Lower oil pan removal.

I want to remove my oil pan on my 97 rodeo 3.2 4wd.
I want to clean out my pick up tube to see if I cant get any better oil pressure. According to the manual this is a big job but I have been told that all i need to do is to remove the lower oil pan to perform the clean up. I have been trying to figure out how to do this and it just seems to be out of my comprehension. Does anyone know how to remove this lower pan?
I appreciate any help
thanks

Don't know if my 92 is much different, but it appears as though all I would have to do is remove the protective underbody coverplate, and take out the bolts to the oil pan. It appears as though the starter *may* be in the way of one of the bolts, but a 1/4 inch drive ratchet with extention should be able to fit. (It doesn't take much to pull out the pan bolts).

After the plate and pan screws are removed, it looks like the rear of the pan would drop down clear of the transmission bellhousing, allowing me to slide it rearward until the front of the pan is clear of the front drive axle and finally down out of the vehicle.

Hopefully yours is the same, and that the pick-up tube does not interfere with the oil pan moving backward enough to clear the front axle.

HTH, and good luck!

Steve

Its usually more difficult than it looks. You'll probably have to lift the engine or drop the front diffy.