I noticed leaking from my gasket and drain plug on my maxima. Does anyone have a guide to replace the oil pan? I noticed some potential exhaust blocking it and wanted to know how difficult it would be for me to do it myself.

I replaced my 2014 pathfinder's pan last year, but there was nothing in the way to access it.

 

I don't know if this helps anyone but I completed the replacement today. You don't need to remove the Y pipe or pull any of the exhaust down. You only need wrenches, swivel sockets, and bendable extensions to get in the tough places. Take your time and it can be done without removing anything additional.

 

I'm going to have to do this soon to my Max, what gasket maker did you use and how long did this take for you to complete?

 

I used Nissan's 1217H Liquid Gasket. It typically doesn't cost more than $20 from the dealer. I picked it up locally for $14. It took me around 2-3 hours. If I had to do it again it would take me less time because now I know what I'm doing. After I put the new pan up I waited until the following morning to fill her up with oil so the gasket maker could set properly. No leaks. Good as new.

 

Good advice, thank you! How tight did you torque down the bolts?

 

This one would be pretty impossible to get a torque wrench in there unless you plan to drop the exhaust. I did them all hand tight in a cross pattern to make sure they had even pressure. They aren't suppose to be really tight just tight enough with one hand that they feel snug. I took the same approach on my 2014 pathfinder with positive results.

 

Excellent! Thank you for the advice!

 

Is this the same as a U seal replacement? I just took a 2012 Maxima to the dealer and they charged over $2600 to have this replaced and broke the catalytic converter in the process which was another $2500+ that I had to pay for because they said the bolt was seized and cracked when trying to remove it. Iif they didn't have to remove it and could've taken a little more time to get the job done with a seized bolt that's what they should've done.