Oil pan gasket swap on 5.0 SEFI

[mfmagicmike]

Hi everyone,

The oil pan gasket of my 89LTD Crown Vic 5.0 is starting to wear out. Small amounts of oil haved started to leak & oil is dripping from time to time from the front end of the engine.

I guess it is time to change the gasket....

Off course I wouldn't be here if it was as easy as the valve cover gasket swap (which by the way isn't that easy either, due to intake manifold, cooling system & friends generously installed all over them).

I started to check my manuals and it seems to be a sh... job to do: there is just no way to get the pan out of under the engine without ... simply... unscrewing/unbolting everything and lifting the engine out!

Well, if it has to be done, it has to be done!

I just wanted Your advice/tips on this, because I don't want to start a job that I can't finish - and which could ruin my car in the end.

Thanks for Your help!

Magicmike

[trwp72]

If it is leaking from the front of the4 engine, make sure it isn't the seal around the crankshaft... behind the harmonic balancer..it is alot easier to change out. Another option is to get some Lucas Oilk treatment. It stop a small seeping type oil leak on my 91's timing case cover. Just a thought.

You may be able to swap it out if you unbolt the motormounts and lift the engine a small amount to drop the pan enough to get the old gasket out, (should be rubber, so it should come out with no problems) Then stretch the new rubber gasket around the outside of the oil pan, and then work it into place carefully... You can even use a small amount of sealer by using your finger to apply it. Then mount the pan back up... I have seen my mechanic do a oil pan gasket swap like this... worked great.

[86VickyLX]

Hi everyone,

The oil pan gasket of my 89LTD Crown Vic 5.0 is starting to wear out. Small amounts of oil haved started to leak & oil is dripping from time to time from the front end of the engine.

I guess it is time to change the gasket....

Off course I wouldn't be here if it was as easy as the valve cover gasket swap (which by the way isn't that easy either, due to intake manifold, cooling system & friends generously installed all over them).

I started to check my manuals and it seems to be a sh... job to do: there is just no way to get the pan out of under the engine without ... simply... unscrewing/unbolting everything and lifting the engine out!

Well, if it has to be done, it has to be done!

I just wanted Your advice/tips on this, because I don't want to start a job that I can't finish - and which could ruin my car in the end.

Thanks for Your help!

Magicmike

It can be done with the engine in the car, but it's a real pain in the ass. I'll link you to my write up. A few of us on this site have been able to get the pan out of there with the engine still in the car.

[86VickyLX]

I can't find it, whatever. Here's the write up nonetheless, I saved it on my computer.
I actually used it as a term paper, which is why I included the 351W and the 255.

