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I have been slowing disassembling my one 39 Six with a primary goal to salvage the OD to add to my survivor that lacks OD. I am at the point of getting close to pulling the engine and guessing I am needing some guidance on order of next steps since my last step I seem to be hung up, perhaps literally. I was looking to remove the oil pan but I don't know if I am unable due to needing to do something else first or some technique. I have the OD transmission cover off and the oil pan is totally unbolted. I have not pulled the cam shaft and between that and the steering sway bar I can't seem to get it out. The engine is locked up so I can turn the shaft.

Is the issue that I am prematurely trying to get the oil pan out? Do I need to pull the shaft out first? Have a second person negotiating the steering to negotiate it out? Or something else? I assumed the oil pan could be taken off without more but maybe that's where I began my mistake.

Tips, setting me straight on poor assumptions, all are appreciated.

Pull the engine, then remove the pan.

You absolutely do not need to take off the pan. To pull the engine and transmission as an assembly, remove the rear crossover support and, of course, everything else that connects it all. Remove the front clip too. I did this the first time when I was 16 (in the '60s) and don't recall any issues or problems.

I understand I didn't need to take the pan off but was disassembling everything I could before getting help (i.e. get the neighbor to bring his bobcat over) to hoist the engine out for my homemade engine carrier, knowing I would have to get it hosted again to remove the pan later. It sounds like my assumptions on being able to remove the pan independently while mounted (like my 2015 Audi Q7 I had to do) was wrong. I guess things change after 75 years...

Thanks for confirming that I need to pull it out together.

Well, you can remove the pan if you want to do so before removing the engine. My point was that it is not necessary to do so in order to remove the engine. If you want to remove the pan first, you may need to lower down the cross-links on the suspension by removing the center idler arm and maybe lifting the engine a bit in order to access the front bolts if the mounts have settled. The pan can then be removed with the engine in place.

There is probably a shop manual that covers your car in the Literature Archive on this website. I'd take a look at that for specific information. I'd leave the engine assembly mostly intact until it is removed.

I have the pan 100% loose, just gets caught up just enough to say "nope". I'll try and check the literature and coordinate with the neighbor when I have the rest ready to pull. I have downloaded a lot previously but was doing the try and read later approach. :)

Thanks everyone.

You may have to crank the engine a bit so that the front of the pan can clear the journals and counterweights. You may also have to lift the engine a bit to add to the clearance as the front mount sags with time.