I sure hope someone here can give me a hand. I got a 1998 c1500 Chevy Worktruck that I'm working on. It blew a head gasket so were doing a valve job. Also decide to replace the timing chain for good measure and it is here I'm stuck. I've carefully removed all the bolts, starter, whatever brackets there were but this oil pan just won't come off! I have determined that the seal on the gasket is free ALL the way around but still this guy wont budge. It is almost as if something internal is gripping it - and I mean really gripping it- from inside somehow and keeping it from removal. I tried tapping with a hammer and prying to the point that I scared I'm going to bust something. And yeah, I'm sure the gasket is free all the the way around. And every bolt, including the horizontal ones attaching it to the bell housing, are off.

I can't for the life of me figure what'* holding this thing. Any ideas?

Looking at my service manual it says remove the bolts. But also looks like it has 2 nuts. And those look to be on the side with the main seal.

Pericon,

Are you certain that you have removed all of the oil pan bolts? How about the oil pan nut? The nut is Key # 423 in this '98 C1500 Oil Pan diagram

Yep, those are the nuts my manual is showing. There'* two of them.