Can anyone give me some idea of what all might be involved in removeing the oil pan from my '03, E-350, 6.8L?
Got an oil temp gauge, and the pan is the only place I can figure to put the sending unit.
Thanks, Rob

 

Why not tee off the oil pressure sender ???

 

Removing the oil pan is NOT a simple exercise and you will not like the access it might provide for the oil temp sending unit for your gage.

The V10 has a oil pressure switch. Mine is right behind the power steering pump on drivers side. Right behind it is the large silver aluminum casting that is attached to the side of the block and provides the oil back to the filter housing. In there is the pressure switch. Track this sensor down down and use a tee adapter in that location to add your new temp sending unit. No pan removal necessary. I do not think a human can get to either oil galley port on the back of each head unless the motor is out of the truck. I never played with a E series van with either 5.4 or 6.8L motor so not sure if you have much better access to this area.

 

Well I was wondering if I might hear from you two. Thanks for the replies.
Lucky me, the E series has great access to the rear of the engine (it's the front that is tough). The rear head oil galley plugs are both available and clear of any obstruction.
My concerns with this location for the oil temp sending unit is the ambient temp of the head itself. The sending unit is brass, and I'm concerned that the head temp might influence the reading quite a bit. Not sure how well the sending units thermal couple is thermally isolated from its body. Also, is the oil kind of stagnant here (way at the end), or should it be flowing by pretty good?
This spot sure would be easier than trying to get it into the pan, but I do want it to give me an accurate indication of the lubricants temp.
Your thoughts? Thanks again. Rob

PS to Fred (or anyone)- So, the aluminum manifold thing down behind the power stearing pump is for the oil? And that's the factory oil pressure switch in it? I thought it was just for the coolant system, since it has the radiator hose going to it. I do see where it connects to the block in a couple of places, and then on to the oil filter housing, but again, I assumed it was all for the coolant. Would you think that the oil temp and oil pressure would be about the same here as at the head galley? (I'm installing both type of gauges)
If that is the oil pres sw down there, then what is the sending unit/sensor on the top front of the left side timeing chain cover?
And finally, you guys and this site are great! I've learned alot here, and would expect to continue to. But, I'd sure like to have a manual on this engine. Any suggestions as to what I should get?

 

Ultraute, last first

Helms manuals are the only way but they are damned expensive, there are bootlegged DVD and CD copies to be had on Ebay but updates and use after certain dates are always questionable. I will post a link at the end where you can get short term "subscription" to on line access that is reasonably priced.

Oil flow... there should be no "stagnate" oil pools or low flow areas in this motor designe... 50 to 70 psi at normal RPM means there is a LOT of flow.

The aluminum header you see behind the power steering is indeed also a coolant passage area. and a giant heat sink for the oil to and from the pump via the filter...I suspect it is one of the features that enhances this series motor to get up to full operating temperature so quickly.

Rear of head oil galley ports... first make sure this is exactly what those two recessed plugs really are. I can't get near mine in the truck. They could be one of three things, water, oil, or simple access for alternate configuration cam position sensor.

If you pull one out and you get oil, there you go, a great location for sending unit. Don't fret over location too much on actual oil temp. The ability to get an exact temp is always relative to where it is sensed. Ultimately if you have a real general location you should see water, oil, and Cylinder head temps all stable at close to the same temp. If you put any of the sensors right near the exhaust valve area it would be higher. Oil is thick thermally stable fluid that will show a uniform temp once stabilized. You gage will only show you a relative shift to cooler or hotter and most of the time they are calibrated well enough that 220 degrees F is within 2 to 3 % of reality.

Again as long as you are not trying to put the sender right adjacent to an exhaust valve it is not critical where in the oil stream you get the reading. And there really are no colder locations to worry about. Trans temp sender location is a different animal and it does make a difference if you sense upstream or down stream of the coolers.

