Hi everyone,
Before I begin, I would like to address that I am not a mechanic. I enjoy working on my car and fixing things. Please keep that in mind while reading, since a mechanic may have done things differently.
If you are reading this, you probably already know that the infamous dented oil pan on our cars restricts oil flow and leads to oil starvation, usually causing our cars to spin a bearing. The purpose of this thread is to help others see the steps and implications that need to be taken to remove the oil pan, repair the oil pan, and reinstall the oil pan (and some other things along the way).
Jeff Lucius has a great thread on Stealth 316, and I highly recommend giving it a read too. The only issue is that the photos no longer work, and it is dated all the way back to 2005.
Before you begin, make sure you are equipped with the proper hand tools and equipment to safely lift the car off the ground. I will discuss the tools needed in each step of the process. No specialty tools are required for this job, apart from a torque wrench. Some bolts may require the use of an impact wrench, such as the downpipe bolts.
![Image]()
Step 1: Disconnect the battery & Raise the car off the ground
I don’t think photos were necessary for this part. I disconnected both battery terminals and used Quick Jacks to lift the car on a level surface. Please use caution no matter which way you decide to lift the vehicle, it just needs to be level.
If you are unsure how to lift the vehicle, I would suggest reading the following thread by Jeff: Stealth 316 - Raising and Supporting the Car
Step 2: Drain the oil
Once the car is lifted securely and on level ground. Use a 14mm socket to drain the oil.
![Image]()
You can see just how bad my dent was from this picture.
Step 3: Front plastic covers
Remove a series of 10mm bolts to remove all 3 front splash shields from under the car. Once completed. It should look something like this:
![Image]()
Step 4: Front crossmembers
Now that the plastic is out of the way, you have some space to work with.
Remove the 14 (8 passenger side & 6 drivers’ side) 14mm bolts which attach both crossmembers. Four of these bolts are longer so remember where these go!
![Image]()
Step 5: Downpipe removal (power/air tools may be required)
Please note that some of our cars have four O2 sensors. My 1995 Canada Spec Stealth only has two so I could just go ahead and remove the downpipe. If your car has four O2 sensors, make sure to disconnect both which attach to the downpipe.
To lower the downpipe to the ground, there is four 19mm nuts which need to be removed. I pre-soaked mine in some WD-40 and I recommend you do the same.
2x nuts attach the front pre-cat to the front exhaust.
2x nuts attach the downpipe to the rear exhaust.
I used my Milwaukee 3/8 impact wrench with an extension to break these loose. The front right bolt gave me a little bit of trouble, but I got it out in 10-15 mins with enough WD-40 and force.
Once the downpipe is loose, lay it on the floor (or in my case, a bucket).
![Image]()
Step 6: Remove Starter
Your starter probably has a cover plate... mine did not. Just take it off if it does.
Now you must remove the two 12mm nuts that hold the positive and negative terminals to the magnetic switch and the smaller wire which has a connector end.
Once these are disconnected, you can remove the two 14mm bolts which hold the starter in place. I tried showing their location as best as I could once the starter was removed. You can also see that the engine ground wire uses the bottom bolt as a point of contact.
![Image]()
![Image]()
Step 7: Starter Stay
Removing the stay is very simple.
2x 14mm bolts at the top
2x 17mm bolts at the bottom
![Image]()
Step 8: Transfer Case
The transfer case is attached by five 17mm bolts.
3x long bolts (facing the front of the car)
2x short bolts (closer to the rear)
Carefully use a prybar or a flathead screwdriver to get the transfer case off of the transaxle.
BE CAREFUL. Do no not drop transfer case or driveshaft. The transfer case is a lot heavier than one would think. Use a jack to lower it if you are uncertain you can lift it.
I initially wanted to keep the driveshaft and transfer case attached as you can get away without needing to drain and add new fluid if you keep it upright. But this didn’t work for me, so I slid off the transfer case and laid the driveshaft on a crate (not wanting to put too much stress on the joints). I then put the transfer case aside on the floor.
![Image]()
![Image]()
You can see from the picture above; my output shaft was corroded and so was the connection point in the transfer case. This will need to be addressed later. Make sure your splines are still in good shape, luckily mine were still very good.
