Cleaning the Oil Pan and Oil Pickup

Sometimes clutch plates crumble and pieces of them get into the crankcase. Sometimes pieces are dropped into the oil pan when changing the plates. You can spot this when changing the clutch plates. The pieces must be removed from the engine, since they can block the oil pickup nozzle or get into the mechanisms. As a rule, all the pieces fall into the oil pan, and to get them out you need to remove it, first draining the engine oil. Removing the oil pan isn't hard, but it often requires removing the exhaust header and the radiator (draining the coolant first). Keep in mind that the gasket will have to be replaced (it's very hard not to damage it). Using sealant is not recommended.

Once you remove the oil pan, search carefully for the pieces, including small particles. The oil pickup must not only be checked very carefully for pieces in the intake nozzle but also flushed with kerosene, since it may contain small particles. After removing all the pieces, try to piece together the missing fragments of the plates. It's great if you find all the pieces. Sometimes this isn't possible, and then further engine disassembly is required.