How do I change oil pan gasket

First check and see if the pan can be removed while the engine is in the car. Drain the oil and then remove all the bolts that hold the pan on. Clean the mating surfaces and use a good gasket sealant sparingly on both sides of the gasket, put the gasket on the pan and then torque the bolts to the factory specification but do not over tighten. I would use blue Locktite on the bolts.

I've done this on a Ford Crown Vic, but it is a tight squeeze, I also loosened the motor mounts and lifted the engine slightly with a cherry picker. The transmission hitting the tunnel only lets you get about an inch of lift, but that made a difference in getting the pan dropped enough to replace the gasket. I have read on various Ford/Merc forums that members had replaced the oil pan gasket on 4.6's without lifting the engine. If you have a couple ramps and access to a cherry picker or hoist go for it, otherwise it shouldn't be that costly a job to farm out to a shop.

I took the pan loose already howdo I loosen moter mounts and lift engine?

The motor mount is bolted to the frame and to the engine. You will have to remove the bolts. I would remove the ones going to the engine. A cherry picker can be bought fairly cheap at Harbor Freight or you can probably rent one at a rental yard. Be safe!

Thanks

Rent one, unless you think you'll have a future need to use one again then buy it. If you have the pan loose, can you get to all the gasket surface to clean it? You don't have to completely remove the pan, just get it dropped enough to get the new one on. If you do manage to get it clear, take the opportunity to clean/replace the oil pump pickup screen.

Wow, too bad nobody suggested completing the diagnosis first with tracer dye and a black light, now you can add crankshaft seals or not based on visible evidence of the leak source. We used to get the lift equipment clear by placing tools between after lifting, and after mounts clear. but you have yours apart. now you lift and turn the crank to clear journals ? its an idea that used to help with the cast iron v8. Seems best access and least cramped struggle to keep on aliftin. Then do ALL the hard to reach maintenance items.

I ended up putting a jack on pully and jacking up the moter had 2move sway bar and it was pain to get gasket on but its back together no more leaks

1999 Mercury Grand Marquis 4.6L -engine oil pan gasket replacement *I have the vehicle 3 feet in the air on jack stands. *Motor mounts removed *oil pan unbolted *Engine jacked up by the bell housing as high as it will go w/o raising it off of jack stands. *....Engine oil pan still won't slide out of frame cradle. It keeps hitting the bottom of the transmission bell housing. *Side Note: Feeling inside of the pan, I've never seen a pan like the way this feels inside. The pan seemingly has an inner bracket that extends into the pan that surrounds the oil suction tube. Leaving not much room for play due to the fact that the suction tube screen keeps hitting the inner pan bracket. ANY SUGGESTIONS?