Clogged Oil Pump Screen-can I backflush?

[gijoecam]

I know that the manual does state to remove the motor to get the pan off and had wondered if you can do it by dropping the front diff, but you would think that even with droppind the front diff being a PITA, it certainly would be better than removing the engine??? Why wouldn't the shop manual suggest that?

I'm not seeing that in the factory service manual... not sure what manual you're looking at, but here's what I'm seeing:

Oil Pan


Removal

On All Vehicles
1. Check vehicle ride height. For additional information, refer to «Section 204-05».

2. Raise and support the vehicle. For additional information, refer to «Section 100-02».

µ 3. Drain the engine oil and reinstall the drain plug.

4. Remove both front torsion bars. For additional information, refer to «Section 204-01A» (Front Suspension—4x2) or «Section 204-01B» (Front Suspension—4x4).

For 4WD Vehicles
µ 5. Disconnect the front driveshaft CV joint and position aside.

µ 6. Disconnect the axle vent tube.

µ 7. Support the axle with a suitable jack.

µ 8. Note:
Front driveshaft removed for clarity.

Remove the left front axle-to-frame bolt.

µ 9. Note:
Front driveshaft removed for clarity.

Remove the two axle-to-frame bolts. Lower the axle to just rest on the lower control arms.

On All Vehicles
10. Remove the starter motor. For additional information, refer to «Section 303-06».

µ 11. Remove the bolts.

µ 12. Remove the bolts and the nuts.

µ 13. Remove the oil pan and the gasket.

Could it be that no matter what you can't get enough clearence to get the pump and sump off to get the pan off????

Has anyone removed the pan w/o taking the motor out?

I've heard that on *some* vehicles, it's sometimes possible to loosen all the pan bolts, drop the pan far enough to reach up in there, and remove the oil pickup bolts and just drop the pickup into the pan and slide it out. Not sure if you'll be able to do that with a 4.0 OHV or not... Never tried it myself.

 

[reserved50]

I didnt read all that yet I got to run out but I was saying after he cleans the screen(if its still intact) to run flush incase more sludge, if that is the problem, to keep it from gumming up later on and having to remove the pan again, anyways, I guess we can wait and see what it was

I went back and skimmed some over I did not say to run flush to clear the screen at all, that was your statement, I would run flush after the screen is cleared by hand or with "carb cleaner", but I think pouring engine cleaner in there with no oil and letting it sit might dissolve some of the buildup if there was any.

OMG last edit, you keep running around your answers in circles, so when you said to clear the screen and put it back together you were assuming he had to do this a few times? I was saying save yourself the trouble and punch a hole in the screen to avoid doing this a few times then run an engine flush

 

[Bigg_billy]

A very good way to figure if the engine is sludged up is to remove a valve cover and have a look, if it's caked up, good chance the rest is too. Of course it probably isn't any easier in these crates to take the valve cover off than it is to raise the engine and pull the pan.........

 

[cfd911]

sludge

i also agree billy, he ll either have to take off a valve cover to see if it is a sludge problem, and if it is then drop the pan, clean the screen and spray some cleaner into the pick up tube and clean it out and try and remove as much as possible.....then prefill the oil filter prior to installation.
i personally would put 1/2 can of seafoam into the 5 qts of fresh oil , and try and start the SOB and see if it helps bring up the oil pressure, if it does great then run it at idle till you get it to operating temputure theN again change the oil again DON T LET THE ENGINE COOL AND LET THE CRAP SETTLE TO THE BOTTOM.... change the oil and filter 1 more time and keep an eye on the guage drive the truck without seafoam in the 2nd oil change.
run it for a week and change it again.....

 

[Bigg_billy]

A reason to pull the valve covers is that sometimes the sludge will flake off and block the return passages thus holding your oil up in the valve covers and starving your pump. This is extreme but it happens. When I was younger I always had an extra engine ready to go in my hot rods, if you find heavy sludging you might want to line one up...

 

[rmcknight]

can you get some sort of small wire light like a single led in through the drain hole and have a little look in there?

 

[Psmyth]

I just took the sump/oil pan off my '97 explorer. Read everywhere that you had to lift the engine. I didn't and it came off no problem.

Mine is a '97 4x4 4.0L SOHC.

 

[gijoecam]

Holy raised-from-the-dead thread!!

No reason to do anything other than remove the bolts on the SOHC.