Ok, So I have read a large amount of threads and posts concerning the removal of the oil pan.

I have to do this job soon, so
1) is my oil pan a strutural member of the engine/transmission which would force me to pull the engine.
2) Or am i going to be lucky enough to drop the front diff/axle and go about it the easy way.

1997 blazer, 4x4, 4.3w

 

just replaced one on my 1995 by droping the front dif i think the strutural member you are talking about is on 99 or later modles with the cast aluminum oil pan if your oil pan is steel you wont have any problems with the easy route by the way getting the front dif out is not that easy

 

rusty91, thanks for the info. Crawled under the blazer and it seems somewhat straight forward, 2axles 4bolts 1driveshaft and a few sensors, though I have been wrong before. I'll be doing this next week, then ball joints on a 02 trailblazer. It's weeks like these that make me glad I didn't become a mechanic like I had considered.

 

I just ordered the parts to do the same on my '99. I'll be tackling the oil cooler adapter leak at the same time.

If you launch into it before I do, can you take lots of pictures? I'll do the same if I start first.

 

I got an email from a mechanic buddy of mine. I haven't looked into whether it will work but he thought he might have a time-saving idea:

"If it's setup like I think it is, when you replace the oil cooler lines (they all leak), make sure to remove the oil filter housing and install new gaskets. There's a kit available at your friendly GM dealer.

For the oil pan, you might be able to remove the bolst [sic] for the engine mounts and jack the powertrain up by the transmission to gain enough room to drop the pan."

 

I just did all the gaskets, motor mounts, etc. and no matter how high you jack the powertrain there is no where near enough room. Why because there is a baffle in the pan and to get the pan off it has to drop straight down and even then its still tight. Thats why pulling the motor or droping the axle is the only way. In my case I was rebuilding the entire front end and i only had to muscle the axle and diff but even then the cast iron alone seemed to weigh a ton when your laying under it. So weather you got a cast or aluminum and your attempting to droping the front axle fully dressed have some help cause she's a wee bit heavy.

 

I figured that might be the case.

 

I've been taking a leisurely pace on this so I'm just getting to the point of dropping the dif. I'm leaving it fully dressed. Pictures to come.

 

one other thing to drop the dif you have to take the left or drivers side upper control arm off to get at the bolt that holds it in make sure you mark the postion of the cam bolts on the control arm or you will have to get the truck an wheel alingment

 

According to the Haynes manual, that nut can be accessed with an 18mm box-end wrench from a slot in the bottom of the frame. I just picked up an extra long combination wrench to give that a shot first.

If I do end up having to remove the upper control arm I will make sure to mark it. Thanks for the tip.