TheIdiotDad
Member
- Joined
- October 26, 2016
- Messages
- 11
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- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2005 Lincoln Aviator
Hello,
I just changed the leaking oil filter adapter gasket on my 2005 Lincoln Aviator 4.6 V8 and I thought I would give some tips since I am (according to my kids) a complete idiot. I'm not a talented DIYer so this was a challenge.
First, this seems to be a very common problem with Explorers, Aviators, and Mountaineers around this time frame. I had my Aviator at the dealership for a different issue and I asked them to see what was causing the oil drip. They said it was the oil filter adapter gasket and wanted to charge over $600 for the repair! No way!
So, I YouTubed and Googled and got it done. If I had to do it again I would be way faster.
You need:
Jack up the front end and place jack stands.
Take off the front driver side wheel.
Optional: I removed the plastic cover (splash guard) inside the wheel housing so I could easily see the oil filter adapter and thermostat housing from the side. It is very easy to remove so I say do it.
Remove the engine cover and the cover at the very front near the grill (not sure what that cover is called but it covers the radiator)
Drain the coolant. Yes, you should drain the coolant!
Drain the oil and reinstall the oil drain plug.
Remove the oil filter. I have the oil filter wrenches that fit over the end and you use a ratchet. You can get these are Harbor Freight for cheap. A traditional oil filter wrench would be difficult to use.
Obviously, for the coolant and oil draining, you need separate catch pans and you should recycle the fluids.
Remove the oil filter drip/splash guard. It has three bolts.
Optional: The power steering hose seemed to be right in my way when working from the side (wheel opening). I clamped and pushed the hose out of the way. You might be able to do it with the hose in place but it was annoying to me.
Now, you should be able to see the oil filter adapter (you just removed the oil filter from it) and the thermostat housing that is connected to it. The thermostat housing has a hose on the top and a hose on the bottom.
You need to get the hoses out of the way and the clamps are very difficult to get to, even with the wheel removed. I wasted a lot of time with these hoses. Here’s a solution.
Leave the hoses connected to the thermostat housing! From the top of the engine, remove the upper radiator hose. This is the hose that goes down to the top of the thermostat housing. Use pliers on the clamp and wiggle the hose loose. Have a catch pan under the vehicle because coolant will gush out. Then, remove the lower radiator hose connected to the bottom of the radiator. This is the hose that connects to the bottom of the thermostat housing. Again, coolant will gush out for a second or two.
Now, use a ratchet with an extension to remove the thermostat housing. There are two long bolts. You can reach these from the front wheel area or from underneath.
Next, from underneath, work the entire thermostat housing out from below. You will have to push the upper hose through and this is kind of a pain. After going back and forth a few times you will pull out the entire housing with both hoses still connected. In case I wasn’t clear, you are letting the part drop out the bottom of the car but you have to help it along due to the hoses.
Optional: At this point I went ahead and changed the thermostat since they are so cheap and I had the housing off.
The oil filter adapter is now ready to come off. It has four bolts and a few are difficult to locate. After a lot of trying I found the best place to reach them was from underneath using a 3 or 4” extension on my ratchet. I could get my arm way up there and there was room to ratchet.
With all 4 bolts off the part came off easily.
Next, I cleaned the adapter with Brakeleen because it was caked in oil. I Dried and cleaned with paper towels and then used a “magic eraser” to clean the surfaces where the new gasket was going. Clean both surfaces so reach up in there and wipe off the surface.
Now you just go in reverse order. I think the bolts on the adapter are supposed to be torques at 18 ft lbs but my torque wrench is too big to fit in the tight space. I used a German torque wrench and tightened the bolts Gutentight!
When you install the thermostat housing, feed the top radiator hose up through and work everything in place. Seems easy but you will need the swear jar.
Anyway, put everything back in reverse order, refill the oil and coolant. Do all the normal stuff when you replace the coolant (burp the air out). Since I removed all the hoses a lot of coolant was lost and it took a while to get it refilled and the air out of the system.
So, that’s my story. I hope this helps. Like I said, I am a complete newbie so feel free to tell me what I did wrong.
I just changed the leaking oil filter adapter gasket on my 2005 Lincoln Aviator 4.6 V8 and I thought I would give some tips since I am (according to my kids) a complete idiot. I'm not a talented DIYer so this was a challenge.
