I pulled the timing cover off the other day to verify the valve timing was correct, so I go ahead and put that back on today and go to start bolting the oil pan back on and noticed that I only 3 half inch bolts/studs and a couple 1/2 inch nuts. So as I remember the other day I pulled off only 3 bolts and there was 2 nuts on the front driverside corner of the oil pan... (one that held on the bracket for the radiator hose/line that runs from the bottom of the radiator to the oil filter and one that held the pan up). Now as i'm going to bolt the oil pan back up the stud appears to have disappeared that was in the driverside front corner of the oil pan, I've got a hunch that it fell into the front of the pan when I was messing with the front oil seal on the timing cover to keep it from just ripping out. I am going to try and just run a quart of oil through and see if that gets it out tommorrow.

BUT if it doesn't, is there a simple way of getting this pan out? I was looking at it is just wedged between the flywheel and the engine crossmember... so I take a look at the haynes manual and it says to lift the entire engine with a hoist... WTF (I dont just happen to have a engine hoist sitting around). So just looking at this it appears that my only other option would be to drop the trans., pull off the flywheel and then slide the oil pan back and out. Grrr.... I'm beginning to hate this car more and more everyday... somebody tell me there's another way to get the oil pan off??

 

I just replaced my oil pan a couple of weeks ago. What I did was pull the through bolts for the motor mounts, loosen the six crossmember bolts as much as possible without removing so it will drop a couple of inches, jacked the engine up as much as possible, them removed oil pan. There were other things that needed to come of like starter and bellhousing inspection plate, but thats about all I remember pulling. Oh yeah, this is on an M6, auto and also stock Y-pipe may be different. While you're at it you may want to replace motor mounts if you have'nt already, thats what I did since the motor was up.

 

what did you use to "jack" the engine up exactly?.... where would you put a car jack under the engine to lift it up a few inches that isn't the oil pan?

I dunno I think i'm gonna try and sweep over the oil pan with a large magnet and try and see if I can direct that stud out the drain hole or if nothing else atleast be able to tell that the stud is definetly even in there..

 

If they are in the pan they won't hurt anything,they will just roll around the bottom and may get caught by the oil plug magnet,seriously.
I would get more studs/bolts and not worry with 2 in the pan 'cause they can't get sucked into anything and do damage unless ya flip it.

 

Drain the oil, loosen the bolts and stick one of those telescoping magnet retrievers in there.

 

I think I just lucked out on this one.. I managed to find the missing stud yesterday and luckily it didn't end up falling into the pan.