Well the plan seemed solid, the execution was not. I managed to get down to the shop for a late lunch but hadn’t made it through two songs before the warbling menace of a Skype call invaded my happy place.
I had already managed to remove 6 of the oil pan bolts. Before the hour and a quarter interruption. The others came off with the aid of wobbles and extensions. That is all, with the exception of the one being inexplicably blocked by a seemingly unnecessary protrusion on the 90° oil filter adapter. I removed the two long bolts holding the adapter on after strategically placing an oil catch pan under it. With both bolts removed it stayed stubbornly attached. I had to reach around the front differential and pry on the still attached oil filter to break it loose. It fell directly into the well placed pan along. It fell without the normal accompaniment of the splashing of oil from the filter in fact with a conspicuous lack of even a drop of oil. Just another reminder of my stupidity.
But wait don’t think it stops there, my stupidity continues! Even with the two last pan bolts extracted, I knew that the pan wouldn’t be removable due to tight location of the front axle and the the d!ckheadedness of the GM engineers. So I slid out from under the truck, which by the way is not on any type of lift. It is just normally high enough for me to get my slightly less then maximum size gut under. Once I was back in the almost vertical position, or as vertical as one can get with bruised ribs and sore lower lumbar, I pulled in the lift and hooked it back up to the chain.
A few pumps later the front of the engine looked high enough. Now getting under the truck is trickier. I shoulder walk my way under between the legs of the lift in my back. When I’m in place I brace my feet against the base of the lift and reach for the pan. I am well aware of the danger of the lift dropping the engine or the chain snapping. I am careful to keep my hands clear of any amputation risks. As I push the pan backwards to clear the front axle I also tilt it down to clear the oil pump. I have to stretch for the last part and must have pushed just the slightest bit with my feet on the lift. Right after the pan cleared the flex plate, the engine sprang upwards as the torque converter slipped forward an inch from the front pump.
Sore or not, I remove myself from under the truck in record time. Checking from above, I see the flex plate must either be bent or the bolt area still attached to the torque converter is cracked. The bottom is about an inch further away from the engine than the top . I decided to leave everything the way it is before I do something worse.
