What is with the oil pans rusting out on the F-150s? I replaced mine in '03 cause it was about to go and now it's rotted through again! I think I could make a better oil pan out of a #10 tin can.

 

I have wondered about the rusted oil pan situation also. Did you replace yours with a Ford oil pan?? If so--was it painted on the inside?? And if it was painted--do you do a lot of short drives ?? How frequently do you replace the oil??

 

why would paint on the inside matter?

 

I dont know if painted insides of an oil pan would make any difference. I noticed that the automatic transmission pan of my Focus is painted on the inside and wondered if the F150 pan is also painted on the inside.

It is my understanding that these F150 oil pans rust from the inside out--usually. It would seem that unpainted surface would more readily rust --if there is condensation in the oil pan.And this water would collect on the bottom inside of the pan and possibly cause rust.

I really can't understand how oil pans would rust at all--other than surface rust on the outside-- but it seems to be very common on these trucks.The gray factory paint doesnt seem to be the best neither--I have seem numerous F150s with flaking oil pan paint.

My old Falcon didnt have any paint on the inside of the oil pan--if I remember correctly. And there was no rust at all.

 

no paint on the inside of my big six pan when i had original oil pan off.

i would think that they rust from the outside, not the inside.

 

When I replaced the first pan, it was not painted inside, but showed no rust either: all the scale was outside. I do drive only a mile or two to work, so perhaps it's a condensation issue, but change the oil religiously ever 5k. I'm thinking bout a sheetmetal "bra" held in place with JB Weld just to keep the contents of the pan from coming out catastrophically all at once. I can live with a little drip. Does this sound "do-able"? MY 2nd pan was aftermarket oriental and I painted it multiple times with black rustoleum before installing it.

 

What part of the oil pan developed the leak--the lowest part?? If so--it would suggest that water from condensation was the cause of the rust--from the inside out.

 

or maybe the salt that they put on the cleveland roads got on the oil pan and rusted it from the outside in.