I’m getting ready to drop the pan on my 1964 3.8L OTS. I have front wheels on ramps, and am ready to tilt up the bonnet for better access.
There are many bits & pieces on past posts regarding oil pan and front-cover removal, but nothing comprehensive. If there’s a good framework, could someone point me in that direction? Thanks.
Dave
The most important part is, you need to disconnect the stabilizer on the back of the bell, lift the engine up, and put the engine in the position where Nu.1/6 are a bit down in the bore.
Done right, it’ll fall right off.
Wig, is this the one at the engine/transmission junction (right in front of cowl)?
Bob t
Yes, indeed it is. You can take off the nylok nut, remove the rod from the transmission, or remove the two-eared mount from its bracket.
On my 64 I can drop the sump with out loosening the stabilizer and motor mounts and jacking the engine up a little with the crank throw slightly either side of BDC on the back cylinder. At the crank setting the sump will just clear the reaction plate on my car. Don’t forget to remove the vertical studs in the front of the head. What are you doing, replacing the front seal, if so depending on your front cover you might not have to remove it.
Bob
889076
Plymouth, Mi.
Good advice: it sometimes works, but, if after that, I have had to lift up the back of the engine.
Certainly worth a shot!
I can’t recall who posted this originally, but I picked it up and ran with it. Measure off 4 9/16 (not 8 11/16 as I originally thought) on a long thin tool like a 1/4 socket extension, and wrap some tape there. Remove the rear plug and rotate the crank until you can poke that thing in and the tape mark is exactly at the top of the threads. In this position the rear crank lobe will be pointed out straight to the side. When I’ve done it it’s been on the down stroke but I don’t know that it matters. (This presumes you have original pistons. No idea how replacements could change it)
I would definitely slacken the stabilizer. It doesn’t have to come off but if you loosen it you can jack up the trans as much as the trans mount will let you and it buys you an extra inch or so. If you try to jack it without loosening the stabilizer you’ll bend it! Just loosen the nut, remove the top washer, stick a screwdriver into the slot in the lower washer and spin it down as far as it will go. It only takes a couple minutes.
Oh and front engine damper off. Never tried it with the damper on.
Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge. I’ll reply back after the pan is dropped.
It will come off with dampener in place.
It probably would yeah. The two times I’ve done it, it was to replace failed front seals so there was no point to trying it. I’m not sure what another common reason for sump dropping would be [insert bad joke about polishing crank] 
Sniggle…
You funny lady!
Timing chain replacement is one.
Certainly, But for all the hassle of dropping the sump, scrapping the gasket, cleaning it all, and replacing a worn chain (assuming you were lucky enough to accomplish it without the tensioner coming apart), I’d think it would still make sense to pull off the damper and swap the seal. That’s a really fast job. With my damper removal tool, I can have if off in about five minutes.
No doubt: given that the job is usually one of those “while we’re in here” jobs, you are correct.
Shame that Jaguar didnt figure out how to seal pan rails without a gasket.
Like my lowly Rover…
That’s why I’m a big Cometic champeen. My sump’s been off and on 3x with same gasket, still no dribbles 
I think Im glad yer bottom end doesnt dribble.
I think…
In my earlier thread, we reached consensus my lower chain tensioner “shoe” had worn or broken. The tensioner spring was lodged up by the upper chain tensioner eccentric. Assume all or part of the “shoe” is in the oil pan. I should have led with this bit of information.
Now I have confidence I can drop the oil pan in-situ. That lets me remove the front cover, then I can inspect & determine what to replace, minimally the tensioner shoe, but probably all chain guides, too.
I agree about pulling the damper and renewing the oil seal.
“While I’m in there” -
I will pull the head to fit a thicker Cometic head gasket. Fingers crossed that after 30 years of ownership, I’ll finally be able to “give it the beans” without pinging.
Thanks everyone.
Dave
An EDIS goes a loooong way towards that happening!
Dave,
If that’s your plan (and I think it’s a good one) I’d pull the head before trying to pull the front cover. It’s just easier to finagle off when the head isn’t pressing on it and you can get your fingers behind it. I have a medium thickness Cometic on mine and yes it did help.
FYI, Do seal up the exposed holes at the tops of the downstuds in the front of the head. You’ll see them when you pull off the cam covers. It’s a major culprit for slow dribbly oil leaks and for some reason it gets worse with the stacked up tin sheets of a cometic head gasket than it is with a single layer gasket.
Erica, great idea. I’ll start with the head. Also, good tip on the exposed holes.