97 5.0 AWD oil pan gasket change

[jremington59]

I noticed oil dripping on my exhaust, or should I say smelled it. It appears the oil pan gasket is toast. Has anyone done this? Does the exhaust and front differential have to come out? Looks like it's quite a job. It's probably been doing it a while but since I got another one I don't drive it often so the oil drips right into the cover for the catalytic converter and builds up. I'd have to guess that could get hot enough to start burning.

 

[obie]

If you want to change the oil pan on a 5.0, you have to pull the engine, or at least get it raised up enough. Otherwise, there is pretty much no way to clear it.

 

[jremington59]

So I wonder which is easier? Not that either of them are.

 

[obie]

I've read on here that it's possible to ubolt the engine and then carefully lift it until you can get the pan clear. It'll pivot from your trans mount, but you should be fine as long as you only raise it to what you need and don't overdo it.

Mine was done with the entire engine out though, so I'm sure someone who's done an in vehicle repair can give you more assistance.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

you can try one other thing, but no guarantee. i tried this with a 3L ranger, and it worked (but i was selling it, so i dont know how well it holds). on the straightest side of the gasket (side) slice it at a 45 degree angle. unbolt the pan so you can get the old one off and a little wiggle room if you can. then loop the new gasket around the oil pump and around. silicon the 45 on the top bottom and where it meets, and bolt the pan back on. i havent tried it on a 5L motor at all, but its a thought. you probably will have to drop the front diff as well, but to pull the pan, your probably pulling the motor out.

 

[jremington59]

I looked it over again and it's a pain anyway you look at it. I can see where it's leaking and it's only in one spot a couple inches long. I'm wondering if I could take my time and clean it really well with degreaser and then dawn dish soap right down to bare metal. I was then thinking maybe a good coat of high temp permatex around the outside. I know it's a temp fix but it's got 205,000 miles and I'd have to take it to the shop for an engine pull. A four dollar gasket and 600 in labor, lol. You just have to love it.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

or try and see if tightening it a little more works. hey, you never know.

 

[jremington59]

I found another spot dropping oil. How tightly is the grommet for the PCV supposed to be? I just replaced it and it slid in quite easily. I went back to NAPA and they told me it doesn't fit very tight. But it's so loose oil is coming from it.

 

[delexploder]

Drop the front diff then drop the pan and if wer me id use the blue fel-pro one piece.

 

[delexploder]

And use the silicon to glue the pcv to the gromet

 

[Turdle]

I have changed the oil pan with the engine "in the truck" but it also had a superlift kit on the front. The lift kit got "in the way" so I think an OEM front will be easier.
You will need to get the steering rack out of there. ( take a picture of the lines, and remember the order of replacing them. One of them will be in the way of tightening another if it is installed first--IIRC)

I doubt you'll get any good ideas from this, but here ya go--

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242451&highlight=purple+oil+pan

The oil pump did need to be removed. Drop it in the pan. Then it all will come out from under the truck.

The new fel pro gasket came with plastic guide-holders to hold the new gasket up in place while the oil pump is re installed (using a new oil pump gasket) while a helper holds the oil pan for you. I had about 3" of working space. You need to fiddle the oil pump gasket back into place--

 

[jremington59]

That is quite a nightmare you went through there Jon. But I did get an idea from it. There is only a small section leaking. I may clean the lip like you did all around it and apply a small layer of the JBWeld. If it stops the leak fine, if not it won't be hard to chip it off to remove the pan. It's an awful lot of work to stop a couple inch section that's dripping. It's clean all the way around except for the back corner on the drivers side by the tranny. And when it drips it falls right on top of the catalytic converter, lol. A friend suggested that bars leak for engine leaks but I'm not to fond of the thought of that being in there.

