plate, flywheel bolts, and rear seal.

An AOD trans is a heavy mofo...but not the little t5.

See how that rear main seal complicates things. Smh

You gotta think like a flat rate mechanic.

Its common for these engines to leak at the back of the pan. Because of the added severity of the seal repair I'd replace the oil pan gasket first. Also, check the rear of the lower intake where it meets the block....if it leaks back there it'll find its way down to that same area. That area back there is really hard to see...may need a mirror and a flashlight. A scope would be even better but expensive.