Anybody got any tips for removing the oil pan?

Mine has been leaking and I want to change the gasket. I've got the service manual and have done what it says, except for suspending the bike in the air.

I can't get the front of the pan over the crossmember. The cross member doesn't look bent to me. I have tried everything except removing the swingarm shaft and jacking the motor up. Is that the only way?

 

Yup, that's it.
Had to remove a pan once due to a stripped drain bolt, that's the only way we could get it out.

 

I have not done this but was looking at it. Could you not remove the rear tire and slide the pan out?

 

Thats the way.

 

Pull the rear wheel, then it will come out. Might suggest you purchase the Service Manual for you bike. The procedure is in there, e.g. remove rear wheel....It'll be the best investment you can make.

 

Like I said in the original post, I've got the manual. It won't clear the crossmember. The swingarm will com off tonight, after I remove the exhaust....

 

most likely your crossmember is bent a little.lay a straight edge of cross the crossmember and see. Sometimes you might have to jack the engine up a little and place a wooden wedge between frame and the side cover to hold it up a little, then pulled a rear tire and it should slide out the back. You should not have to take the swing arm off. If you cannot get it off easy, you will not get it back on with a new gasket without ripping the gasket.

 

That what I think is the problem. I will pull the swing arm pivot so I can jack the back up more....

 

You definitely shouldn't HAVE to pull the swingarm bolt. Removing the back wheel should allow the pan to slide out the rear.

 

Monty ~ we did Karl's w/o removing the swing arm. You should not have to do that. We did have to straighten out the cross-member though.

We also suspended the whole bike from a hoist in Bryan's shop so we could easily see what was what.