Oil Leak Discovered! Oil Pan...

[tyler_hubbard2003]

Okay, I finally realized what's causing my oil leak.. I have a rusty oil pan. Not actually holes and it seeps over time. So I am thinking a few coats of POR-20 paint and enamel? Because as far as I can tell replacing the oil pan with out raising the engine. I can't do that.. How much could it cost for someone to do it, if I can't do it without raising it. The rust inhibitor I tried spraying last night didn't work and I even cleaned it.. but no good.. It sucks, because I literally just changed my oil.. But atleast I found it out!

[johnunit]

if it's seeping from the bottom where there is rust, you MIGHT be able to use a sealant of some sort (JB weld has been used by a few members) to stop the leak, but it's temporary. The main thing is going to be getting the surface you're putting a sealant on SUPER free of oil, but doing that could well make the hole bigger in a hurry.

An experienced Ford mechanic could do it for a couple hundred bucks plus parts maybe? I don't know. Lincolnsmania or Grandmarq88 or someone would know better.

[LTD86]

I just sealed mine on my 95 merc a month or so ago, and it has not leaked a drop since (was losing about a quart every 200 miles).

What I did first was clean the oil pan well with some brake cleaner, drove it a while, and was able to pinpoint the leak on the pan. Then I drained the oil pan and i used a wire wheel and ground off all the rust around the leak. I cleaned it again with the brake cleaner. Then I used a product called JB Stik, which is like a putty to seal the hole. I activated it, flattened it like a pancake, and then pushed it firmly on the pan over the hole. I let it dry a few hours, hit the whole pan with some engine block paint, filled the oil, and the leak was fixed. It has not lost a drop since. For only $5 for the JB Stik, you can't go wrong, because even if it didn't work, you would still have to change the pan anyway.

[tyler_hubbard2003]

Okay, I'm hoping it's salvageable.. I'm hopefully getting a friend to see if he can help me replace the oil pan.. ugh. lifting the engine with out disconnecting everything lol

[tyler_hubbard2003]

Thanks guys! I'm going to keep you updated!

[86VickyLX]

I pulled an oil pan from my vic with the engine still in the car. You gotta undo the motor mount through bolts, and remove the fan and shroud. I also removed the upper intake. It's a pain in the ass, but it's doable. Replace the oil pump while you're in there.

[tyler_hubbard2003]

I pulled an oil pan from my vic with the engine still in the car. You gotta undo the motor mount through bolts, and remove the fan and shroud. I also removed the upper intake. It's a pain in the ass, but it's doable. Replace the oil pump while you're in there.

So it's possible!? WOOT! So you didn't have to disconnect anything but those? The thing on AllData is this hugeeee list.. here it is.. so i was obviously daunted by the task of doing it.
REMOVAL
Remove air ducts.
Disconnect the accelerator and Throttle Valve (TV) cable from throttle body.
Remove the fan shroud retaining bolts and position the shroud over the fan.
Disconnect the wiper motor electrical connector, and remove the wiper motor.
Disconnect the windshield washer hose.
Remove the wiper motor mounting cover.
Remove the dipstick.
Remove the dipstick tube retaining bolt at the exhaust manifold.
Remove the Thermactor air dump tube retaining clamp.
Remove the Thermactor crossover tube at the rear of the engine.
Raise the vehicle.
Drain the crankcase.
Remove the filler tube and drain the transmission.
Disconnect cable from starter motor, and remove starter.
Relieve fuel system pressure and remove fuel line.
Disconnect the inlet pipes from the exhaust manifolds.
Remove the two exhaust gas oxygen sensors.
Remove the Thermactor secondary air tube to torque convertor housing clamps.
Remove the convertor inspection cover.
Disconnect the exhaust pipes to catalytic convertor outlet.
Remove the catalytic convertor secondary air tube and inlet pipes to exhaust manifolds.
Loosen the engine rear mount attaching nuts.
Remove the engine mount through bolts.
Remove the shift crossover bolts at the transmission.
Remove the brake line retainer from the front crossmember.
Disconnect the transmission kickdown rod.
Position a jack under the engine and raise it carefully as high as it will go.
Place a wood block between each engine mount and the chassis brackets. When the engine is definitely secured with the wood blocks, remove the jack.
Remove the oil pan retaining bolts and lower the oil pan.
Remove the bolts retaining the oil pump pickup tube to the pump, and the nut retaining the tube to the main bearing cap. Allow the pickup tube to drop into the oil pan.
Rotate the crankshaft as necessary to remove pan from the vehicle.
Clean the oil pan and pickup tube and inspect for damage.
Clean the oil pan gasket surface on the cylinder block.

