[Marco Tahtaras]

Before you go to all the trouble it would be good to confirm the actual location of the leak. Remove the flywheel housing shield and wipe everything down well. As mentioned it COULD be coming down from the camshaft hole at the rear of the block. Additionally, many engine builders forget or neglect to true up the rear main cap surface. Many of these caps have been crudely filed over the years to take up bearing clearances and subsequently seep oil between the cap and block. This oil will usually exit the cotter hole in the flywheel housing, but not always.

If you do need to pull the pan then be sure the pan flange is flat. Over tightening the pan bolts over time can draw up the metal surrounding each bolt hole leaving the flange lower between bolts. This can be easily remedied with a hammer and dolly (and a little common sense).

I use a 3/8" drive ratchet with a long extension to tighten the pan bolts. I position my hand right at the hub of the ratchet to reduce leverage and tighten by feel. Does anyone ever think about why a standard 1/2" wrench is so short?