OKay, got my dad's truck, got a set of ramps and some chocks, got all the oil and filters and HSS needed to do an oil change. Get underneath the truck, put the 3/4 socket on the drain plug head, won't budge. Notice blue gunk (coworker called it Monkey Snot), give it extra heave ho, breaks loose. Bolt spins, and spins, and spins and... well, you get the idea.

So I call Ford and they say use some Vise Grips and pull down as turning to try and catch the threads. No dice. That bolt is spinning in place (both directions mind you, so I can't even tightend it to stop it from dripping). So tomorrow morning I will take it to Ford and have them pull it (and change the oil since it will now be emptied). The tech said hopefully its just the threads on the bolt and not on the oil pan. He said replacing the oil pan would cost around $1300.

Holy crap.

Now, I'm not very mechanically inclined. I can change oil if needed (haven't done it for my own vehicles in 12 years, but this truck was my dad's and is special to me) and I can do some normal maintenance stuff. I can figure some things out if I have a good manual (did replace my own intake manifold on my 86 F-150 with a good Hanes manual and a Pick a Part intake from the junk yard).

If they come back and say the pan needs to be replaced, just how much difficulty am I looking at to get this done? I can buy the tools I need. But I am limited to my driveway and the height I can get from the ramps I got.

Any other options if it comes down to it being stripped threads in the pan?

Thanks!

 

You have to pull the engine, or at least lift it up for replace the oil pan. Now, open the hood, and decide for yourself if you want to/ can do that.

 

It can be done - i just watched my mechanic do it - without removing the engine. he removed the turbo and most other misc items on top of the motor - jacked it up and pulled the pan. Probably not a very easy job in the driveway. This is why i never ever let a grease monkey at the Quickie lube change my oil - they tighten the snot out of that plug(better safe than sorry). thats also why on my first oil change i put in a Fumoto valve. I figure this truck may have a 100 + oil changes in its life and even with the greatest of care - the threads will wear out and ill have to replace the pan.

 

Ugh... okay, definately something outside of my area of comfortability. And it explains why they would charge $1300. Thanks guys... now I'll go cry into my wallet and hope that tears become money.

Shane

 

If it was mine I would hold the drain plug with wrench and drill and tap pipe threads into it, and ues A pipe plug.

 

Yeah, because metal shavings in the pan an a possibly leaking oil plug is no problem

 

Nice trick, EXCEPT that the original plug is LEAKING, not it just won't come out!

 

A magnet would get all the metal out, and I think this motor runs A oil filter in the system. If it only leak A couple of drops between oil changes, I could live with that.

 

The Ford Dealership was able to get it out. They couldn't do it on the ground so they had to get it up on a lift. The tech worked on it for 2 hours before he was finally able to get it out. In all, $150 for them to pull the plug and change the oil and filter. Fortunately it was only the drain plug that was stripped. Yay Ford!

 

Wow 2 hours of work + an oil change for $150? That's a damn good deal! Thanks for posting an update. Look into a Fumoto valve to prevent this in the future.

 

lefty loosey righty tighty

 

Was there a point to that post?

 

Are you sure its not Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey? Or Whitey Tightys? I always get the two confused... after all, I am an idiot. Oh wait. Nah, I'm an idiot. I should have used my Amazing Kreskin Abilities of Prognostication and Flabghastery to SEE that the threads were stripped. Yeah, thats it. Had you bothered to ask I would have explained that my dad always took it to a local place out in Cali to have the oil changed... it would explain the magical apperance of Make a Gasket goop gluing the bolt.

 

I provided the oil, filter, and HSS myself... but still a damned sight better than the $1300 it would've cost to have the oil pan replaced. Plus they said my batteries are going south and I should replace them before the winter hits.

But already, with the HSS in there and fresh oil... its running MUCH smoother. I love that such a big *** truck has great acceleration, even when jamming the gas at 65 and it bucking quick up to 75.

 

This is why I install a Fumoto valve on all of my vehicles. Oil can be drained with zero tools.

https://www.dieselorings.com/1999-20...in-valves.html