Question:

I am about to attempt to change the oil pan on my 1970 Elan S4. Can this be done with the engine in place or should I go borrow an engine hoist before I start.?

Answer:

The chassis has a piece of channel welded across under the pan. Some owners have cut this and reattached it using hardware so that it becomes removable.  Another issue will be the clutch/flywheel dust shield. This will prevent the pan from being removed. S4 cars have a multi-piece dust shield which alleviates this problem and I think it can be retrofitted. As for lifting the engine, it can be done without a hoist by jacking and supporting in imaginative ways (assuming those other obstacles have been dealt with) but it would be much easier with a hoist.