[Mucdab99]

Hey all, wanted to share some details on an easier option for removing and replacing the oil pan on the 4.7. Didn't see a comprehensive write-up so though I'd add one.

The service manual calls for lifting the engine to get clearance to remove the pan. I just completed this job without lifting the engine. Rough steps were as follows:

-Remove the bolts holding the structural dust cover where the engine/transmission meet (8 bolts). I could not get the dust cover to remove at this point...not enough clearance between the oil pan and frame cross-member. I just left it "dropped down" as far as it would go to allow access to the rear oil pan bolts.
-Drop the front differential down: Remove the 2 bolts holding the differential mounting bracket to the front frame cross member. Remove the bolt holding the passenger side axle tube bushing. This will allow the diff to "sag" enough to provide clearance for the pan.
-Remove the three bolts holding connecting the passenger side axle tube to the diff. This allows you to "twist" the axle tube enough to provide additional clearance needed when removing/installing the new oil pan.
-Remove all oil pan bolts (18 total)
-Break seal between oil pan and the windage tray that has an integrated gasket. Do not pry between the engine block and the tray...you have to pry between the bottom edge of the windage tray/gasket and the oil pan since the tray is bolted to the underside of the engine....it will NOT come out until you unbolt the windage tray and oil pump pickup tube. I had to use a combination of pry bars/hammer and I ended up using a long (20-22") piece of thin scrap stainless to wedge between the windage tray gasket and oil pan edge on both sides of the pan from front to back and tapped the scrap metal all the way through the seal. It will be fused together from years of being smooshed together.
-Once seal is broken, the oil pan will drop out with some movement of the diff/axle tube, a little patience, and some cursing.
-Clean mating surface on engine block with brake cleaner and a rag. Use a plastic putty knife/scraper as needed to remove any thicker residue.
-Next, remove the 3 bolts/nuts holding the oil pump pickup tube/windage tray and the 1 bolt holding the top of the oil pump pickup tube. The tray and pickup tube will drop out. Replace the o-ring on the oil pump pickup tube (my new windage tray came with a new o-ring). Rebolt oil pump pickup tube and new windage tray in (28 ft lbs on oil pump pickup tube bolt at the top where the o-ring is, 20 ft lbs for the other three bolts/nuts. Make sure the oil pan bolt holes and new windage tray holes line up all the way around when torquing the windage tray bolts.
-Install new oil pan by reversing the process...manipulate diff/axle tube up/down/forward to get new pan up. Position and hand-tighten all 18 bolts (one is a studded bolt that goes in a specific spot). Torque to 11 ft lbs in the sequence stated in the service manual.
-Reposition structural dust cover and install 8 bolts. *Note: there is no way the dust cover would slide back up with the pan installed - not enough clearance between the oil pan and frame cross member. If you slide the dust cover up BEFORE raising the new pan, there is not room to get a torque wrench in for proper tightening. I ended up cutting the dust cover in half with a cutoff wheel and bolting back in in 2 pieces. Yeah, not ideal, but it works.

Notes:
-I'm an intermediate DIYer and found this to be tedious but totally doable.
-You may lose a few ounces of diff oil...can be topped off using the fill plug (14mm hex) on the front of the diff.
-Parts (oil pan/windage tray) were $119 at rockauto, shop quote was $800-900.
-Job took about 6-7 hours total.
-Pics from FSM of structural dust cover, oil pan bolt sequence, axle tube bolts (3 total), and diff bushings/mounts:

 

[Big Blue]

This is a very nice write up @Mucdab99 and welcome to the forum.

Thanks for taking the time to share the information. I'm sure other members will find this useful down the road.

 

[jeep5253]

Thanks for the great "How to", @Mucdab99!

.

 

[Aerogt01]

Thank you very much. I will have to do this soon and was afraid it would involve pulling the engine.

 

[Mucdab99]

Glad it helps! Honestly the only reason I can see to raise the engine is to get that dust cover back on in one piece. As another thread noted, even lifting the engine still requires play on the diff to get the pan out.

