Getting ready to attempt to change it, I bought an oil pump as well but not sure if I'm up to lifting the motor without help. Truck is a 96 f150 4.9 auto.

Can I clean the screen on the pick up tube without lifting the motor and just dropping the pan?

If I decide to change the pump, is it as simple and taking both motor mounts out and jacking up the motor? Where do I need to place the jack to lift?

 

Sorry can't help you on this one. hopefully someone with a bit more knowledge will chime in. I will ask though is there a reason you are changing the pump. Does it not work? Or are you concerned there are parts of the gaskets clogged in there?

 

I'm following along as well hoping someone with more knowledge will chime in as well.

That said, I'm assuming he's changing the oil pump because once you have that pan off, well, you may as well change a wear item - I intend to do the same when I drop mine.

Worst part for me is that I shouldn't even need to...but my darn distributor gear came off and fell into the sump...ugh.

 

I changed my gasket some time ago. I did lift the engine. Mark the location of the hood hinges and removed the hood, hooked on to the top ring above the valve cover with a come along to my metal carport. Removed the motor mounts bolts and lifted as high as I could go. I used the blue felpro gasket. I dropped the pan but the I Beams where in the way. I could get my hand inside but not enough to reach the oil pump. I remember easing the gasket under the pump then seated the the gasket on the block.

I think if I did it again I would not raise the engine. The gasket stretches since its made of rubber so therefore it could be installed by gently stretching around the flange of the pan then onto the block. YOUR CALL.

To change the oil pump the pan needs to be dropped completely. Without removing the engine can't be done. The transmission will stop the engine in about 6 inches anyway.

If the pump ON THE TRUCK is good then bring the one you bought back TO THE STORE.

 

So the pan won't come completely off with the motor lifted????

 

do you have a garage, and a lot of time?

I dont have a garage, and started on mine before it rained, and had to finish changing the gasket, laying in the mud, by myself. the weather never did get any better. it took me about 2 weeks to change it, mainly because I was waiting for it to dry up outside.

if you have a motor lift/hoist, good. you'll need that, unbolt the motor mounts and jack the engine up. I ended up replacing both motor mounts, because they were in pieces.

just watch out for the wiper motor, dont jack the engine up any higher than that,

dropping the pan and removing the gasket wont be a problem, its putting it back together that is a problem, getting enough room to put the new gasket in, becomes the problem.

you'll almost always get the whole gasket on without taking the oil pan off/ not jacking the motor up, I tried that way, but the gasket always ended up falling inside the oil pan,

dont remove the pickup tube if you dont have to, I thought I might gain some clearance by removing the pickup tube, to remove the oil pan, it did/didn't help and was a pain to get back in.

I would recommend getting the Fel-Pro gasket that has the oil pan 'keeper screws' with it, and I would also suggest , getting a second pack of those, makes it 10x easier, it holds the oil pan gasket in place while your getting the screws back in the oil pan, you can order extra ones through o'rileys.

I have a 5 speed, and I also had to unbolt the transmission mount, and use a floor jack and a flat piece of scrap wood , to jack the transmission up some, before the whole oil pan would come out. without the oil pan out of the way, you'll have a hard time cleaning the bottom of the block, and installing the new oil pan gasket,

good luck, its tough , wouldnt do it again,

 

Nope. The lowest point (drain plug) of the pan is stuck between the transmission and the I-beams. You can't lift the engine that high to pull it out. The top of the tranny hits the bottom of the firewall. That's all anyone could do without removing the engine.

 

That is the gasket I bought. Thanks 88 Ford

 

I have an automatic tranny and most likely the bell housing is larger on the automatic as compared to a standard. So I could not get my pan out.

 

Some encouragement ................

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ng-engine.html

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...placement.html

 

I planned on doing it without lifting the engine just for the gasket and then decided to change the pump as well. I've had the parts sitting in tool box for a month, waiting for time to do it. I guess I'll do it without lifting the engine and take the pump back and save up for a shop to do it when it does go out. Can I clean the pick up screen, without or with the engine lifted ?

 

Also, how do you replace the oil pan then? I'm failing to see the point of lifting the motor if you can replace the gasket without doing so..... If you can't remove the pan or pump.. shouldn't be an reason to lift the motor.

 

Ya right about no point in lifting the engine. I probably would not do it either if I had to do it again. I did it the first time because that's what I read on this site.

"Can I clean the pick up screen, without or with the engine lifted ?" Might be difficult because the distance between the pan and block, when you drop the pan, will only be a few inches if that. With the engine lifted I could get my arm up to my elbow in there from the front and some from the sides.

"Also, how do you replace the oil pan then?" My best guess is to pull the engine. Hard to say. Someone else might chime in.

I'm writing this from memory and like I said it's been awhile. Something like 77K - 80K miles is when I replaced the gasket and I now have 226K miles on her now. I'm starting to see seepage but no drips. So I'll continue to watch and change the gasket when it gets to bad.

 

hopefully you will get lucky and you wont have to lift the motor or the transmission,

I tried to replace the oil pan gasket without removing the oil pan, where its sits wedged between the engine block and crossmember, almost impossible for me to get the gasket in, actually no, it was impossible to do it that way.

but I did try several different times, getting the gasket lined up, and then bolting the oil pan back on, and everytime, without the oil pan out of the way, the oil pan gasket would either not line up all the way around the block, or would fall inside the oil pan,

also the directions say to put black oil resistant rtv near the flat spots on the sides of the block, if you dont clean the block where the oil pan gasket sits, if might not seal. just my opinion....

the reason for lifting the motor, lift the transmission, in my case, is that it made it easier to put the oil pan gasket on, once the oil pan is out of the way.....

you can get the gasket off without doing that, but it will be really tough to put it back on.

between the cross member and the oil pan there isnt enough clearance to do the job/remove the oil pan,

once you unbolt the oil pan, you'll see why, where it sits wedged between the motor and crossmember, how much fun there is to be had.....

barley enough room to remove the oil pan out WITH the motor and transmission lifted btw........

if you dont have to, if its not leaking that bad I wouldn't.... its that big of a deal. I wouldnt even attempt to do it, without at least lifting the motor.

I also unbolted my starter, just to get a little bit more clearance to remove the oil pan,

read the manual for steps on removing the pan for a automatic tranmission, its the same as a straight drive.

it might be easier to drop the transmission out, than lifting the motor..... not saying to do that, but even though its automatic, there should be some bolts you can remove , then take a floor jack and a piece of flat scrap wood, and lift the transmission up slightly, with the motor lifted, and transmission lifted, you'll have just enough room to remove the pan. haha.

at the very least, the manual says to lift the motor......

it seems like a easy job, just change the oil pan gasket, but the way it sits on top of the crossmember, there really isnt enough room to do the job,

if you do it without removing the pan, 9 times out of 10, it wont line up, or you'll drop the gasket in the pan, and the gasket will have oil all over it, you'll have to fish it back outside of the pan, and try to line it up again, before the rtv gasket maker sets up on the block.....

thats why..........

 

not trying to discourage you from trying to change the gasket without lifting the motor,

but you may be disappointed at how difficult it is to do, without.