[86VickyLX]

You need to disconnect the throttle linkage from the upper intake, you have to remove the shroud, to remove the shroud, you have to remove the fan, or the radiator, your choice. (removing the radiator, gives you more room to pull the oil pan out). I removed the fan shroud though.
It'll be fun getting at all of the bolts for the oil pan, some are really tricky, I used universal sockets to get at some of them. Also, note where they all came from. The bolts in the very front, are different sizes than the rest. This is also true in the very back.

The blind oil pump and assembly removal is fun too. It's not to hard. It's easier to drop it than it is to put it back in, that oil pump driveshaft is a motherfucker.

Pull the pan out. If it hits the crank, hit the key a little bit until it clears, then out comes the pan.
Get a new oil pump. If the driveshaft isn't messed up, and the little keeper is still on it and doesn't move, reuse it. If not get a new one.

MAKE SURE when you put it back together that the keeper is up at the top, and not at the bottom or you'll regret it if and when you pull the distributor.

Getting that in the hole and in the distributor is a pain. I had the distributor out on mine. So I had to find TDC on number 1 compression, but that's not really hard with a finger, and then fine tuning with a timing light.

[86VickyLX]

and if in your way, pull the dipstick and tube. Basically, pull anything that gets in your way.

[BerniniCaCO3]

Ha! Do you think there would be a market for a DIY shop where you rent a bay for say $50/day? Just a lift and maybe some jackstands, bring your own tools?

There are so many times would I would LOVE a lift.
I feel that along with a fridge and oven, all new homes should come with a lift in the garage....

Anyway.
The poster recommending jb stick has perhaps the easiest workable solution.
Plastics are porous.
Rust is porous.
Solid steel is not.

So if it's weeping oil, wherever it seems to just be soaking through without being a hole, must surely be made of rust! If the spot is small enough, yeah, grind it out, wirewheel the steel around the spot, and use an epoxy putty maybe with fiberglass reinforcement.

Oil pans are like $40-$80... I partially stripped the plug and might be doing my own pan soon, so I was just looking. I have iffy access to a lift, so whenever I can do it... not looking forward to it. Our oil pans are WEIRD, I don't know any other one that is split into two halves like this one.

[91waggin]

Ha! Do you think there would be a market for a DIY shop where you rent a bay for say $50/day? Just a lift and maybe some jackstands, bring your own tools?

There are so many times would I would LOVE a lift.
I feel that along with a fridge and oven, all new homes should come with a lift in the garage....

This x1000. I have been looking for a place like this, but the only place I found you have to use their tools for some reason. The only problem I can foresee with starting this kind of business would be liability insurance for when the moron puts his car on the lift wrong and it falls on him.

[tyler_hubbard2003]

Alright! Thanks! That's really helpful! Although I'm only going to remove the fan shrowd. That's going to be the easiest thing to do. But yeah the shape of our oil pans are a little ridiculous.

[Lincolnmania]

what john said about changing the oil pan, make sure you change the oil pump too

i offer special rates for those who want to work on their own stuff with some help from me

[pantera77]

I'll be doing this in spring to my 91, although I may just pull the engine instead. But That would require me to borrow/buy a cherry picker, so I may just do it in car.

[rick99601]

tyler, if you can pull the engine itll make life a lot easier. obviously only if you have the resources.