First, this seems to be a very common problem with Explorers, Aviators, and Mountaineers around this time frame. I had my Aviator at the dealership for a different issue and I asked them to see what was causing the oil drip. They said it was the oil filter adapter gasket and wanted to charge over $600 for the repair! No way!
So, I YouTubed and Googled and got it done. If I had to do it again I would be way faster.
You need:
- Coolant
- Oil
- Oil Filter
- Oil Filter Adapter Gasket (about $10)
- Typical care repair tools and stuff (jack, jack stands, all sorts of ratchets and extensions, pliers, nitrile gloves (this is a very dirty job and you will likely have oil everywhere).
- Optional:
- Something to clamp the power steering hose (vise grips with a rag protecting the hose will work)
- Brakeleen or other parts cleaner
- Swear jar
Jack up the front end and place jack stands.
Take off the front driver side wheel.
Optional: I removed the plastic cover (splash guard) inside the wheel housing so I could easily see the oil filter adapter and thermostat housing from the side. It is very easy to remove so I say do it.
Remove the engine cover and the cover at the very front near the grill (not sure what that cover is called but it covers the radiator)
Drain the coolant. Yes, you should drain the coolant!
Drain the oil and reinstall the oil drain plug.
Remove the oil filter. I have the oil filter wrenches that fit over the end and you use a ratchet. You can get these are Harbor Freight for cheap. A traditional oil filter wrench would be difficult to use.
Obviously, for the coolant and oil draining, you need separate catch pans and you should recycle the fluids.
Remove the oil filter drip/splash guard. It has three bolts.
Optional: The power steering hose seemed to be right in my way when working from the side (wheel opening). I clamped and pushed the hose out of the way. You might be able to do it with the hose in place but it was annoying to me.
Now, you should be able to see the oil filter adapter (you just removed the oil filter from it) and the thermostat housing that is connected to it. The thermostat housing has a hose on the top and a hose on the bottom.
You need to get the hoses out of the way and the clamps are very difficult to get to, even with the wheel removed. I wasted a lot of time with these hoses. Here’s a solution.
Leave the hoses connected to the thermostat housing! From the top of the engine, remove the upper radiator hose. This is the hose that goes down to the top of the thermostat housing. Use pliers on the clamp and wiggle the hose loose. Have a catch pan under the vehicle because coolant will gush out. Then, remove the lower radiator hose connected to the bottom of the radiator. This is the hose that connects to the bottom of the thermostat housing. Again, coolant will gush out for a second or two.
Now, use a ratchet with an extension to remove the thermostat housing. There are two long bolts. You can reach these from the front wheel area or from underneath.
Next, from underneath, work the entire thermostat housing out from below. You will have to push the upper hose through and this is kind of a pain. After going back and forth a few times you will pull out the entire housing with both hoses still connected. In case I wasn’t clear, you are letting the part drop out the bottom of the car but you have to help it along due to the hoses.
Optional: At this point I went ahead and changed the thermostat since they are so cheap and I had the housing off.
The oil filter adapter is now ready to come off. It has four bolts and a few are difficult to locate. After a lot of trying I found the best place to reach them was from underneath using a 3 or 4” extension on my ratchet. I could get my arm way up there and there was room to ratchet.
With all 4 bolts off the part came off easily.
Next, I cleaned the adapter with Brakeleen because it was caked in oil. I Dried and cleaned with paper towels and then used a “magic eraser” to clean the surfaces where the new gasket was going. Clean both surfaces so reach up in there and wipe off the surface.
Now you just go in reverse order. I think the bolts on the adapter are supposed to be torques at 18 ft lbs but my torque wrench is too big to fit in the tight space. I used a German torque wrench and tightened the bolts Gutentight!
When you install the thermostat housing, feed the top radiator hose up through and work everything in place. Seems easy but you will need the swear jar.
Anyway, put everything back in reverse order, refill the oil and coolant. Do all the normal stuff when you replace the coolant (burp the air out). Since I removed all the hoses a lot of coolant was lost and it took a while to get it refilled and the air out of the system.
So, that’s my story. I hope this helps. Like I said, I am a complete newbie so feel free to tell me what I did wrong.
