True. I will drain it and try to seal it that way. I'm going to order a new pan tonight. But replacing it obviously isn't a 5 minute project so it might have to wait a bit until I have time to do it. I am a Senior in college so I'm busy with all the stuff associated with that and lack the time to rip into it. Which is why I wanted to make it wait until summer when I can just pull the engine.

 

I had the exact problem on my '92, 300.

I ended up draining the oil, let it sit for a day, used brake cleaner, wire brush, sandpaper to remove as much rust, paint and oil I could.

After it SAT for a day, I then used the fiberglass Bondo gel. That held for years. It was rock hard!!

​​​​​Just my $.02.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

Well, as a last ditch effort I took some permatex "The Right Stuff" gasket maker and smeared it on like a coating of pudding. Once it set up it is hard. I went and looked this morning and there's not a single drop of oil under the truck this morning. So I will keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't. This fix should last at least a couple months or so until I'm done with this semester of school and have some time to actually do an oil pan. In the mean time, it's not my daily driver either so that will help it in being exposed to salt and road grime.

I'm planning to pull the motor and replace manifolds and rear main while I'm at it. I'll go ahead and pull the motor out when I start repairing the body rust this summer. I'm going to start ordering some patch panels and getting a couple good fenders on hand. Then when it warms up I will get to it.

 

The Right Stuff will probably work.......I've got a 72 Nova and years ago, it started leaking oil at the stupidly designed Chevy front pan seal......about a week before the first rod run of the season......due to work schedule, I was not going to have time to pull the motor and reseal the pan.....got under there and found it had blown the entire rubber front pan seal completely out, leaving a 6" long x 1/4" wide gap........Broke out a couple of cans of brake cleaner and cleaned it all up good......shot the Right Stuff in the gap and let it set for a couple of days to cure.......it's still that way LOL.......Never dreamed when I did it that it would last more than a few hundred miles.........

 

When I had my 95 w/ 302 i had the same issue. Ended up draining the oil, cleaned the trouble spot and used a steel gas tank repair kit. It lasted for 5 years of daily driving. 170,000 to 250,000 miles.

 

No can do on the repairs. There's too many pin holes and everything I put on finally got soaked with oil and started peeling off like dead skin. I guess it was just too far gone. So I pulled the truck into the barn tonight and willl start pulling the engine soon. I'll throw a new rear main seal and manifolds on it while I'm at it. Anything else I should replace while I have it out? I was able to see the cylinders when I dropped it for a pan gasket and they still have very visible cross hatching at 160k miles, so I think everything should still be tight in the engine. However, it's gonna be out, so should I put new rings and bearing in it? I'm thinking leave it alone since it's all tight still....

 

i would not bother with bearings if oil pressure is good, the miles are still low.
i would however put new glow plugs in, and send the injectors to Jim at rosewood diesel for a checking over. then once you get the injectors back install under valve cover gaskets and wire harness connectors.
check the plenums for warpage, and maybe put a set of RiffRaff plenum inserts in, or a set of billet plenums. then put new boots between the spyder and plenums.
these are the hard to get at with the engine in the truck pieces.
while it is apart is a good time to put an intercooler in too.

 

It's a 5.8L. I wish it was a 250 with the powerstroke, but it's still a great old truck.

 

aw crap on a cracker. i thought we were in the powerstroke forum. sorry about that.
yea, with 160k on a 351 i would inspect the bearings while the pan is off.
possibly slack in the timing chain too

 

It's all good! I'll take a peak at the bearings and timing chain for sure. Timing chains are cheap, I might just go ahead and replace that while I'm there.

 

I just went through the same thing with my 94 F150 5.0. While i had it apart I replaced the oil pump, the oil pressure sending unit, the starter, that tube that attaches to the back of each cylinder head, PS pump and hoses, and some other stuff. What a pain it was, but its all good now.

 

Well, I decided not to pull the engine. I jacked it up and slid the pan out. And it's not much further than that in its current state. I put the oil pump back on and that's where I left it before heading in tonight. Tomorrow I will push the pan up into place off the crossmember where it's sitting now and bolt it in. Then drop the motor back on down on the cross memeber. You guys were right, this definitely isn't a fun job. It's not the worst thing I've ever done to a vehicle, but it's definitely the the most fun either.

I decided not to pull the motor because everything was coming a part like a major pain in the *** due to the rust. I'd never be able to get the tubes off the back of the heads. And by the grace of god I got the motor mount nuts off because they were tight as hell from the rust. I soaked in penetrating oil and heated them and they still barely came off. They got ruined on their way out too since I even had to use a large bolt out on one. At least they're off though, and I can just get some new nuts for it from the hardware store.

Additionally, I took off the plenum to allow it to be jacked up and removed the fan and radiator to allow access to the front. I don't have a problem reaching anything, it's just a project to say the least.

 

It's done. It definitely wasn't a fun project and luckily it's not my DD so I could take my time. It's possible to do it in a weekend as I'm sure some of you have done, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a hoist. I have all the specialty tools, air tools, engine hoist, etc and and it took me three days to do it over the course of two weeks. Last Friday I took off the radiator, intake, and engine mount nuts. Saturday I got the pan out, and Sunday I put the new one in. Today I drilled out the rusted off exhaust studs for the y pipe to attach. Well, I cut them out with a torch then drilled the slag away. I don't envy anyone who has to drill them all completely out because they don't have a torch because they would take a LONG time. I then put everything back on and poured fresh fluids in. It started up and of course, no oil leak now since it's a brand new pan.

Im extremely happy I don't have to worry about the oil seeping anymore, but yeah, not a fun project. Either way, it paid off so that's something you have to look forward to if you decide to tackle it yourself.

One more thing, don't even try it yourself if you don't have a garage or shop to work in, and I already have some, but if you don't, do yourself a favor and buy a rail of swivel sockets for the pan bolts, you'll be happy you did. Putting a universal on a regular socket works but it makes it too long to work really well.

 

i am not looking forward to this on my 88 as soon as it get warmer here.
difference is i am pulling the nose and cab before i pull the engine because the cab is shot. so since this is a 75% restoration i am pulling the engine to re-gasket it before putting the new cab back on.
only problem is that pushing 61 years old i do not bend like i used to, and getting up off the floor is a chore these days.

 

Well good luck! Luckily with taking all of that off, you shouldn't have too much bending to do. I was tired of getting up and down off the creeper over and over again. If I had a nickel for every time I did that over the course of the project I could afford to just do a full resto on it haha.