well here's the bad news...
I got my car with a crunched y-pipe, so I didn't want to damage the engine with soo much back pressure, so i cut the crunched spot off and replaced it with some cheap pep boys flex pipe and I said i was gonna fix it the right way and get a custom made 3" y pipe. How it is now the y pipe goes under the oil pan instead of around.
sooo...I just picked up a set of four centerline rims with tires for my Iroc.
Put them on , rims look great. Go down the street and it chirped 2nd gear which it never did before. i think because they are 15's instead of 16's. So here I am all happy with my new rims. I drove for about 1 min on the new rims, and when I went to go to the gas station, I bottomed out somewhere and the exhaust clamp hit the ground, spun around and the stud went throught the oil pan. I looked under the car and it was gushing, and all I could do was watch my poor car bleed to death. The exhaust scrapped a couple times before, but i think the new rims lowered the car about an inch which made it too low for the rigged Y pipe.
Thank god it happened at the gas station that i work at because they helped me clean it up, I am storing there for now, and they are going to tow it to my house.
Now I have a few options.
weld the oil pan back shut.
lift the motor a foot and change the pan.
take the motor out for the winter and do some work to it
and i have to get a new 3" y pipe made.
So I am kind of in a jam and I'm not sure what to do right now.
Any advise would be great and thanks for reading!

Winter is upon you, pull the thing and let the fun begin

First of all Milodon, and Moroso both make nice aftermarket pans, with doors for better oil supply under high g forces, for economic prices.

Let me know what direction you wanna go, and I'll give you my take on what I would do if the motor were out for the winter and i had it

You would have to lift the motor out and change the rear main seal and the timing cover gasket at the same time.

If its just a pin hole, which is what I will find out today, I am gonna weld it. If not then the motor is coming out. I like moroso and would probably get one of their oil pans. I have the 69-80 350 block and I am not sure which pan to get. I would like to get an oil pan that won't rust, but for a good price. I would also like to get a nice 2 peice timing cover. And I think I would rather take the motor out because If i find out it is a 2 bolt main I want to get it spladed to a 4 bolt, but I am pretty sure its a 4 bolt right now.
But If I do weld it , I am going to take the motor out next winter because I want to put heads and a holley stealth ram on it and I could change the oil pan then too.

if you replace the pan and jack up the engine do you have to take out the transmission mounts too or just the engine mounts?

becasue it would seem that it would pivot on the tranny mounts is that ok? becasue i was contemplating this and i dont want to end up twisting or bending the tranny crossmember

I had to change my rod bearings and I jacked up the engine using a floor jack. I put blocks of wood between the motor mounts and the cross member. I didnt disconnect the tranny mounts or anything. Juat make sure you take your dist. cap off.

so all i have to do is take the motor mounts out, lift the engine up with a floor jack(not exactly sure where to lift it up from) and i could change it?
why should i take the distributor cap off?
thanks!

Step By Step:
1. remove the dist. cap ( prevent it from being cracked when you lift the engine.
2. Unbolt and remove the top half of the fan shroud
3. Lift and support the car on jackstands
4. Drain the oil
5. Remove the exhaust crossover pipe, hang the exhaust from the car with wire or something
6. remove the flywheel cover/ or convertor shroud
7. Turn the vibration dampner until the timing mark is facing down atthe 6 o' clock position ( I just hit the starter a few times to do this)
8. Remove the starter
9. Remove the throughbolt at the engine mounts
10. Place a floor jack and block of wood under the oil pan ( I used a block of wood about an inch thick, and the same size as the part of the oil pan that sits below the crossmember) You can now jack up the engine. About 3 inches of clearance is needed. Place blocks in between the block and the crossmember to support the engine.
11. You can remove the oil pan bolts and the pan now.

I take no responsibility if you get hurt or screw up your car. It worked for me, but i cant promise that it will work for you

if your A/C works, make sure you keep an eye on the lines at the pass front of the engine to the condenser (1near the rad), the lines are pretty short aqnd will break if you lift the motor too high










dont ask how i know








BTW, a condenser will cost you around $150-200 for the part