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Hello,
I have a 1999 2WD Expedition with the 5.4L Triton engine. I had been having some problems with oil pressure and the truck had been parked for over a year (as we have an extra vehicle). I was pretty certain the oil pump was OK and suspected the oil take-up tube screen (as I encountered a similar problem in the past). Not having the ability to lift the engine myself, I had been putting off doing anything. Well, I finally decided to see if how far I could get just trying to get the pan off (well, at least to use a flash light to try and inspect the screen etc if the pan was loose). Sure enough, it lacked 1" clearance on the rear side of the pan to come off completely.
HOWEVER, it did provide the ability to move the pan around and point a flash light in down over the top lip of the pan as well as move the pan so that I could see the bottom of the take up screen through the oil plug hole. What I found was NOT what I expected!
The intake opening to the take up was indeed plugged, but NOT with sludge or wax sediment BUT with a chunk of hard, black PLASTIC! At this point, I used a screw driver through the oil plug opening to clear the obstruction to the take up. At the same time, seeing there to be potentially enough clearance to get my arm and hand over the top of the rim of the oil pan, I fished my hand down into the pan and pulled out 4 chunks of shattered plastic. I am attaching photos. The top piece was approx 5.5" wide and the bottom rightmost piece was wedged in the take up.
I proceeded to clear out as much other debris (sediment mainly) from the take up screen and then at the bottom of the pan with a key on a key ring around my index finger (so as not to have it slip off). I then put 1/2 can Seamfom in the pan (with the plug back in) and with a glove on cleaned out what more I could and drained it.
I assume these pieces must be from valves or something related. But plastic??!?!? I could not find any lookup on the part number on the long piece (F75E-6M256-A?), but I have not looked extensively. How did these get here and what does it mean for the engine? Though the truck has been parked and NOT driven, I have started it periodically and during the instances the oil pressure was showing normal, then engine seemed to run fine and showed no signs of anything out of what has been normal for it for past several years. While nothing like this should ever be in the oil pan, is this something that REQUIRES a rebuild?!? The truck has 170000 miles on it and is more a utility vehicle than regular transportation. Is the perhaps something I could investigate/repair (knowing I cannot lift or pull the engine)?
Thanks!
Mark
I have a 1999 2WD Expedition with the 5.4L Triton engine. I had been having some problems with oil pressure and the truck had been parked for over a year (as we have an extra vehicle). I was pretty certain the oil pump was OK and suspected the oil take-up tube screen (as I encountered a similar problem in the past). Not having the ability to lift the engine myself, I had been putting off doing anything. Well, I finally decided to see if how far I could get just trying to get the pan off (well, at least to use a flash light to try and inspect the screen etc if the pan was loose). Sure enough, it lacked 1" clearance on the rear side of the pan to come off completely.
HOWEVER, it did provide the ability to move the pan around and point a flash light in down over the top lip of the pan as well as move the pan so that I could see the bottom of the take up screen through the oil plug hole. What I found was NOT what I expected!
The intake opening to the take up was indeed plugged, but NOT with sludge or wax sediment BUT with a chunk of hard, black PLASTIC! At this point, I used a screw driver through the oil plug opening to clear the obstruction to the take up. At the same time, seeing there to be potentially enough clearance to get my arm and hand over the top of the rim of the oil pan, I fished my hand down into the pan and pulled out 4 chunks of shattered plastic. I am attaching photos. The top piece was approx 5.5" wide and the bottom rightmost piece was wedged in the take up.I proceeded to clear out as much other debris (sediment mainly) from the take up screen and then at the bottom of the pan with a key on a key ring around my index finger (so as not to have it slip off). I then put 1/2 can Seamfom in the pan (with the plug back in) and with a glove on cleaned out what more I could and drained it.
I assume these pieces must be from valves or something related. But plastic??!?!? I could not find any lookup on the part number on the long piece (F75E-6M256-A?), but I have not looked extensively. How did these get here and what does it mean for the engine? Though the truck has been parked and NOT driven, I have started it periodically and during the instances the oil pressure was showing normal, then engine seemed to run fine and showed no signs of anything out of what has been normal for it for past several years. While nothing like this should ever be in the oil pan, is this something that REQUIRES a rebuild?!? The truck has 170000 miles on it and is more a utility vehicle than regular transportation. Is the perhaps something I could investigate/repair (knowing I cannot lift or pull the engine)?
Thanks!
Mark
