Oil Pan Dropping Problem

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Mar 21, 2005 | 03:00 PM

hokeypokey31

Thread Starter

Senior User

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 106

Likes: 0

From: Scottsville, VA

Oil Pan Dropping Problem

Well my 1980 Ford F-150 has been losing oil pressure and not just when warm. I know the bearings are wore but still it should have more than 10 lbs of oil pressure. LOL. Well anyways I've already bought a pump, a pan gasket and also decided to do the lifter galley cover. It's a 300 straight. I proceeded to pull the bolts diligently one by one assuming the oil pan would lower and tilt enough to be removed. Apparently I suffer from analmyopia and now I have a loose oil pan with nothing to raise the motor from. How can I raise this thing up 3 inches since I don't have an engine hoist or a cherry picker? 3 inches is enough right?

Help please.

Also when I do my valve cover I'm going to switch to big block chevrolet rocker arms. These work fine I've been told but there were never many details. Is it really the same stud size?

Shane
Hokey Pokey

Mar 21, 2005 | 04:17 PM

RyanMiller

Elder User

Joined: Jul 2004

Posts: 715

Likes: 0

From: Long island NY

to get the oil pan down, you have to unbolt the engine from the mounts, and jack it up.. i think you have to loosen the trans mount bolts too.

Mar 21, 2005 | 04:38 PM

hokeypokey31

Thread Starter

Senior User

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 106

Likes: 0

From: Scottsville, VA

what do I use to jack it up?

The oil pan is completely loose and if I try to jack it from the pan it'll warp the pan since it's not secured.

loosen the transmounts too?

Mar 21, 2005 | 05:04 PM

RyanMiller

Elder User

Joined: Jul 2004

Posts: 715

Likes: 0

From: Long island NY

jack it from the front damper pully, with a block of wood on the jack so it dosnt scratch it. i havnt done it myself, so im not sure that you have to unbolt the trans, but i have changed the gasket, and i managed too do it without unbolting the engine.

Mar 21, 2005 | 06:11 PM

MontanaFord

Elder User

Joined: Nov 2003

Posts: 752

Likes: 0

From: Kalispell, MT

i tried pulling the oil pan on my 83 f-250 2wd, once upon a time, and found that even with the oil pan completely loose and dropped down/back against the dust cover for the tranny, i still needed another 3-4 inches to clear the tranny to remove the oil pan...i never did take the oil pan out, but the simplest solution, at least to me, at the time, would have been to completely drop the tranny away from the engine....yeah, i know...lots of work....that's why i didn't do it...lol....short of finding a cherry picker to lift the engine, picking the engine up by the damper pully is probably your best bet...

MontanaFord

Mar 21, 2005 | 10:26 PM

63redtudor

Senior User

Joined: Jun 2004

Posts: 305

Likes: 1

I didn't have to loosen my tranny mount bolts, but I removed the engine mount bolts (the 8 on the frame). Just jack the engine up by the balancer like RyanMiller said. You'll have to wiggle the pan around a bit, but it will come out.
Big block chevy rocker arms work for the 300, but you'll need the 7/16" studs, not the 3/8" like you have. Don't get rid of them yet, the next time you pull the head for any work, get the screw in studs (3/8 into the head, the stud is 7/16"). Check on www.fordsix.com, a couple of guys have done it there.
Edwin