Need to replace valve cover and oil pan gaskets....advice please!!!

[kgbmatey]

Okay, a little backround first. Bought my daughter her first car...2000 Explorer Sport.....and basically I got beat bad. I just had tranny rebuilt and want to take care of oil leaks before handing over the keys. Mechanic told me valve cover gaskets are leaking and oil pan leaking as well. Its a 4.0 v6. I have manual and am pretty handy.....my questions are..... how big a project am I looking at?? I am guessing valve cover gaskets will be time consuming for my first time.....but how about oil pan gasket?? I am confused as to wether engine needs to be removed/lifted or not?? Please give any advice or info....PLEASE!!
Thanks in advance!!

 

[AlexSport'00]

Is it the SOHC or the OHV? I also have an '00 sport, with the OHV engine. Valve cover gaskets are time consuming but easy; I did them and it was my first venture into an engine. The oil pan, however, has to have the engine removed to change it. Idk about the SOHC engine though. (Both are 4.0 V6's, btw.)

 

[kgbmatey]

sorry... its SOHC

 

[windsors03cobra]

Advice: do the valve covers gaskets and see how bad it still leaks oil.
Make a decision later about yes (engine removal) to change the pan gasket. Which is the only way to do the oil pan properly.

When you do the valve cover gaskets which most basic mechanical people should be able to do on that simplistic engine. Glue the gaskets on with a good black gasket sealer and or 3M weatherstrip adhesive. And let it cure for 12-20 hours before running the engine and getting everything oily and slippery.
No sense in changing the gaskets and still having a leak.

 

[kgbmatey]

Thanks everybody!! Definately gonna do valve covers first....then will decide on oil pan! Somebody awhile back told me to check if bolts just need to be tightened.... so I will cross my fingers on that...lol btw, was told valve cover leak is the worse of the two and with oil leaking on exhaust....def needs to be done!!

 

[AlexSport'00]

Glue the gaskets on with a good black gasket sealer and or 3M weatherstrip adhesive.

Yes, make sure it's black, and not orange like I used. It'll save you from issues later. Engines hate orange.
haha just kidding, color shouldn't matter. I think mine was 3M. It's worked like a charm. And after you fix this issue you get to find out that it wasn't the only leak, which is always fun...sorta...

 

[snoranger]

Hey neighbor. Where in Jackson are you?


The SOHC has a 2 piece pan. Is it the upper or lower gasket leaking? The lower pan can be removed without lifting the engine.

 

[kgbmatey]

Thanks again everybody!!!
Snoranger.... I live in Harfield Development off of New prospect. You? And I did read about the 2piece pan in the manual....but to be honest I havent personally looked into the problem yet, so I am not really sure.

 

[snoranger]

Just south of Aldrich on South New prospect.

 

[ranger7ltr]

Advice: do the valve covers gaskets and see how bad it still leaks oil.
Make a decision later about yes (engine removal) to change the pan gasket. Which is the only way to do the oil pan properly.

Wouldn't it be easier to drop the pan out the bottom if the truck is 2wd? I know that is how I did mine when I replaced the oil pump and cleaned the sludge out of the pan...

And I agree on gluing the valve cover gaskets into place...I just did my lower intake gasket this past weekend thanks to a huge blowout and coolant leak and I didn't use ultra black on the gaskets... Guess what I am taking apart in the morning???

This is a picture of the underside of my truck and the oil pan... I have installed the pan on the new engine and removed it from the old engine with the engine in the truck...And I know the SOHC engine has a 2 piece pan but the basic bottom block is the same...

 

[windsors03cobra]

That does look pretty nice and wide open, Its nice when they are like that. I've had quite a few on my lift but I have never actually worked on a 2wd Xploder.
Do you have to hoist the motor a bit to slide the pan out or no ?

Nice looking oil pan.
The Ultra Black is the only way to go along with proper curing of said sealant.

 

[ranger7ltr]

No lifting needed...

I did not have to move the engine at all to remove the oil pan... Just remove the starter, remove the bolts, drop the pan down and slide it a bit forward and remove the oil pan...

And i think I need to make certain the valve covers are flat...My current ones have paint ridges on the mating surfaces and even with Ultra Black on new gaskets the passenger side valve cover leaks still...