why do people lift at the oil pan?

[T2urtle]

I've never practiced this lifting. Most of the time if i can reach, i'll go at the frame rails before the pinchweld. If i can then i'll get it at the pinchweld or if they have a front end jack point, My g35 has one as well as my 4th gen maxima.

I've came across a LARGE amount of cars with dented oil pans. Which looks like its due to a floorjack. the dent is about the size of most jack saddles.

Why do people do this? is this one those old school ideas. Maybe back then oil pans were a lot stronger then today's standard. I told the owners of what happened and i suggested that nothing horrible will come of this. Not exactly worth replacing because it wasn't leaking.

I also told them to fill it up a little more near the high side if anything.

 

[Bignate603]

I've never seen anyone lift at the oil pan before. Anyone that would do that probably has never actually taken a good look at an oil pan when it was off a car, they aren't that thick.

 

[Blain]

I've never know of a practice of lifting the vehicle via the oil pan, unless the engine was being lifted to replace a motor mount or something like that.
Even then a board or plate should be used between the pan and jack, to distribute the load.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Not a good idea... Only time I've seen it done was while changing a tranny, and it was only to support the engine, not lift the whole car.

 

[Doppel]

I worked on a car once with blown welds at the intake, my guess from a 100 shot of NOS, and it had been lifted by the oil pan.

 

[SithSolo1]

I use the front jack point and the rear jack point on my G35. The rear one is fine but I have to use the widow maker on the side to lift the front enough to get the floor jack to the jack point. Low, long nose ftl. I don't know why anyone with a semblance of intelligence would lift from the oil pan.

 

[Doppel]

I use the front jack point and the rear jack point on my G35. The rear one is fine but I have to use the widow maker on the side to lift the front enough to get the floor jack to the jack point. Low, long nose ftl. I don't know why anyone with a semblance of intelligence would lift from the oil pan.

I had to build shallow ramps out of ply wood to get my cars up enough to use the front jacks, too

 

[exdeath]

Nobody ever lifts a car from the oil pan unless they are a retard, but you can get away with lifting or sitting an engine by the oil pan with a block of wood to spread force out (pressure = force/area) .

Ideally you stay at the edges, seams, or the mounting flange around the block. Keep in mind when you are just needing to position the engine with a jack and block of wood, say for a clutch or motor mount, that most of the weight is still being carried by the mounts and subframe and all you are really doing is pivoting about the weight bearing points. Of course common sense with any jack is pay attention and take it slow and stop if you aren't getting the desired result (eg jack is pumping up but engine isn't moving = going to bend something)

If you really need to hold up the engine, say while removing the entire cross member, you should use a cherry picker or one of those strut tower brace style "engine holders" from above, but a tall non hydraulic jack on the bottom of the crank balancer works in a temporary pinch.

 

[Meghan54]

In my 40+ years screwing around with cars I've yet to ever see anyone attempt to lift a car on the oil pan.

On the other hand, I've seen lots of oil pans dented, most likely from hits such as tall speed bumps combined with crappy shocks. The center of the pan dents while the edges resist the denting due to the side/bottom edge being stronger than the flat bottom of the pan.

 

[thescreensavers]

I always lift my G at the central Jacking points then put jackstands at the pinch welds as it states in the manual. I need to get some wood, the jackstands I have are not deep enough and are killing the little tab of metal but only in the rear for what ever reason.

 

[T2urtle]

I'm just trying to make sense as to why the last 4 out of 10 or so cars I've crawled under to check something out has semi crushed oil pans.

I never did. but the motor mount replacement makes sense.

- tapatalk

 

[Gillbot]

I've never seen it done myself but have also witnessed the evidence thereof.

I worked on a car once with blown welds at the intake, my guess from a 100 shot of NOS, and it had been lifted by the oil pan.

this made me lol, now my wife is looking at me like a weirdo.

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Nobody should ever lift at the oil pan, for any reason.

 

[thomsbrain]

I had a 350Z slip off the jack point onto the pan, bending it. I didn't even attempt to start the car, had it towed to the dealer and pushed onto the lift to have it replaced. Way too risky to drive around with any part of the oil system damaged, IMO. I can't imagine purposely lifting from the pan.

 

[Kelvrick]

Yep, I've lifted engines before with a jack so I could get to the motor mounts. The car was already lifted and on jack stands.

Oh, and I fucking hate replacing motor mounts.

 

[exdeath]

Yep, I've lifted engines before with a jack so I could get to the motor mounts. The car was already lifted and on jack stands.

Oh, and I fucking hate replacing motor mounts.

Bah, did all 4 of mine in the 95 Camry in less than an hour, including the infamous rear mount

 

[Kelvrick]

Bah, did all 4 of mine in the 95 Camry in less than an hour, including the infamous rear mount

Hmm... I used to drive a 93 camry, but didn't have to replace those. By the time I started working on my own cars, I was working on subarus. Those damn flat engines.