Ford Repair: 94 Thunderbird oil pan removal, pan gasket, wiggle room

Question
I have a 94 Thunderbird with what appears to be be a leaky oil pan gasket.  The dealership wants $450 to replace the gasket.  I'm comfortable enough to remove the pan and replace the gasket, but don't know if I want to delve into hoisting the engine to remove the oil pan.  There doesn't appear to be much clearance between the oil pan and the suspension.  Is it possible to remove the oil pan without dropping the suspension or raising the engine.  Can you loosen the oil pan and turn the engine just right so the oil pan can be slid out?  

Answer
Mike-

  I'm not sure this is something most people would want to tackle at home.  One way or another the engine will have to come up or down.  The problem with the 4.6L engine is that it's wide...too wide to allow much (if any) wiggle room.  You could always get the engine just high enough to gain access to the pan, but that will still involve disconnecting a lot of engine wiring and the exhaust.  most shops gave up on the "from-the-top" technique and now just drop the front suspension.  Hope this helps.

Steve