Thank you for that information.
Have a blessed new year!
David--Smart NUF TO Ask

 

Thanks for posting the thread! I the middle of a 460 build and was trying to figure out why there was a quart of oil in my water with perfect heads and gaskets.

 

Seen water in oil, but not oil in water. Intake gaskets can easily cause problems during a build, especially on a 460 with that heavy manifold. If you added any aluminum parts, they need a thicker intake gasket.

 

I did this several years ago. Here are some pics. I mounted the oil filter on the outside of the frame in front of the left front wheel. That way you can stick a bucket under it and unscrew it without spilling any oil on the frame or ground.

 

Is it possible to just bypass the oil cooler and leave it in place? What lower hose can be used? I use my truck to tow a ~7000lb travel trailer. Would this be safe?

 

Ford didn't use oil coolers on the 460 until 1988 when EFI started. As far as safe, I suspect the reason it was added was due to the increased heat from the addition of the catalytic converter and added back pressure. I can't say, but I always use 20W-50 in mine in the summer and towed a 30ft, 10,000 lb 5th wheel.

The 88,89 and early 1990 models had an air to oil cooler. If you want to eliminate it, you need an oil filter adapter for a 1980-87 460, if not, the box will be in the way of the lower hose. You can't take the box off, oil flows through it, minimum you would have to make a plate with an oil passage in it to replace it. A remote adapter is probably the fastest and cheapest way to eliminate it. Just try to get one that takes the FL-1A Motorcraft filter or equivalent, some places want to sell you one that carries a Chevy filter.

 

Hi all,
When this cooler fails is it possible that it would allow water to get into the oil? i have water in the oil and wondering if this could be the cause of it, it could be many things but since this is an area that water and oil circulating past each other it sounds like a possible leak.
-Andy

 

Yes, Andy, that is one of the failure modes, the other is oil in the radiator. Easiest way I can think to rule that out would be to remove your oil filter and pressure test the cooling system. If coolant runs out of the oil filter fittings, then that is your leak. If not, and it won't hold pressure, see if it is showing up in the oil pan, corrosion around the timing cover area can leak into the pan around the timing chain.

 

Thats a good idea to test it that way, never thought of doing that, I hate to have to pull the motor and do all new gaskets/have heads tested if this is what the problem is. if i find that this is not the problem i will probably move onto some stop leak and see what happens then, this problem has developed since i last changed the oil about 500 miles ago, havnt seen any physical changes on the outside of the engine and have not noticed a difference in oil pressure, only reason i caught it was i checked the oil and it was milky, defiantly more than just condensation. i will report back my findings if anyone is interested.
-Andy

 

Andy, are you loosing coolant? That would also be an indication.

 

well its not leaking from the cooler, dont believe its head gaskets, so next step will be to replace water pump (sounds like its going south) and timing cover gaskets. In doing some research it looks like i will have to remove the oil pan and replace oil pan gasket as well? anyone have any tips/tricks on this? I dont want to remove the engine so will i be able to lift the eng with trans attached enough to replace the pan gasket. my oil pan is also leaking from the dipstick bracket on the pan; PO decided that trying to weld pan on the truck was a good idea, i put some JB weld on it and it is holding ok but still leaks. anyone have any suggestions?
Appreciate the input.
-Andy

 

In order to get the pan completely off the engine, you have to raise it quite high. On an EFI engine, I would remove the plenum first. You have to remove the motor mount brackets from the side of the block as they hang under the oil pan flange. Remover the exhaust pipe back to the catalytic converter, carefully remove the EGR tube from the elbow ( the elbow cracks real easily). After the engine is as high as you can get it, put blocks between the exhaust manifolds and frame. Remove the pan bolts and let it drop as far as possible. Reach in and remove the oil pump and pickup tube and set them in the pan, remove the pan the rest of the way. As far as removing the pan for the TC gasket, it isn't necessary, 1990 should have a one piece pan gasket. While you have it off, I would replace the rear seal, it is a royal PITA, but you are 90% of the way there.

 

Sounds like a PITA to go through all that..... im thinking that removing the pan and replacing it is a little more than its worth, i went down to the parts house today and picked up a timing cover gasket set, and water pump w/ gaskets. looks like its pretty straight forward, got all that and all the fluids i need and spent $130! dang oil and coolant cost more than the parts..... hopefully this will cure my problem. if not i guess i will have to pull the motor, i hate using band-aids like stop leak, want to make sure its done right the first time.
-Andy

 

Yes it is. My rear seal has been leaking for quite a while, the amount of oil it leaks isn't worth the fight to fix it.

 

I have the same oil cooler on my 1991 F-Superduty dump truck and it has an oil leak at the oil filter plate. The leak is in one of those 1/4 inch threaded plugs in the base. Can I purchase another base or is it easier to remove the oil cooler and go with a remote oil filer base and no oil cooler? Ford was $1,500 for a new oil cooler unit.