 

[Bobp]

Seriously.....you "cut the structural dust cover in half"?

I am in shock. Brilliant!

Failed first try at lifting engine. (2005 Jeep WK 4.7)
This is under serious consideration!

 

[Mucdab99]

Seriously.....you "cut the structural dust cover in half"?

I am in shock. Brilliant!

Failed first try at lifting engine. (2005 Jeep WK 4.7)
This is under serious consideration!

I can confirm after 8 months that the tranny has not fallen out after cutting the “structural” dust cover in half!

 

[baron1701]

I am in the process of replacing the engine in my 2006 Jeep Comander Ltd w/ 4.7. I put the engine in and totally forgot about that cover. I tried raising it but cant get the cover in. I Am not pulling this bad boy out again. I intend to cut the cover in half as well. I cant see it doing any damage. I will RTV the space between the cover where i will cut it. I dont like the design for the cover - should have been two pieces that bolt together.

 

[Violetnbrad]

Have an 06 4.7 laredo and i can’t get enough clearance to get pan out no matter what I do. I’m about an inch and a half out to getting pan out. Any help would be great. Already have all parts in step by step loosened and moved

 

[Big Blue]

Have an 06 4.7 laredo and i can’t get enough clearance to get pan out no matter what I do. I’m about an inch and a half out to getting pan out. Any help would be great. Already have all parts in step by step loosened and moved

@Violetnbrad ;

Welcome to the forum; I would look at the OP's original post as a potential solution;

That being said, please read the New Member Required Reading below & complete your user profile signature as directed; There is also loads of great information & resources in the link below;

NEW MEMBER REQUIRED READING!!! Important New Member information, Forum requirements & Forum rules. | Jeep Commander Forum

That being said, here are some links if you need to order any parts for repairs or upgrades to your XK;

Chrysler/Jeep Factory Parts: https://www.factorychryslerparts.com/

North American Parts: https://northamericanparts.rpmware.c...unt/login.aspx

JeepinByAl: JBAoffroad.com

JustforJeeps.com - https://www.justforjeeps.com/

Rough County lift kits - Suspension Lift Kits, Body Lifts, Leveling Kit, 4x4, Jeep, Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Off-road Truck | Rough Country Suspension Systems®

4 inch XK Superlift;

Superlift Suspension Lift Kit

4'' Lift Kit - 05-07 Grand Cherokee/Commander 4WD - w/ SL Rear Shocks

superlift.com

AFE: Advanced FLOW Engineering | Engineered Adrenaline

CARiD.com - https://www.carid.com/?gclid=CjwKEAj...NrrxoCEBbw_wcB

Bilstein shocks & struts - Home

WAM Custom Bumpers - https://wambumpers.com/

Jeep Steel Bumpers

Home

jeepsteel.com

4WheelParts.com - Truck Parts & Jeep Parts - Lift Kits, Winches, Tonneau Covers, Tires, Wheels, Bumpers, Performance ? 4 Wheel Parts

RockAuto - https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...catalog%2Fjeep

I hope you find this information useful & again, welcome aboard.

 

[Budddwyer87]

So hi there anyone prudish owner of a 07 jeep commander 4.7 v8 I'm completely new to this forum stuff so please give me some lead wa but I've currently been 2 weeks into changing my head gaskets wich turned into one thing after another I found I couldn't drop the front differential enough to get that darn dust cover off almost debated on a zaw zaw but I ended up just lifting the engine about 4 inches like the service manual calls for and finally after three days trying to get it off I did but of course my oil pan still won't budge not exactly asking for help if anyone happens to get back in time to offer advice on getting the oil pan off and yeas I have all the bolts off

 

[Big Blue]