First, drain the oil, of course. Remove the distributor, be sure to mark where each wire goes for easier reinstallation. For the record though, the firing order for the 302 and the 255 is 15426378, this is going counter clockwise, and #1 is always labeled on the distributor. On a 351W the firing order is 13726548 (this is also the same firing order as the high performance 302 which did not come with the 5.0 HO from Ford). An engine hoist must be acquired, either that or a comealong, with a strong chain, that can be attached to the engine’s exhaust manifolds. For an ’86 to ’91 with the 302, the upper intake manifold must be removed so there is more clearance when the engine is hoisted up. With a 351W or a 302 from ’79 to ’85, just remove the air cleaner. The cooling fan and the fan shroud must be removed as well, and for even more room, the radiator can be removed as well, the transmission lines must be disconnected anyway. Be sure to drain the coolant into a clean bucket if wish to reuse it, if not, to dispose, flush the coolant down the toilet. I recommend that the coolant is changed though. The front of the car must be jacked up very high as to insure that the one working on the car can easily access all of the bolts for the oil pan, and motor mounts.
When ready chock the rear wheels on both sides, and jack up the car in the front, I would recommend using jack stands. If possible use jack stands that extend high. I had used cinderblocks to lengthen the jack stands, so the car would sit higher. Now it is time to go under the car and unbolt the motor mounts. There are two of them, one on each side of the engine. One bolt head will face the front of the car, and the other faces the rear. Once removed, it is time to hoist up the engine. Attach the chain to the exhaust manifolds at the front of the engine it is very important that the engine is lifted up as much as possible, to ensure that the pan is able to be removed. Attach the engine lift to the chain and start to hoist the engine up, as much as possible without lifting the car up. If available use a hydraulic jack, take the jack and put it under the bell housing of the transmission with a block of wood so the bell housing is not damaged, and jack up the transmission as much as possible without lifting the car. Then return to the front and try to lift the engine more.
Now go back under the car, and unplug the low oil sender’s wire, remove the bolts for the oil pan. The bolts go around the entire pan; mostly all of the bolts are the same size except for the very front, where the bolts attach the pan to the timing cover, which are bigger. Beware, under the bolts are metal brackets that may fall after removal of the bolts, there are two of them, so have caution when removing the bolts. These brackets will need to be reused, so make sure that these are kept in a place where they won’t be damaged, and be sure to remember how they came off as well. Now pan may be pulled down, it won’t go very far. The cross member that I mentioned earlier will hold the pan up. Here’s the hardest part of the procedure, unbolting the oil pump from the engine. With the pan below, maneuver so that the bolts for the oil pump can be accessed. There are four bolts for the pump itself, two for the pump to the block, and another two for the pump to the oil screen assembly, which will also need to be removed. That is held by one nut at the back of the engine on one of the main bearing bolts. When the nut and the four bolts are removed, the oil pump will drop into the pan, and the shaft for the pump will also fall down. Leave these things in the pan so the pan can be removed.
Now push the pan towards the front of the car, it should slide all the way forward, if not, the motor may need to be cranked. If there are tow people, this will be much easier and faster. Have one person under the car, and have the other in the passenger compartment, have that person crank the motor in short bursts until the pan clears the crankshaft. The pan should be able to be pulled through and out of the car. Once it’s out thoroughly clean the pan inside and out, for easier installation. Be sure to clean the gasket surfaces of both the pan and the block, also clean the cross member for easier reinstallation. At this time, I would replace the oil pump and driveshaft for the oil pump as preventative maintenance. The shafts wear and sometimes, the clip that keeps them from falling out of its position falls, making it tedious to work with the distributor. This is why I had to drop the oil pan in the first place, because the clip had moved allowing it to move when the distributor was removed. But if desired, the old oil pump and clip may be reused. Reassemble the oil pump and screen and place it in the pan. Then put the pan back under the engine so it can be bolted back up. Be sure to have the one piece Fel-Pro oil pan gasket ready. Bolt up the oil pump and oil screen assembly back up. Be sure to have the shaft where it belongs in the oil pump with the clip side facing the top of the engine. This shaft will go up into the bottom of the distributor. This is how the oil pump is turned. When it is in its place, bolt it up to secure it, when all of the bolts are tightened, the reattachment of the oil pan can begin.
It is much easier to have two people on this job but one person can do it. One person should hold the gasket up as the other begins to position the oil pan in the place. Include the metal brackets mentioned earlier so the pan won’t flex and warp the gasket surfaces, otherwise, leaks could occur. Have some bolts ready so the pan and the brackets can hang from the block. Make sure that the gasket holes line up with the holes in the block. After all of the bolts have been started in the block, it is now time to tighten them. To tighten, go in an order as if tightening a tire, start at one bolt then go across to the other side and tighten the one next to it, etc. until all of the bolts are tightened. Give them a once over, to make sure none of the bolts were missed. Then everything can be put back together. Reattach the low oil sender wire. Climb out from under the car, and lower the engine and transmission. Lower the transmission first, then the engine. The engine might need some persuasion, so shake it in a place that it won’t get caught in something, like at the top of the engine. When the engine has fallen back into place (meaning the motor mount bolts can go through the motor mounts properly), the motor mount bolts can now be tightened. Return to the top of the car, and begin to reassemble the top of the motor, upper intake on EFI cars, or the air cleaners on the CFI or carbureted models. Reinstall the radiator if removed, the fan and fan shroud. Replace all fluids that have been removed (oil, coolant etc.).
Whether or not a new oil pump was used, I would recommend, that once oil is put back into the engine, that the oil pump is primed, to do that, a power drill will be needed, and a drive that will fit snuggly on the oil pump shaft. Put the drill in reverse or counterclockwise and turn it on high until the oil comes up. That way, the engine won’t be running dry when it is started again.
Now the timing must be set, since the distributor was removed. To set base timing, it is important that top dead center is found. Top Dead Center (TDC) is based on cylinder 1, which is located on the passenger side of the engine, closest cylinder to the front of the car. Top Dead center is the highest point on number one’s piston on the compression stroke. To find this, two people will make it easier, one to crank the engine, and one to remove cylinder one’s spark plug. This will be necessary so the rush of air from the compression stroke is felt. There will be two bursts of air, one for the exhaust stroke, and another for the compression stroke. The compression stroke will be stronger than the exhaust stroke. Once close enough to TDC, the distributor can be set back into its place. Make sure that the rotor for the distributor is very close to number one on the distributor cap. Now it’s time to see if the car will start and run, when all of the plug wires and spark plugs have been put back in their correct place (remember the firing orders), the engine can be cranked to see if it will start. The distributor should still be loose, so if it doesn’t start, turn the distributor in one direction, and then the other, it should start then. If the engine gets harder and harder to crank, the timing is off too much. Once timing has been established by ear or by timing light, check to make sure that there are no leaks. If there are no leaks, congratulations! The oil pan service was a success!
I am glad to report that this did work for me, I was able to reassemble everything without leaks, and my car runs really smooth with great oil pressure. Oil pressure on old tired engines are about anywhere from 0 PSI to 10 PSI (pressure per square inch). My car puts out about 50 PSI with a new oil pump. Though the procedure for removing the oil pan is long and hard work, it is much easier and more cost efficient than having a repair shop to do the work.