 

[bill06447]

I once had a customer with a major auto transmission leak in their forklift. The transmission in the unit was such that there was no pan, but I would need to pull the engine to get the transmission cover off to replace the gasket (transmission is split vertically). As I was working out of a van and there was no equipment available to pull the motor, the customer and I agreed to try a low-budget fix first before going through the hassle of having the truck brought to the shop, rental, downtime, big labor bill, etc. So I drained the transmission, removed the case bolts, loosened the engine mounts and split the case open about an inch, then sprayed brake clean between the case halves and brushed/poured this thick brown gasket maker I found at an auto parts store (Permatex?) into the space making sure it contacted as much of the mating surfaces as possible. Reassembled, refilled, and leak was gone. As far as I know it's still holding up. If the pan will drop a half inch you could try this approach? Sure doesn't make a lot of sense spending tons of $$$ on a low value vehicle.

Bill

 

[imp]

It is entirely possible to permanently stop leaking pan gaskets (and others) by carefully cleaning all dirt and oil off the block and pan flange, and inside the space between the pan and block with as stiff brush. Gasoline works, but non flammable solvent is safer.

Use good room temperature curing Silicone Rubber; the Black Permatex Silicone is good as any. Run a bead of it all the way around the cleaned surface using a fingertip. Let it cure thoroughly, 24 hours. Run it awhile, check for tiny leaks, if any, clean area with solvent well, dab on silicone, it sticks to itself better than anything else.

imp

 

[jremington59]

I spent a couple hours today cleaning things up good so I can see for sure where the leak is from. I'm considering pulling the intake and replacing that and the valve cover gaskets first. There's a couple spots where you can't see and I'd like to be certain. On another note, as I was cleaning things up I noticed antifreeze dripping off the front cross member/radiator mount, lol. It just never ends. So I took it down to my friends garage and put it on the lift and neither of us could see anywhere it could be leaking. Am I correct that the intake can leak both oil or antifreeze? I'm guessing it could be a small leak on the underside of the water pump cover but it wasn't visible, nor was it anywhere else. What next, lol? This is going to be a fight to get to 300,000.

 

[delexploder]

If its on your 97 look at the oil filter adaptor, the early 96/97 5.0s had what I consider a stupid oil cooler setup with a water passage hooked to the adapter,

 

[jremington59]

I have the 97 with the 96 engine so I probably have the setup you describe. But the leak seems to be opposite of the oil filter side. Although I guess it can run across the cross member. I did notice there is a hose in that area.

 

[morbid81]

The oil pan was a stupid design by ford having to pull the engine to replace a gasket my 5.0 is leaking a half a quart between oil changes unless its pooling on the ground I wouldn't worry about it. As for the Antifreeze leak the intake would leak that . But you said its opposite the oil filter. My wifes had a coolant leak and I couldnt find its source anywhere but when I did locate it it was the seam on the corner or the radiator i have read these are notorious for this. The coolants was collecting in the splash guard and never hitting the ground so check there if you havent already. Also your rear main maybe leaking as well as X's are notorious for that but that requires and transmission drop to replace.

 

[jremington59]

This is getting aggravating. I spent hours reaching my hand up into the area above the pan gasket digging off the years of built up oil and sludge so I could see where it's leaking. After doing all this I started it and layed under there watching for around an hour with it running and saw no leaks. So I let it set for a few hours and still nothing. And then this morning there's still no oil leaking. So I guess when I was digging off the sludge I must have pressed some into the area that was leaking. The good thing is I guess it rules out the intake, valve covers and head gasket. If you do have a leak it's a lot easier to see everything at night with a good flashlight then it is during the day. I guess I'll just drive it until I start smelling oil again.

 

[Turdle]

This is good to read.

After driving around a while be sure to recheck. All engines have a small amount of "blow by" , so, a load on the engine, going up a steep hill for instance, may force engine gasses into the crank case faster than the PCV can vent it off. This is when most (leaky) engines actually "leak" oil through a weak gasket. Have you checked the oil pan bolts --re torqued them? You can. Just don't go too tight.