How to Drop the Oil Pan in a Honda Prelude

The Honda Prelude is a popular sports compact vehicle that was manufactured in 1978 and continued through 2001. Maintenance and upkeep on the Honda allows you to avoid having to change the oil pan, unless an accident or wear and tear causes a hole. In that case, you will need to drop the oil pan to replace it.

Instructions

1

Turn on the car and run it for 10 minutes to circulate the oil. Pull the vehicle onto a secure floor and turn it off. Open the hood of the vehicle and look for the battery box, located at the front of the vehicle, on the right-hand side. Use a wrench to disconnect the negative battery cable by unscrewing the bolt holding it in place.

2

Find the oil cap, located on the right side of the engine, about half way down the side. Unscrew the cap and set to the side. Doing this will relieve pressure in the system.

3

Secure and raise the vehicle using a jack and jack stands. Follow manufacturer directions for using the jack and stands. You will need to slide under the vehicle to remove the oil pan.

4

Place an oil drip pan under the oil pan, which is located under the vehicle about in the middle of the engine, between the tires. Once the oil drip pan is in place, use a wrench to disconnect the oil drain bolt by rotating and pulling it off. This allows the oil to drain into the drip pan. Drain for 10 minutes.

5

Replace the drain bolt adding a new gasket onto it prior to reconnecting it. Tighten into place. Disconnect the front wheels and the splash shield located under the vehicle using a wrench. Detach the center beam running over the top of the oil pan.

6

Locate and remove each of the following in order, all of which require a wrench for removal and are located on the oil pan or surrounding it. Remove the oxygen sensor electrical connector, the bolts on the exhaust pipe support bracket, the nuts that attach the exhaust pipe to the exhaust manifold and the exhaust pipe.

7

Remove the converter cover and clutch cover from the vehicle if the vehicle has them installed (some models do not). Unscrew the oil pan bolts located around the oil pan's edge. Work your way around the pan in a crisscross fashion while supporting the pan with your hand.