Should i pull motor?
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Southern California
Should i pull motor?
96 f150 2wd 300 e40d, truck runs and shifts great but it leaks a good amount of oil. I know the oil pan gaskets real bad, looks also like the rear mains probably leaking. The valve cover and the side cover has signs of oil leaking and i'm pretty sure the intake manifold has some kind of issue because their is no stud in the vary back hole of the manifold. The tranny needs a new main seal but thats about it.
So, what would you do?
So, what would you do?
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2010
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How much oil does it need in 1000 miles? If you can get by on 1 quart it doese't require any work!!!
Check the oil pressure using a mechanical gauge to verify the condition of the bearings.
Check the compression to verify the conditions of the valves and rings.
If the motor is basically sound I would change the seals and gaskits you can get at and let the rest stay (like a rear main) until it's time for the overhaul.
An oldtime service manager at an international dealership once pointed out that oil is only $1. per quart (at that time) so it would take major consumpton to make a dent in the operating budget.
Check the oil pressure using a mechanical gauge to verify the condition of the bearings.
Check the compression to verify the conditions of the valves and rings.
If the motor is basically sound I would change the seals and gaskits you can get at and let the rest stay (like a rear main) until it's time for the overhaul.
An oldtime service manager at an international dealership once pointed out that oil is only $1. per quart (at that time) so it would take major consumpton to make a dent in the operating budget.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2011
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From: Clitherall, MN.
You know, with the price of oil these days I would pull it and do what ever was needed.Kind of a git er done sorta thing.At the end of the year your gonna have a $40 oil stain in the driveway. Thats your gaskets and whatnot rite there.
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Senior User
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From: Southern California
I appreciated the feed back. I was leaning toward pulling it as kind of a preventative maintenance thing. I get the fact that its a lot of work considering its not leaking a ton, but if i do a comp check and a oil pressure check and all looks good, pulling it and replacing the exterior things should help keep it running good longer. I dont want to pull the head and get into it that far unless their is an issue. The truck has 196,xxx on it, I know thats a lot, but if the comp check is good couldnt i just fix all the little issues, clean it up and put it back in. Ive read these motors like to run for a long time if well kept.
Also, if i were to pull it, is their anything else I should replace while its out.... like the timing gear?..
Thanks
-Jesse
Also, if i were to pull it, is their anything else I should replace while its out.... like the timing gear?..
Thanks
-Jesse
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: long island
if your gonna pull it you might as well rebuild it, or atleast have the head rebuilt. the valve cover gasket is easily done without removal. the oil pan gasket can also be done without removal, but thats more of a pain in the ***. the rear main can be done by pulling the tranny, cant it? pump it up with some leak stop and get by for as long as you can. if the oil stains in the street/driveway dont bother you, then i wouldnt bother pulling a motor.
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Senior User
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From: Southern California
If i was going to rebuild it i would just get a junkyard motor and rebuild that then swap it in when it was ready but this thing runs good, just leaks too much... seems like a waste of money.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 21,437
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From: Gilbert, PA
if your gonna pull it you might as well rebuild it, or atleast have the head rebuilt. the valve cover gasket is easily done without removal. the oil pan gasket can also be done without removal, but thats more of a pain in the ***. the rear main can be done by pulling the tranny, cant it? pump it up with some leak stop and get by for as long as you can. if the oil stains in the street/driveway dont bother you, then i wouldnt bother pulling a motor.
jack the engine to the moon to replace the pan gasket
and lay on your belly replacing the valve covers
OR pull the engine and do everything off a engine stand
HMMMMMMM I would pull the engine
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I would look the head over real well. I just rebuilt the head on my 300 @ 220,000 miles. Started missing. Discovered the exhaust seats were all shot, especially #2 and #3. Wouldn't be hard to pull the head with it out, and if it doesn't need to be rebuilt, you get a good look inside and a new head gasket. It failed a leakdown test, but it had good compression check numbers.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 721
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From: Monmouth County, NJ
91 with a similar problem. I go through 5 quarts in 1,000 miles due to leakage. I have a dirt driveway, so I don't really care where the oil goes, but I do care it's not in the engine. Especially since it costs nearly $4 a quart now.
You'd be surprised how loose some of the various gasket bolts can get without being touched. I have some that are missing entirely just from getting loose and falling out.
I'm pulling mine, albeit for other reasons. It has about 500,000 on it and has a little piston slap, a lot of valvetrain noise, and poor oil delivery. I've taken StumpPuller's advice and bought a junkyard motor. It has about 200k by my estimate and when I opened it up, it had the original honing marks and the timing gears were original but looked new. I won't be rebuilding it. The 300, even as venerated as it is, is still underrated IMO. Anyway, I was able to remove about half the valve cover bolts by hand. So just make sure everything's tight before you go nuts with gaskets, especially the thicker ones like the oil pan and valve cover.
You'd be surprised how loose some of the various gasket bolts can get without being touched. I have some that are missing entirely just from getting loose and falling out.
I'm pulling mine, albeit for other reasons. It has about 500,000 on it and has a little piston slap, a lot of valvetrain noise, and poor oil delivery. I've taken StumpPuller's advice and bought a junkyard motor. It has about 200k by my estimate and when I opened it up, it had the original honing marks and the timing gears were original but looked new. I won't be rebuilding it. The 300, even as venerated as it is, is still underrated IMO. Anyway, I was able to remove about half the valve cover bolts by hand. So just make sure everything's tight before you go nuts with gaskets, especially the thicker ones like the oil pan and valve cover.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,118
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From: South Dakota
Were the timing gears both steel? I've read where those 300s had a fiber camshaft timing gear(the big one) and it would shear it's teeth in time. If it has the fiber timing gear, I would strongly suggest putting in new timing gears.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 721
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From: Monmouth County, NJ
Surprisingly, they were both steel. I assumed that all later model motors had fiber gears, but I think it was more of a light-duty/ heavy-duty thing. The new motor is from an '89 Econoline 350, so I guess that's why it had steel gears. They both looked new, with no noticeable wear to any of the teeth. I'm seriously amazed at how friggin "clean" this motor was. The only thing I'll be replacing is the oil pump, not cuz it's worn but just cuz I can.
I know I'm totally hijacking this thread, but a question for the 300 fans here. My truck is a 91 but a PO put a 79 motor in it and ghetto-converted it to EFI. Do you know anyone here on FTE that can point out where air hoses, etc., are supposed to go?
I know I'm totally hijacking this thread, but a question for the 300 fans here. My truck is a 91 but a PO put a 79 motor in it and ghetto-converted it to EFI. Do you know anyone here on FTE that can point out where air hoses, etc., are supposed to go?
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Senior User
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From: Southern California
Ok.... So I think pulling is the answer for me. Now say comp and oil checks are good. Should I take the head off and have it done? And if the comp Check is good and the cylinders look ok should I just not worry about rings? Last question where do I get a steel tooth cam gear assuming mine is the plastic crap?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: long island
yeah if he wanted to fix it, he should pull it. but i just thought he could leave everything alone and be alright for a while. good luck to the OP with whatever he decides to do!
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