first of 95 f150 300 I6 M5OD...

now for some strange reason the trucks oil psi is acting weird, at start up it stays about half way between the N and the little white tick at the end of the line and then after a few miles jumps up to around the N and the O, and sometimes will go up the the R and then slowly fall back to the N...but it only does this right after start up and it happens once then i can drive all day long and it holds steady on the N...im thinking oil pump because it does it only does it when its cold...what do you think?

and i have a very nasty oil leak on the driver side of the engine...i believe i know where its coming from i just need more info on the gasket (if there is one) and how big of job it is

from what i can tell it is that plate (i think its just a plate) on the driver side, is there a gasket for this or would i be better of using gasket maker...it doesnt look like a big job but is there any thing i need to know before i rip into it?...its either that or head gasket but i would think a head gasket would leak all the way around not just the one side



thanks for your help guys...i wanna get this fixed, more oil on the ground then in the truck

 

Oil leak: From the photo I can see the oil is on the rear part of the head too. That makes me think 'valve cover'.

First, I think I would be very wary regarding how much oil is in the engine. Watch your dip stick. Then I would try to clean that area of the engine, removing all the oil so I could tell where it was/is coming from.

If that doesn't tell you, I would start at the top--also the easiest, the valve cover. First try to tighten it, not all at once on each bolt, but just each one up a bit, then the next, and snug them all a couple of times until the proper torgue is reached. Read your manual for torqing order.

If oil continues to come out of there, then it's time to replace the valve cover gasket. Follow the directions in your manual. If you don't have one with directions, buy one. It is easy to replace the gasket.

If the oil is not coming from there, move to the lifter cover. Do the above procedure again.

I don't think you need to worry about oil leaking from the head gasket. There is no oil pressure in the head. If the head gasket were bad you would know it with major problems.

I hope that helps. Good luck.

 

as far as the gauge reading goes... if your oils at the proper level.. id try changing the oil pressure sensor if its electrical.. would be cheaper route first... cuz it sounds like it doing the same thing my buick did to me before... changed the sensor and it stopped "bouncing"..

if it continues then id start looking into a new pump..

 

That lifter gallery cover gasket will be an easy one, if I remember right you have to move a bunch of EFI shi.... I mean stuff to get the valve cover off. That oil pump would be a real fun time to replace, but replace that pressure sensor first, and if that isn't it, there's info on this FTE site that will walk you through replacing the oil pump, or guys that have done it before can help you out. Good Luck!

 

i have no problem doing any of this stuff myself (without manuals haha) ...i was just more asking about the oil psi than the leak(s)...in that picture yes you can see oil at the back of the head (valve cover) but the oil also follows the top of that plate near the head gasket all the way to the front of the engine and its wet up there too...that whole side is soaked...thats why i was looking for something that stretches the length of the block that could be leaking

thanks for your help guys

 

np man.. let us know how it turns out... i really hope for you its just the little sensor...

 

Sorry man my bad yeah the stuff is pretty straightforward, it's just that it's usually a chore for everyone getting the oil pan out with the engine still in the truck. You'll get it though, Good Luck!!! And btw, I like your truck, keep up the good work!

 

Yes, check your sender,it sounds to me like the way they act.I have had a couple of them go bad on other Fords.If that don't get it,hook up a real oil pressure gauge with a line before you go into the oil pump,that is a real job.Try snugging up the valve cover bolts and if that don't work,at least wait until you have figured out the oil pressure problem before you go to changing gaskets,as you may be overlapping some work with your EFI upper intake manifold,because to remove the oil pan,you have to raise the engine up and sometimes the upper intake and plennum get in the way.PS, the oil pump usually goes the other way,Pressure drops off when the oil gets warm,maybe when the sender gets warmed up,it's working better or making a better connection to the wire.Is the connector good and tight?

 

yeah im gonna get around to that sensor, recently it seems to have stopped this, now its on N as long as its running...and intermittent problems are almost always electrical and almost never mechanical, so im thinking sensor not pump...

i looked up the specs for the valve cover and lifter cover (BTW that was the "plate" i was referring to, for some reason it did not click in until now) so when i get back to work to get my torque wrench ill tighten everything up...the truck just sat for 6 months, it was run a few times but i think that is why its so bad right now, cause it wasnt when i parked it...

thanks for all the help guys...im hoping to do a rebuild on it next summer so i want to hold off gaskets and pumps until then if i can as ill have the engine out for overbore and machine work...im creating the parts list now lol

 

[quote=300 Buster;8122859]Yes, check your sender,it sounds to me like the way they act.I have had a couple of them go bad on other Fords.If that don't get it,hook up a real oil pressure gauge with a line before you go into the oil pump,that is a real job.Try snugging up the valve cover bolts and if that don't work,at least wait until you have figured out the oil pressure problem before you go to changing gaskets,as you may be overlapping some work with your EFI upper intake manifold,because to remove the oil pan,you have to raise the engine up and sometimes the upper intake and plennum get in the way.PS, the oil pump usually goes the other way,Pressure drops off when the oil gets warm,maybe when the sender gets warmed up,it's working better or making a better connection to the wire.Is the connector good and tight?[/quote]


Ditto on this. I have cleaned them and snugged up the connector and made a difference. I still see some difference in the warm/cold reading during the real cold winter months. Also check it with a mechanical gage as mentioned above. If that dose not do it try going back to a motorcraft oil filter before you do the pump. I have had issues with filters/oil psi on my 300 in the past.

Jim

 

wix filter and shell rotella T diesel oil always works fine for me....that made a visible improvement over a wix filter and mobil 1 synthetic oil so im stickin with it haha

 

could anybody tell me where exactly on a 300 the oil pressure sending unit is?

 

I'm not positive,but I think if you look at the picture at the start of this thread,It's located right there by the dipstick,a little rear of it.

 

That looks like it, thanks

 

yeah i think thats the one...at least i hop it is, thats the one im gonna look at...probably doesnt help that its covered in oil eh HAHAHA


the oil leak seems to be slowing down alot, i think the fact it was parked for 6 months dried the seals up a bit, still gonna torque everything tomorrow though, and check the sender

thanks for your help guys...