oil pan removal with engine installed

[onebadmopar]

hi everyone quick question can the oil pan on a 383 be removed with engine in the car reason for removing it is to check bearings seems rocker arms are extremely worn and mechanic suggested pan be dropped to check bearings like he said the metal had to go somewhere also does anyone know where replacement rocker arms can be had their non adjustable rockers

[471_Magnum]

can the oil pan on a 383 be removed with engine in the car

Yes. The center link must be dropped down a the pitman and idler arms.

does anyone know where replacement rocker arms can be had their non adjustable rockers

Any Mopar Performance dealer. HD stamped rockers run about $90 for a set of 16.

[onebadmopar]

thanks thats a partial relief they told me to drop the main cap that gets oil first they wernt sure if was the front or the rear im looking that up as we speak also how do i tell if its worn or not i mean if their scored then obviosly  their junk but can they look smooth yet still be worn beyond reason ? and if their  ok and just the rockers are worn what do you guys suggest replacing ? just the rockers or both rockers and pushrods ..wich in turn i suppose lifters would need replacing wich in turn means cam should bechanged also? .. all this because a helicoil fell out of the head into the cylinder i tell ya  i have rotten luck oh 1 more question this is a 67 motor so it has those old style pushrods can  i up grade to the newer style with anyproblems? i figue i,ll change rockers and pushrods at least and more if budget allows .. im ready to just toss the whole thing and save for a crate motor lol .......

[aifilaw]

Simply pull off one side of the center link and rotate it off out of the way, that's all I had to do.
The rear main can be replaced once the pan is dropped.
To save yourself a LOT of headaches I recommend you accord by the following procedure exactly unless you want to repeat the entire process.

wipe down oil pan and block skirt where it mates to clean oil away and other effects.
put a thin bead of silicone all the way around on the skirt, place the new gasket in place and hold there by very loosely putting in the oil pan bolts.
wait 15 minutes
put a thin bead around the top of the oil pan
wait 15 minutes
pull the bolts out and put the oil pan in place, tighten down oil pan bolts no more than finger tight (don't use thumb as an example)
wait 15 minutes
tighten bolts down to half their ending torque requirement
go drink a beer, forget you own a car and stifle your urge to start it up
wait 24 hours
tighten bolts down to their full torque requirement
drive for 100 miles
ensure bolts are all at their full torque requirement
done

this will ensure that you will never have any leaks from the oil pan, failure to adhere to this had me chasing down oil leaks for a week and changed it out a total of 3 times, once because I used the silicone, slapped it in, torqued it down all the way, and drove... developed a leak instantly. the second time because I let it sit for 2 hours, and then drove, it developed a leak that I didn't notice for a few days. third time I did it right and its been leak-free ever since. This problem was much greater on my car due to the closeness of the header pipes... but it is no less prevalent in most people's cars... silicone takes 24 hours to truly set, don't even start the car until 12 hours have passed, or you will make a headache for yourself.

[onebadmopar]

thanks for that info .. and that wont be a problem the car is still a ways from being road worthy

[onebadmopar]

will the motor need to be lifted at all ?

[aifilaw]

no, but tha tmeans you will probably have to get to the front 4 bolts from the front of the engine compartment/K-member with a wrench instead of a socket.

[Steve P.]

I would also suggest replacing the rocker shafts. At least check them close before ordering your rockers so you don't waste your delivery fee..