Not sure what gage set you have but I prefer wide sweep designs because I want to see a LOT of needle movement so I can see the trend as it is happening and a 270degree sweep of the needle usually means the needle has a lot of arc to swing to indicate a 10-20 degree change. The 90 degree gages only move about a needle width for 20 degrees and you are not as likely to see the movement. Just my preference.

www.motorcraftservice.com/vdirs/retail/default.asp?pageid=cat_1&gutsid=productdetail

You can get short term subscription for $9.99 Month for 16$ and year for 99$

 

Thanks yet again Fred.
I ordered the factory service manual from Helm last week. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm hopeing it will have most all the information I will ever want. Are the on-line service manuals the factory version, or someone elses?
Yes, the 3/8" NPT plug on the back of the heads are to the oil galley. I took one out Friday, and oil came out. Gonna put a mechanical gauge in it just to be sure befor I install the sending unit.
The gauges I got are from AutoMeter. They are "full sweep" (aprox 270 deg.), and apropreately scaled to the system being monitored.
Trans Temp 100-260*F
Water Temp 100-260*F
Oil Temp 140-280*F
Oil pressure 0-100 PSI
Even the tach I got is a 6K RPM unit, as I couldn't see the sence in the much more common 10K units. Almost got a 5K tach, but thought I might one day yet reach the rev limmiter.
Your comment about the trans temp got me wondering, do you favor the test port over the pan? I have an aluminum oversize pan (PLM), that has a spot for a sending unit, and that is where I was planing to put it. See: <a href="<A href="https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-355272-Trans%20Temp%20Sending%20unit%20placement%20option s">Trans">https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-355272-Trans%20Temp%20Sending%20unit%20placement%20option s">Trans Temp Sending unit placement options</a>
Your thoughts again, if you're not to busy. Thanks, Rob

 

The test port or the pan are just fine for the tranny for typical trips and normal use.

If you have a problem child trans I prefer another method...

You get a faster temp swing if you sense right at the outlet going TO the first cooler.

You get a sense of cooler efficiency if you sense both TO and From lines. (I have used two senders and one gage, toggle switched)

Your set up in the pan will follow the overall temp as it stabilizes. The only real thing I don't like about the test port and the pan is both of them don't change temp as fast as the fluid does when you are super-heating it.

The typical "superheat 'n puke" failure of these tranies is backing up, no air flow, and slipping the hell out of the torque converter. The bugger will super heat in a hurry. Not like you would see the gage any way as you are following the trailer with head craned or eyes full time in the mirror.

I believe that the Helms sets and the MotorCraft on line sets are identical.

 

Just curious how much the Helm manuals cost?
Did you go for paper or CD/DVD?

 

HelmInc.com, 2003 Ford Econoline Workshop Manual $147.00 (OUCH) Paper.

 

Not sure what manual that is... when I looked for the complete set with diagnostics, engine and powertrain with schematics for my 2001 SuperDuty V10 it was going to be in the $1200 range for the CD/DVD with TSB and updates.

If I went the roll your own it was like 150 for the shop manual, 120 for the powertrain book and another 90 for the schematics almost 400 bucks for the needed books to cover what most fo the problems are with these trucks

I suck out most of the info I need from the motorcraft site for free and have not yet had to get a short term subscription

 

So what's the diff between what you guys got and the CD I got from Ebay for $20 or something like that?

ak

 

Dunno send me the CD and I will find out.... (grin) Is it copy protected, is there some wierd computer date fooling you have to do?

Does it have the entire schematic section and the explanation of each sensor, location, and operation...

Not being wise *** just never trusted all the BS I keep hearing about the flea bay DVD/CD versions. Price is too cheap to be legit

Bought a bootleg copy of Ashton Tate Dbase IV plus some years ago... lost a lot of data and time when I took work home from a more upgraded version and my "home copy" corrupted the only copy of the database...I know I know Back up back up yes I get it. But the fact remains I was not able to get Ashton Tate to help. I did have a day or so older version of the Db at work so only lost two days of my life and vowed to not pirate or bootleg any more.

 

If it's the genuine Ford CD or DVD it has the complete shop manuals, EVTM (wiring diagrams), PCED (Powertrain Control/Emissions Diag), TSBs as of the date of the CD, recalls as od the date of the CD, some bodyshop info, engine emission facts label info etc.
Lots of the CDs/DVDs that you'll find for sale are expired. To use them you have to roll the date on your computer back.