[Enigma]

1st, try tightening the oil pan bolts. They loosen up over time and then oil leaks out. When I bought my used newer truck, the pan was so loose, that the oil was sloshing out the side. Once tightened, it was fine.
2nd, as trwp72 said, check the front seal. They go bad, and soak the whole right side of the suspension with oil.
3rd, if you are leaking less than a quart between oil changes, its not even worth worrying about.

[Southern_Pride]

They used to have these nifty little gasket holders that made the job lots easier. I've seen it done in less than 1 hour before.

[mfmagicmike]

Thank for the hints, especially 86VickyLX´s step by step procedure.
It seems like a job for grown-ups!
I am not a good enough mechanic yet I guess, especially for the timing setting. I might wait a few months more - time to get an engine lift, and a new oil pump as you suggest (while I am there, I might as well throw in a new one).
One question though, with does the distributor have to be removed? Isn´it possible to just lift the whole block out?

I will check the front engine again, to eventually check the crankshaft seal.
(Whereas I guess about all the seals on the engine might deserve to be replaced, after 30 years of good service.

[86VickyLX]

Thank for the hints, especially 86VickyLX´s step by step procedure.
It seems like a job for grown-ups!
I am not a good enough mechanic yet I guess, especially for the timing setting. I might wait a few months more - time to get an engine lift, and a new oil pump as you suggest (while I am there, I might as well throw in a new one).
One question though, with does the distributor have to be removed? Isn´it possible to just lift the whole block out?

I will check the front engine again, to eventually check the crankshaft seal.
(Whereas I guess about all the seals on the engine might deserve to be replaced, after 30 years of good service.

You don't have to remove it. I think it would be easier to put the driveshaft for the oil pump in without the distributor being in the way. Like you might have to turn the rod to make it fit into the distributor. Although, it might be a little harder, at least you wouldn't have to mess with timing. Try it. Just take the coil wire off the distributor.


The front seal is in the timing cover. If you have to replace that, I would definetely buy the timing gear and chain set, while you're in there.

[RunUoveR]

are you talking about the crank seal in the timing cover or the rounded pan seal against the oil pan?

the seal between the pan and timing cover isnt too hard of a job on a 302 but ive never done it in a panther so i dont know what the working space is like

the crank seal is a PITA

[86VickyLX]

are you talking about the crank seal in the timing cover or the rounded pan seal against the oil pan?

the seal between the pan and timing cover isnt too hard of a job on a 302 but ive never done it in a panther so i dont know what the working space is like

the crank seal is a PITA

Once you get all the accessories out of the way, you have plenty of room to work on it.

[RunUoveR]

well taking all that crap out the way, pulling the waterpump, getting the cank pulley off and then grabbing a puller to get the harmonic balencer off was the pita i was talking about

[gadget73]

You dont need to remove the timing cover to change the front seal. Timing chain replacement isn't a bad idea on a non-roller motor but its very possible to do the seal without removing the pump and all that. Remove the balancer and crank pulley, and the seal is accessible from underneath.

[Enigma]

front crank seal is a piece of cake. Like gadget said, all you need to do is remove the pulley, and pull the balancer.
Not at all hard. I've already done 2, and didn't even have to strain a brain cell.
And even easier, if you aren't leaking more than a quart between oil changes, it's not even worth worrying about.