Kudos to SweetZAG for the following directions for removing the pan. Great Job! I've added some additional steps (in red) that were required, many because of the M6 tranny.

1) Disconnect the driver side O2 sensor.
2) Drop Y pipe (15mm deep socket)
2B) Remove the two bolts that hold the catalytic converter to the hangar (15mm). This will aid in lowering the y-pipe.
3) Remove Torque converter cover (10 mm socket) (Not required with the M6).
3A) Remove Starter.
3B) Remove bellhousing cover.
4) Remove oil filter.
5) Remove oil level sensor (it can get hung up on the baffle inside the oil pan and break).
6) Remove engine mount nut and bolt on both sides (18mm on bolt head, 15mm on nut) I used a punch to lightly tap the bolts through.
7) I removed starter bolts and moved starter to the side but this probably wasn't necessary. (It is necessary.)
7A) Remove shock tower brace (if you have one).
7B) Disconnect fuel line from connection at top right of manifold (mine hit the top of the cowl).
8) Remove dipstick (10mm bolt). It comes out easier after you raise the engine. It hits the passenger side wheel well if you try before raising.
9) I raised the motor using a floor jack and a 2 X 4 on the bottom of the timing cover (my balancer bub was off). Be very careful as this could slip. I did one side at a time and slid small 2 X 4 blocks in between the 2 halves of each mount as I raised. BE CAREFUL!!!!! I do not recommend this method to raise the motor. It can be very dangerous and you could damage engine parts.
This is where things got interesting. I did not have enough room between the tranny and the floor pan to raise it high enough to get the pan out. This has to do with the shape differences between the A4 and the M6 bellhousing. The M6 belhousing does not angle back like the A4's.
9A) Place a set of jack stands under the crossmember and remove the six 18mm bolts that hold the k-member in place.
9B) Place a jack under the cross member and lift it up off of the jack stands. Lower the stands two inches and place them under the k-member. Lower the k-member down onto the jack stands.
9C) Place jack under the tranny bellhousing and raise engine/tranny up until it touches the floor pan. This will give you enough clearance to remove the pan.
10) Remove 2 corner bolts or nuts using 13mm socket (I found 1/4 drive sockets work best in the tight space).
These next two steps may not be necessary. I had to do them because I could not get access to the pan bolts on the driver side due to the oil cooler lines.
10A) Drain radiator.
10B) Remove oil cooler lines from base of oil filter housing.
11) Remove all pan bolts using 10mm socket except stud holding A4 cooling lines. For this one, use an 11 mm deep socket to take off nut, remove line bracket and then 10mm deep socket to remove stud.
12) Remove pan. It was a little difficult because it hit the crank weights but I managed to get it out.

This should help out the M6 guys. Good luck and remember: I may not be a fun job to do, but it sure beats mopping the kitchen floor!

 

wow. im about to do this myself.

i was wondering why alldata said removal of manual transmission was necessary...maybe i'll just yank it out after all.

i heard using a cherry picker to pull the engine up about 3-4 inches was easiest.

 

easiest and safest

 

but does it still require removal of M6? and is it okay to lift through the intake into the head? i have never lifted an engine from an aluminum part...i just want to be sure i dont **** anything up.

 

i've never done this so my opinion is really mute... however if i was going to do this i'd buy hardened bolts and go through the intake into the head. don't think bolting directly in front/back of the head would work because of the cowl.
i can't see any reason why the tranny would have to come off. i'd hoist it first and see if the pan would come off before taking the tranny off.

 

I was going to do that but then said screw it, pulled the motor and did some other modifications while it was out.

 

Using a cherry picker is not a bad idea, but the legs that go under the car might pose a problem as far as easy access to getting under the car. I loosened the K-Member and used a jack on the crank snout between the dampner and timing cover. Worked well for me, but it all depends on what you feel most comfortable with.

 

I also have just loosened the K-member bolts, You don't have to remove them and used the cherry picker to get the pan out with the M6

 

The tranny DOES NOT have to come off.

I too thought of using the cherry picker, but it would be real difficult to get access with the legs in there. You already have two jack stands under the frame to hold the car up.

I would want the assurance of having the jack stands under the k-member. I could never fit 4 jack stands, cherry picker legs and my fat A$$ under there.

If my hydraulic jack failed while it was under the bellhousing, the engine would have lowered itself onto the k-member which was supported by the jack stands.

If the cherry picker hydraulic jack fails, I would be concerned with the loose bolts holding up the engine/tranny/k-member as well as being able to resist the impact load of the engine landing on the k-member. And you could never pull all of the bolts out the exact same distance, so not all of the bolts would be carrying the load if it came down. Not a good situation.

I would definitely stick with the 4 jack stands and the hydraulic jack under the bell housing.

 

Thanks. The timing of your question was perfect because I had just done it the night before and it was still fresh in my mind. Turns out I had to do it again this past Monday because two of the metal inserts from the old gasket holes were stuck on the 2 rear studs so I had a major oil leak from the pan gasket near the main seal

Make sure you check the studs for remanants of the old gasket!

Jeff "SweetZRag" Muller

 

anyone know if i can drop the cross member in the way described above even if the car is on ramps?

 

If you think you are skinny enough!
The best way is to do what was discribed above or find some one with a lift or pull the motor.
You would be taking a big chance on ramps

 

wow, I didn't know it was that involved. All I did was unbolt the motor mounts, and jack the tranny up behind the bell housing, and pull the pan out.

 

k well i did it last weekend and its not leaking! woo hoo.

i first unbolted the lower ball joints, tie rods, sway bar, and strut, in preperation to remove the whole k member. i put a cherry picker through the intake into the heads, worked fine, unbolted the motor mounts and unbolted the steering linkage.

at this point i was ready to drop the whole k member, but i noticed the brake lines fastened to the k member. doh'! i didnt wanna break open the brake system.

so i ended up just loosening it all the way to the last threads of the bolts. with the engine lifted 4 inches and the k member dropped 3 inches, all i had to do was turn the crank a quarter turn from what it was and bam, sumbitch fell right out


sounds intimidating, but it was actually really simple. oh and the dipstick DOES NOT need to be removed, but the driver side exhaust crossover does need to be removed, along with the oil level sender, starter, and flywheel shield.