Help removing oil pan??
 

I have removed all the oil pan bolts, but I need suggestions on how to actually get the pan off. It is pretty stuck on there. Before I start prying on it, and causing any damage, I thought I would ask for suggestions on how to get it off. Any advice would be helpful. 96 ES 300. Thanks in advance. The fun of fixing oil leaks.. ha ha ha!!

A wide putty knife is a great tool for this. But make sure you actually have all the nuts and bolts removed!

it worked.. Thanks so much.

remember, there are no gaskets for this. they are rtv sealanted on.

Charley

yes.. I got the FIPG or whatever it is for the gasket. Any tips on how to apply it? Or is it as straight forward as it looks?

Pretty much. #1 concern is having the surfaces absolutely clean. Here's a page from th 3VZ-FE manual, the 1MZ is similar you get the idea.

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/2578/3vzpan.png

what kind of solvent would you recommend? I have Goo gone and some goo gone extreme. Goo gone extreme may remove paint however. Thanks again!!!

I use acetone, but it's harsh so be careful. Alcohol is okay but not great, brake cleaner works well, lacquer thinner will also work.

Ok so this is a bump, but my oil pan gasket is leaking. To replace the gasket costs about 340 dollars and was wondering if i could just do this myself. I know there are 10 bolts holding the pan on, but what kind of bolts hold them in, and if anything there going to make the pan hard to remove?

I would recommend just replacing the bolts when you reseal the pan. I paid $20 from the lexus dealer for all 10. I also used "The Right Stuff" Gasket maker from O'Reillys. About $14 a can. The oil pan is stuck on pretty good, but I just used a pry bar, putty knife and razor blade to separate it from the block. I took my time as not to damage the pan. All in all, I spent about $50 with oil, filter, gasketmaker, and new bolts. It was easy. The hardest part was getting the pan off. Also, I would recommend NOT torquing the bolts down with a torque wrench, just tighten them down tight with your ratchet. I broke the heads off a couple bolts torquing them. Had to do the pan twice because of this. Just my experience. It was VERY easy thought. Especially on the ES300!!

So replace the bolts? What kind of bolts were they? And would i be able to just use a ratchet to remove/put back on? Also, is there a gasket, or a silicone, someone told me it was one or another. I guess theres an oil leak coming from my oil pan

Yeah.. Just replace them... Yes, they will just come out with a ratchet and go back in with a ratchet. 10mm I believe. I just asked the Lexus/Toyota dealer to get me all the oil pan bolts for the 1MZ-FE motor in my car. They quoted $2 a piece and I went and got them. It is not a gasket. It is a silicone type gasket.. Look for "The Right Stuff" at your local auto parts store. Works great... And make sure the mating surface of the pan and the block are clean... But the gasket maker you buy will fill in the imperfections. Has worked great for me.

Here's a quick YouTube Video I made when I replaced and resealed my Friend's oil pan on a 1995 ES300. It was pretty easy, and the flat putty knife method would've been better than the screwdriver I used to separate the pan from the block, but the FIPG (Form In Place Gasket) from Toyota worked great with no leaks.