Notices
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks 1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

Engine woes

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 01:13 PM
  #1  
Ben2's Avatar
Ben2
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Engine woes

Strange problem with me 93 F150 5.0 today. Started it up to make a trip and noticed the oil gauge was all the way on low. Stopped the truck immediately and checked the oil level, it was fine. Figured the gauge was just frozen from the cold so I started it up and it seemed to run OK so I took off.

Got about 8 miles away on the highway with no problems when all the sudden I was going up a hill and the engine didn't have enough power to get me to the top. I started to let off the gas and it was making I strange whirring noise and I could smell something that smelled like burning oil. As I was coasting to a stop the engine died completely.

Pulled over off the road, shut the key off and started it again, fired right up without a noise or anything, but oil gauge still all the way on low. Started gently driving again and it seemed to have no trouble. Got a few more miles down the road and the oil gauge popped back up to normal range. After that I was able to drive it on the highway maybe 12 more miles at normal speed and it ran like normal.

Is this a one time fluke thing, or is something going out that I can fix, or is my truck ready for the big scrap heap in the sky? Thanks
 
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 01:22 PM
  #2  
Volvo92906's Avatar
Volvo92906
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 1
From: Toledo, Ohio
Not sure what happens when an oil pump goes but thats what pops into my head. Your oil level is good but pressure is low.
 
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 01:27 PM
  #3  
lew52's Avatar
lew52
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,558
Likes: 2
Look inside your valve cover , if it has sludge in it could be a cloged oil pu tube & screen ... Lew
 
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 01:37 PM
  #4  
Ben2's Avatar
Ben2
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Thanks for the advice both of you... if it is a clogged tube, it must not be fully clogged as I don't think I would have made it at all on 0 oil pressure... the procedure for removing the oil pan to work on these looks way more expensive than I want to put into this old rustbucket. Is there a way to unsludge the oil without dropping it? Marvel mystery oil or kerosene maybe?
 
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 01:43 PM
  #5  
lew52's Avatar
lew52
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,558
Likes: 2
Not that i know of , if the screen & tube is cloged to the point your loseing OP , the pan will have to come off , you would need to pull the valve covers to to clean up & open the drain holes , assuming thats the problem ???
 
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 01:44 PM
  #6  
Hitokori's Avatar
Hitokori
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,244
Likes: 1
yea it sounds like the oil pump or sludge that was on the pick up that fell off or sucked threw it..... either way it might be a good idea to get a new pump just in case. how many miles are on the truck? $80 should be about enough to replace all of it with new a standard pressure pump $30 gasket $1 screen $20 oil pump shaft $5.50. And oil pan gasket for bout $20 lol if u have the xtra cash go ahead and get a chrome oil pan
 
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 02:17 PM
  #7  
Ben2's Avatar
Ben2
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Hitokori
yea it sounds like the oil pump or sludge that was on the pick up that fell off or sucked threw it..... either way it might be a good idea to get a new pump just in case. how many miles are on the truck? $80 should be about enough to replace all of it with new a standard pressure pump $30 gasket $1 screen $20 oil pump shaft $5.50. And oil pan gasket for bout $20 lol if u have the xtra cash go ahead and get a chrome oil pan
How big of a job is it? My mechanical skills aren't the best and I don't want to get in over my head... my manual says you have to remove the radiator, loosen the motor mounts, take off the exhaust, and jack the motor up 4" from the frame to get the oil pan off. Is there an easier way?
 
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 02:19 PM
  #8  
darthice's Avatar
darthice
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 769
Likes: 3
well not really you may be able to do it without removing the radiator
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-4

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
Old Dec 11, 2009 | 02:29 PM
  #9  
Ben2's Avatar
Ben2
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by darthice
well not really you may be able to do it without removing the radiator
OK, thanks... guess I'll be calling my mechanic for an estimate. Once I regain consciousness, I'll probably be calling the local scrap yard. Thanks again everyone for your help.
 
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:12 PM.

story-0
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-1
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-3
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-6
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE