So, my rear main seal is leaking like a quart an oil change, used to just leak in the winter now leaks all the time. So I went to change it and oil pan gasket with this oil change, thinking its going to get worse. I removed all the bolts for the pan, and I could not get the pan to break free, hit it with a rubber hammer, then upgraded to the mini sledge and a piece of 2x4 still on there, starting to put some dents in the pan. Even tried a Stanley bar to get them to separate but the pan was just bending. So I just gave up not wanting to damage it since it isn't leaking that bad. Any tricks to get the pan to separate from the block? Can I/Should I use a putty knife?

Thanks guys, I have done this before on a different xj never this much of a battle. I mean I was wailing on this thing.
91 jeep cherokee 4x4 that I assume has never been taken apart. Anyway thanks for reading all this.

 

your going to have to try and separate it from two points simultaneously, just trying from one area will never work as you have found. try to get some sort of shim made of plastic you may have to bend the pan lip a little bit to get it in but as long as your not scratching the sealing surface on the block you should be able to get the pan lip back or close to original shape.. if anything you can apply some gasket maker on top the gasket in that area you may have bent

 

Answered my own question can use a putty knife or small thin screwdriver and carefully work my way around. Found it on jeepforum. Yeah I will yell at myself for not doing a better job searching.

 

Oh two spots and a plastic shim makes sense too, less chance to scratch the mating surfaces. Thanks so much for the help.