I have a bad oil leak near the rear of the pan. Of course the oil is all over the place so it's hard to pin point the exact location of the leak. I'm thinking either the rear area of the oil pan or the rear main seal but I'm going to try cleaning it off with a pressure washer and using some dye and a uv light to see if I can pinpoint it better. My 68 has a 79 351w out of an LTD. The panther body cars had that goofy double sump oil pan. My crossmember is below the smaller front hump the I have 3 fingers, about 2 1/2", there. I'm wondering if 2 1/2" is enough to clear the crank and oil pump pick up and get the pan off? Or might I have to lift the motor some to get the pan off? I figure if I can get the pan off I'll change the rear main seal too in case it's the problem.

 

On a Windsor the crank centerline is even with the pan rail... unlike an FE where the crank is fully skirted by the block and the main caps are inserted into the block.... That's why FEs are considered heavy duty engines... the Windsor not so.

You may be able to undo the pan and disconnect the oil pump pick up without lifting the engine... it'd be a total PITA though.

 

Doubt you can get the pan off without having to jack the motor. The pump is in the short sump area and the pickup tube runs to the deep section. It will be tight if you don't have to jack the motor. Typically the pickup tube is also bolted to one of the main studs(#4?) so the pump won't drop off the block once loosened like a typical truck motor pan would.

 

I had to r&r the pan on a 88 F150 with a 302, A real PITA. You will need to wedge 2x4s under the mounts. Getting the oil pump re engaged while reaching over the oil pan and working blind was no fun. The pan has to be laying on the frame before the pump and screen are re mounted. You will probably going to need a GO JO bath by the time you finished.

 

When I pulled mine this past summer I had to jack up the engine and place 1" blocks between the motor mounts and the towers. Then I had to take the pickup off and then the pump ( inside the pan ) to get the pan off. BIG FUN.

 

I was thinking I might try that. Is the pan strong enough to place a block of wood on the floor jack and lift?

 

That's what I did. I used a 1"x6"x8" piece of wood. I just went slow and made sure the pan could take it.

 

Well I pulled the motor mount pins and lifted the motor about 2" until the bell housing hit the cab. It allowed me to drop the pan about 4". The oil pickup wasn't allowing me remove the pan so I was able to twist the pan sideways enough to remove the pickup. Still couldn't get the pan off. It would hit the bell housing. So I dropped the steering linkage and was finally able to drop the back of the pan to clear the bell housing except as I tipped the back of the pan downward the front of the pan pivots upward and gets hung up on the motor, RRRRR. Now I'm going to have to make a bunch more disconnections so I can lift the motor more. At least I won't have to lift the motor all the way out, just enough that I can get that damn pan off. I'm going to do the rear crank seal too even though it might not be leaking.

 

Try turning the crankshaft, the counter weights may be the problem. Have you tried pulling the pan forward ?

 

its catching on the pump at the front and it's a rear sump pan (deep at the rear) so it can't go forward past the crossmember.

 

You can unbolt the oil pump, that should help. It is a little tricky to remount the pump in relation to drive rod. One other sugesstion, try to locate the pan that would be the correct one for your application along with the pickup tube.

 

2X. I've been there with a 351W 1977 Dent that originally had a 302.

OP, don't forget 302 and 351W take different pans. Bolt pattern is different.

 

I bought a new pan like the one pictured. it's still a rear sump and front and back depth is the same but it doesn't rise up in the middle and doesn't require a front drain plug like the Panther body pan. If I ever get some days off I'll finish this job. Lots of overtime this time of year and moneys good but a guy starts to get behind with stuff at home.

 

Good news is I got it high enough to pull the oil pan without actually pulling the motor. Replaced my rear main seal. Fun job getting the top half rope seal out and I replaced it with a neoprene two pc. Bad news is I couldn't get the new pan on. I needed that dip up in the center of the old pan (see post 1) in order to slide it back on. Oh well. I'll hang on to the new pan in case I pull the motor some day.

 

Well at least you got the leak fixed.