It is one of the harder jobs you will do on your XJ. I used a lift autocraft shop on the local military base. You need the axle to drop to the bottom of it's travel, then remove the steering damper.
Then you will have to disconnect the starter and remove it, make sure to get the starter bolt and not the bell housing bolt. When you are there you will know what I mean. Then you remove the two big bolts and remove the flywheel cover.
Then with those off and the pain drained of oil remove all the pan bolts. Take notice to where the studs are located. Then pry off off the old pan. Mine was a real pain. I ended up bending the flange. Once the pan drops down then you will have to work it off the vehicle. I removed the 4 nuts for the transmission mount and jacked up the rear end of the transmission to get the pan out.
Once the pan is removed use a real gasket scraper and get all the old gasket off the block. I spent like 4-5 hours getting it all off, that gasket would not release with just a gasket scraper and puddy knife. Someone later said those scotchbrite pads on a drill would of cut through it.
Then go out and buy the pan gasket at the dealer. It is a one piece gasket and is very well made. My dealer mechanic gave me the tip of running a bead of rtv silicone along the block, not as a sealant but as adhesive to hold the gasket in place. Apply like a 1/8 inch bead, install the gasket to the block and use the bolts to hold it in place 2 hours to let it cure. Do NOT install the pan at this time. You will need RTV to fill in the hole in the timing cover so you will be buying RTV for this job anyway.
While you have the pan off you have to decide if you want to change the oil pump and/or rear main seal while you are there. You have done all the hard work to gain access.
With the pan flange clean and straight install the pan. Make sure you remove ALL the bolts you used to hold the gasket in place - don't ask me know I know that lesson
Then reinstall the pan bolts and torque per the manual. I used a torque wrench to make sure I did not mess up the new gasket. Then reassemble, you may want to pack a new oil pump with petrolium jelly to make sure you get suction when the engine starts.
I decided because the old gasket was bonded so tight to the pan lip and the lip was bent it was better to get a new pan - remember I was paying rent by the hour while I did this, time was money. I got that at the dealer, right at $100. I will say new pan weighed the same as the old pan but had some more stamped ribs in it to make it stronger. I also discovered the exhaust hanger at the bell housing was broken so I picked up a new one at the dealer also.
I am glad I did the job and will do it again but hope I never had to do it again.
I spend 4-5 hours scraping, 3 hours getting the pan off the block once I had removed the starter, etc. I spend close to 14 hours doing the job. I think the pan will come off easier the next time since I used the one piece gasket. I found the toughest part to scrape was near the exhaust pipe.