Before I begin, I would like to address that I am not a mechanic. I enjoy working on my car and fixing things. Please keep that in mind while reading, since a mechanic may have done things differently.
If you are reading this, you probably already know that the infamous dented oil pan on our cars restricts oil flow and leads to oil starvation, usually causing our cars to spin a bearing. The purpose of this thread is to help others see the steps and implications that need to be taken to remove the oil pan, repair the oil pan, and reinstall the oil pan (and some other things along the way).
Jeff Lucius has a great thread on Stealth 316, and I highly recommend giving it a read too. The only issue is that the photos no longer work, and it is dated all the way back to 2005.
Before you begin, make sure you are equipped with the proper hand tools and equipment to safely lift the car off the ground. I will discuss the tools needed in each step of the process. No specialty tools are required for this job, apart from a torque wrench. Some bolts may require the use of an impact wrench, such as the downpipe bolts.
Step 1: Disconnect the battery & Raise the car off the ground
I don’t think photos were necessary for this part. I disconnected both battery terminals and used Quick Jacks to lift the car on a level surface. Please use caution no matter which way you decide to lift the vehicle, it just needs to be level.
If you are unsure how to lift the vehicle, I would suggest reading the following thread by Jeff: Stealth 316 - Raising and Supporting the Car
Step 2: Drain the oil
Once the car is lifted securely and on level ground. Use a 14mm socket to drain the oil.
You can see just how bad my dent was from this picture.
Step 3: Front plastic covers
Remove a series of 10mm bolts to remove all 3 front splash shields from under the car. Once completed. It should look something like this:
Step 4: Front crossmembers
Now that the plastic is out of the way, you have some space to work with.
Remove the 14 (8 passenger side & 6 drivers’ side) 14mm bolts which attach both crossmembers. Four of these bolts are longer so remember where these go!
Step 5: Downpipe removal (power/air tools may be required)
Please note that some of our cars have four O2 sensors. My 1995 Canada Spec Stealth only has two so I could just go ahead and remove the downpipe. If your car has four O2 sensors, make sure to disconnect both which attach to the downpipe.
To lower the downpipe to the ground, there is four 19mm nuts which need to be removed. I pre-soaked mine in some WD-40 and I recommend you do the same.
2x nuts attach the front pre-cat to the front exhaust.
2x nuts attach the downpipe to the rear exhaust.
I used my Milwaukee 3/8 impact wrench with an extension to break these loose. The front right bolt gave me a little bit of trouble, but I got it out in 10-15 mins with enough WD-40 and force.
Once the downpipe is loose, lay it on the floor (or in my case, a bucket).
Step 6: Remove Starter
Your starter probably has a cover plate... mine did not. Just take it off if it does.
Now you must remove the two 12mm nuts that hold the positive and negative terminals to the magnetic switch and the smaller wire which has a connector end.
Once these are disconnected, you can remove the two 14mm bolts which hold the starter in place. I tried showing their location as best as I could once the starter was removed. You can also see that the engine ground wire uses the bottom bolt as a point of contact.
Step 7: Starter Stay
Removing the stay is very simple.
2x 14mm bolts at the top
2x 17mm bolts at the bottom
Step 8: Transfer Case
The transfer case is attached by five 17mm bolts.
3x long bolts (facing the front of the car)
2x short bolts (closer to the rear)
Carefully use a prybar or a flathead screwdriver to get the transfer case off of the transaxle.
BE CAREFUL. Do no not drop transfer case or driveshaft. The transfer case is a lot heavier than one would think. Use a jack to lower it if you are uncertain you can lift it.
I initially wanted to keep the driveshaft and transfer case attached as you can get away without needing to drain and add new fluid if you keep it upright. But this didn’t work for me, so I slid off the transfer case and laid the driveshaft on a crate (not wanting to put too much stress on the joints). I then put the transfer case aside on the floor.
You can see from the picture above; my output shaft was corroded and so was the connection point in the transfer case. This will need to be addressed later. Make sure your splines are still in good shape, luckily mine were still very good.
