Good Day:

I have done a search for ‘oil pan’ in all forums, but still have a few questions.

I am considering replacing my oil pan. I am an ambitious, but not yet well-seasoned DIYer. I find fluid and filter changes to be fun and easy, but I don’t know if the oil pan replacement has any caveats.

Here is my step-by-step plan:

1. Bring engine to operating temp.
2. Raise front of vehicle
3. Loosen oil pan drain plug
4. Loosen oil filer housing lid
5. Remove oil pan drain plug, and drain oil.
6. Loosen and remove the bolts holding the oil pan. (I want to draw a stencil of the holes to hold the removed bolts so I replace the same bolts into the same holes from which they were removed.)
7. Remove old oil pan
8. Remove Gasket.
9. Place new Pan Gasket on new pan
10. Put new oil pan in place and secure
11. Tighten new oil pan drain plug
12. Close oil filter housing lid.
13. Replace Oil
14. Say a prayer and Monitor for leaks

A few questions:
Is this a difficult task? Is it more complicated than it appears?

Does the gasket ‘stick’ to the engine? If so, how can I remove the gasket ‘bits’ from the engine? I am not worried about the old oil pan because I am replacing it. I don’t want to damage the engine by scraping or doing something foolish I should not, in an effort to remove the old gasket. Any secret to removing the old gasket?

Should I lube the new gasket with some oil or something else (sealant)? Please recommend.

Do I need any special tools other than wrenches and such? Do the bolts that secure the pan need to be tightened to a specific torque or in a specific order? If so, please recommend the type of torque wrenches I should acquire. What is the lbs of torque to which the bolts should be tightened?

Please share your collective experiences with me. I want to become a seasoned DIYer. Should I wait until I have more experience before I take on this job? The pan is dented but does not restrict oil flow, so it is not a red-hot issue. Is this is a good skill building task that is not too complicated, or that presents a lot of risk?

Most importantly – am I missing any crucial steps? Should I allow my mechanic replace the $25.00 part for $450.00? That is precisely why I think I am missing something important. If it is really strait-forward, why does it cost so much in labor. Is it just time consuming?

If I can do this, I want to do the transmission pan next.

Thanks for your help.
JPL
79 300CD (233,000 3rd owner) – My First Benz !
Engine 617.912
Chassis 123.250

Donkey,

Yep, you guessed it. The outer (sub) pan is dented and beginning to rust. According to the mechanic that gave me the (outlandish) estimate, "the dent does not restrict oil flow, but is something you should consider replacing..."

So, as I was under the car last week, opening the oil drain plug, I inspected the pan and surrounding parts and saw that there were no parts that would restrict easy access to the pan. (I read in Chilton's that on some models you have to lift the engine a bit to get enough clearance to work with the pan. I was hoping this was not the case with my 300 cd.)

So thanks for the info. I think I am going to work on the Trans filter first though. Your suggestion was exactly what I was planning with the trans. I don't need a new pan, but when I got the car inspected just after purchase, that same mechanic said that the trans gasket has a very slight leak and should be changed (for $125). So I thought I could get a Trans Filter Kit from this site, and change out the filter myself (for $15 including fluid !). Although, I wonder why a Tran pan part is $98.00 and an oil pan is only $22?

So it is not only curiosity and pride of ownership that makes me want to be a DIYer but economics too!

Now I need to look for appropriate torque wrenches to do the job without mucking it up or over-tightening. Any recommendations?

Any additional insight you can provide would be welcome.

Thanks,
James

79 300CD 233,000mi (3rd owner) My First Benz 05/01!