Hate for my first post here to show my incompetence.

I am replacing the rear main seal and oil pan gasket on a stock 2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It has taken much longer than it should have and now I've made a major mistake.

When disassembling, after I had removed the oil pan I removed the long metal brace that fastens to the main bearing caps. In my haste to re-assemble I forgot to put it back on and now I have installed the oil pan without it.

IS it really important? Do I take the oil pan back off to put it on or not worry about it and keep rolling. It didn't show it or mention it in the haynes manual but I remember seeing on someones instructions or video. What do I do?

Thanks, Gavin

Bumping back up to first page.

I've learned that the main bearing brace was not on earlier Cherokee's but introduced in 96 or 97. I'm guessing either they made a block change or it was used to correct a potential problem.

Any thoughts? Does it have to be there or not? Will leaving it out open me up to potential problems later?

Gavin

That's a bummer. I don't know for sure, but if it were mine I wouldn't risk it. I'd be worried about higher RPMs, especially as it's an older vehicle now. At least you know how to get the pan off now. Might (?) be able to get away without replacing the gasket.

the improvements/changes made to reduce vibration in the engine block included the brace, if it were mine , I would drop the pan and do it the right way.

Thanks for the input. I had grudgingly reached the same conclusion and dropped the pan again last night.

Gavin