Jasmin

Okay, so I have a '98 Subaru Legacy Outback. My oil pan had a leak, and I have the advantage of having a mom who is an excellent Subaru mechanic, but she is in California, while I am wrenching in Tennessee. The oil pan on these things is ALMOST easy to get to with the exception of the back two bolts. Access to them is hindered by the crossmember that keeps you from being able to get tools to those last two bolts. I read many threads that suggested that you lift the engine out, or do some major disassembly underneath. My fiance, also a mechanic, and good at thinking on his feet, and I came up with a quicker solution. If my car was brand new, I might not have done this, but it works and saved us hours upon hours of time. He used a 1" hole saw on the crossmember, cutting two very neat holes underneath those two bolts. When he was finished, he had two very tidy holes that the sockets and screwdriver needed to get the pan on and off fit through perfectly. I'm sure some people will balk, but I am confident that the structural integrity of the crossmember is not affected. Now, when you use the hole saw, you will need to lead it with a drill bit made to drill through metal. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO DRILL THROUGH THE PAN! As soon as hole saw has started a path through the crossmember, take the drill bit out and finish the hole with the hole saw ONLY. Do this portion slowly and carefully. You are already hours ahead of the alternative route to fixing the problem, no need to hurry at this step. Then, remove the bolts, fix the seal (mine has a gasket available, but was originally sealed with RTV) accordingly, and bolt that bastard back on. The seals on these pans don't often go bad, but if you ever need to fix it again, the access holes will be there to allow for a quick fix.