Oil pan blues

[bigbrownbird]

Hi guys,
I was driving from Cedar falls back to Delhi last night, and as I was pulling into Delhi, I noticed my oil pressure gauge drop quick. I freaked out, images of smoking 400Ms flew through my head, And so I shut the car down and took a peek around when I stopped. THE OIL PLUG FELL OUT OF THE OIL PAN!!! :eek: :eek: I pushed the car the extra block home (the car's never been on a trailer, never will)Took a look, tried to install a new plug, it fell right out. I guess that 300,000 + miles finally wore out the original pan to the point of that plug not holding. I got a bigger plug that kinda holds oil enough that there's some in there, but I drove dad's truck back to cedar falls. So I got a new oil pan from Summit, some oil pan studs (I don't trust the bolts anymore) and it will be in on Friday. Some may view this as a excellent time to put in the big block, but I'm not ready yet. So, my question is, do I have to pluck the engine out to put the pan on, or can I do it on the car? I've heard people say it both ways, and I have no problem plucking the 400 if that's what it will take, but as for right now, I don't want to do anything more than I have to. It's the whole finals thing and stuff. Either way, thanks guys, and I'm sure that my brown monster will be terrorizing the streets in a week or so.

Lee

[hotrod78]

Here's something to consider on the oil pan, If you were planning on taking it off you could have the stockpan's threads repaired, ( heilicoil maybe? ) or have a bung welded on over the hole and install a pipe plug with the pan still installed on the car. You should be able to remove the pan with the motor still in the car but you'll have to pull out the bolts through the crossmember out, jack it up slightly and but some wooden wedges in between the mounts
and frame. That way the new oil pan goes back and you've got more money to put into the 460.

Studs are cool and make gasket alignment worry free, but I can tell you from experience that you won't be able to remove the pan with the motor in the car.

I'm guessing you bought a stock replacement pan, but if you bought a deep sump pan you might have contact issues with the crossmember. Atleast on the Milodon deep sump pan anyway. I think you're dead on not rushing the 460, makes perfect sense to me. Hope I was helpful and not being a windbag, let us know how it goes man!

[Gearworks]

hey lee!

i agree with hotrod, the 2x4 under the motor mounts is about the best way, BUT you going to have to play snatch and grab with the oil pump! after you get the engine up AND STABLE, drop the pan, drop the pump into the pan and pull them out together. this makes the reinstall fun but infinetly better than jerking the engine!

[hotrod78]

Thanks Paul, you saved my butt, I forgot about the oil pump interference !!!! Any luck with it yet Lee?

[cdiedrick_79]

Lee,
Well, atleast you caught that. I really don't know if the pan will come out or not. That did bring back a memory though of when I first lost oil pressure in my 351M. Atleast you caught it though. It could have really sucked. Good luck.
Oh yeah, that engine and tranny is making a great garage ornament.
Chris

[bigbrownbird]

Hi guys,
Here's how it's going. I plucked the engine Wednesday night/Thursday morning, because, as my dad puts it, my car is put together with wing nuts. It was hanging from the cherry picker in an hour and a half. Problem number one: snapped the speedo cable on the way out (it was two in the morning and I had worked all day) No problem, a new cable for 12 bucks. Pull the pan off, no crunchy stuff inside, everything looks immaculate inside. Problem two: run out of gasket sealer after I get the one side gasket on. No problem, get new sealer. So, I await my pan's arrival, I get a call from my roomate, the pan was shipped early, but it was shipped to cedar falls instead of delhi. No problem, a tank of gas in my old man's pickup. Problem five: I've got a hoist and all my realatives think that I'm Jiffy lube on my thanksgiving break. 3 oil changes and a brake job, woohoo. No problem, give a few buddies a ring, then it's back to my 400. Problem five: The pan is chrome. I don't really like chrome pans, because my 400 has this cool ford blue with blasted aluminum pices look to it. But, it'll work. No problem. Problem five: I swing the pan up onto the engine, the bolt holes are out of whack on one side. The pan is warped, the holes from one side to the other are about 1/4 inch too far apart. And then it's time to head to work. So, my engine is hanging from the hook, panless, until I go home on Thursday. So, hopefully, I can get the right pan, because, this thanksgiving, my big bird ended up being the turkey and I want to drive it before the snow flies.
Hope you had a good thanksgiving!
Lee