So hi there anyone prudish owner of a 07 jeep commander 4.7 v8 I'm completely new to this forum stuff so please give me some lead way but I've currently been 2 weeks into changing my head gaskets wich turned into one thing after another I found I couldn't drop the front differential enough to get that darn dust cover off almost debated on a zaw zaw but I ended up just lifting the engine about 4 inches like the service manual calls for and finally after three days trying to get it off I did but of course my oil pan still won't budge not exactly asking for help if anyone happens to get back in time to offer advice on getting the oil pan off and yeas I have all the bolts off

@Budddwyer87 ;

Welcome to the forum;

Please read the 1st post of the New Member Required Reading thread below & complete your user profile signature as directed before you start posting any questions about problems you're currently having;

Important New Member information, Forum requirements & Forum rules. | Jeep Commander Forum

This will help us, help you.

These rules are in place for a reason, please abide by them.

If you can't figure out how to do it - ASK for help.

Now, all that being said, all the information you need to complete this job, is in a very nice write up, in the very first post of this thread - Did you read it??

I'll throw you a bone - here you go;

-Break seal between oil pan and the windage tray that has an integrated gasket. Do not pry between the engine block and the tray...you have to pry between the bottom edge of the windage tray/gasket and the oil pan since the tray is bolted to the underside of the engine....it will NOT come out until you unbolt the windage tray and oil pump pickup tube. I had to use a combination of pry bars/hammer and I ended up using a long (20-22") piece of thin scrap stainless to wedge between the windage tray gasket and oil pan edge on both sides of the pan from front to back and tapped the scrap metal all the way through the seal. It will be fused together from years of being smooshed together.

-Once seal is broken, the oil pan will drop out with some movement of the diff/axle tube, a little patience, and some cursing.

-Clean mating surface on engine block with brake cleaner and a rag. Use a plastic putty knife/scraper as needed to remove any thicker residue.

 

[grizz13]

Hi there, new to the forum.
I am working on a friends 2006 Jeep Commander 4.7L, I read this thread and found it was very helpful since it had a oil pan leak and I was replacing the oil pump with the timing job I was doing anyways. So what happened is the T-valve at the heater core blew out. The typical blown head gasket and such. Valve seats blown out, hole in a piston... I found the timing chain slides were melted and having to do that job as I already diagnosed timing was off. When I was working on taking the oil pan out, I changed my direction a bit and evaluated for about 30 minutes after I got the pan loose (wow that pan drop is no joke!!!) I have the fan off, timing cover off, the engine is lifted 4 inches... No room to wiggle the pan down and out, due to that cross member... So what I did was took the steering rack bolts out, dropped the rack down, still connected to the steering knuckle, it dropped about 2-3 inches. The I took the 1 bolt from the passenger side of where the differential mounts, then the two smaller bolts where the diff bolts on to the cross member, it drops about 2-3 inches. I removed the 3 nuts and 1 bolt for the oil pick-up tube and gasket as I had plenty of room when shifting the pan to passenger and driver's side, pulled that out easily enough. Now that the pick-up tube and the gasket is out of the way, another 2 inches of clearance. I then took the pan, and work it forward to almost hitting the radiator (had to pull down on the front diff maybe 1/2 inch), then went on top of the engine bay, slightly pulled up on the pan, and lifted titled the pan right out!!! This way I did not have to disconnect the 3 diff bolts and have the diff oil come out and create another mess!

NOTE: This will only work if the front of the engine is apart i.e. the fan, water pump, timing cover.

 

[patf111]

@grizz13 Could you remove the oil pickup tube from the oil pump without removing the timing cover? Facing this issue now and wondering if i need to pull the pan and cover to remove/replace pickup tube or can it all be done from the oil pan

 

[grizz13]

Yes you can remove the pick up tube, but you need to lift the engine and at a minimum drop the diff and the steering rack the couple of inches like in my description to give you plenty of room to move the pan left and right to give enough space so you can get your hands and ratchet in there. I am thinking of making a quick video on you tube how I did this when I am reinstalling the pan.

 

[patf111]

TY.. been looking at this one.