The Comanche shares a lot of similarities with the Cherokee: basically identical 6-cylinder and tranny as the Cherokee, so I'm asking help in this segment.

I am looking for help with removing the flywheel access panel on my 1987Comanche daily driver [4.0 litre inline six] to replace the oil pan gasket. There are two LARGE bolts at 9 and 3 o'clock that sandwich the sheetsteel panel between the tranny and the block - and I'm not sure if they should be loosened or removed to drop the panel for fear of #@$%^ up the alignment of the tranny to engine.

But without removing the panel, I cannot get a decent leak free seal with the new oil pan gaskets I've twice installed. The clearance - with the flywheel panel on - is very narrow to slip the oil pan and gasket into to bolt up at the rear of the block.

Has anyone gone thru this - any suggestions.

Signed, "Still drippin' on the pavement."