Oil Pan Gasket

[BMS]

Okay, so I know that my oil pan gasket is leaking. It's no big deal, but I don't like any leak at all. lol, that's gonna be hard on an aging car....but anyway, the manual said that to replace the said gasket you have to unbolt the cross member, and the engine mount, and lightly lift the engine, and take out the cross member yada yada yada. I am wondering if any of you know of any "tricks" that would make this a lot easier than all that. If you do let me know.

[Vinny]

No you don't have to lift the engine or remove any mounts, trust me on that I've done mine a few times and am at the point where I can be done start to finish in under 2 hrs with a lift and a lil over 2 hrs without one. just take off the 7 bolts(I think) for the crossmember, toss it off to the side, drop the downpipe from the exhaust manifold and at the cat, if you have one (to me its easier with the down pipe all the way out but you CAN just undo it at the manifold). Theres 2 brackets that will need to come off at the trany and where the tranny and the engine mate up the get the inspection/flywhell cover off. Theres also one bolt on the aft top side of the inspection cover you'll need to LOOSEN, not take off so the cover will slide off. Clean BOTH the block surface and the pan srface really good. Another really good trick is to take wax string if you can find some and tie the gasket to the pan. Thats the way I did it last time, I tied it on each and every hole to keep it from moving when you raise it back up. Tie all but the last 2 or 3 holes on the corners then after you put some sealant between the pan and gasket on those corners tie it at the last 4 or 6 holes. Make sure you have a torque wrench so that A you don't snap any bolts in the block and B don't over tighten the gasket. If you compress it too much it may leak. Make sure you can see gasket at the crank journal before you tighten it all down. Hand tighten it then go back and torque it I think its 7lbs according to the Honda manual and haynes says 9, but 7 is fine 9 seemed like too much to me.