will i need to drop my exhaust to do oil pan gasket?

[bigjon33880]

Will i need to drop my exhaust to do my oil pan gasket, and will i have to raise my motor? 88 F150 2wd 351 auto

 

[flareside_thunder]

YES
......the exhaust u might be able to fandangle around but it's easier if you get it out of the equation.....need to also loosen your tranny and engine mounts as well as your fan shroud(that's how I broke mine..it was perfect) you'll need to lift it and maybe slip it forward....if that don't suffice on space..(i have a dent in my firewall) you will need to pull the upper intake.....I'm a big fan of preventative maintainance...so at the very least clean your pickup tube and screen....though i'd also put a high flow oil pump in it....goodluck.

 

[bigjon33880]

are there any gaskets on the upper intake?

 

[Skandocious]

Whoa whoa whoa Junior, lol!! I've heard from several people that the pan can be dropped just enough to be able to change the gasket. You can't remove the pan completely without lifting engine but the gasket job CAN be done with minimal dissembly of the truck.

Jon -- see if you can't drop just enough to slide the gasket out. You may need to play some tricks with the gasket to get it around the pump/pickup that protrudes into the pan, but with a little finnagling it can be done.

 

[Mr. Stroker]

Upper intake? Yea the TB gasket and the gasket that goes from the lower to upper.

 

[bigjon33880]

ok well ill try to slip it in first and worse case scenario i have to go all the way(thats what she said)lol. sounds like a pain in the @ss

 

[flareside_thunder]

Sorry Chris...just thinkin the way i would do it...which would be the PMing I was tellin him bout...sorry to make it sound liek a big deal Jon.....

 

[Lost]

I drop it . My hands r big . I need all room I can get . But yes it can be done with out.

 

[bigjon33880]

does it (the pan) slide out fairly easy once the exhaust is out of the way and motors up?

 

[eco]

You can't remove the pan completely without lifting engine but the gasket job CAN be done with minimal dissembly of the truck.

Isn't it also true that in order to really do the job and make the new gasket LAST you need to clean/buff/scrape the gaket surface on the pan and the block thus meaning that the pan needs to be completely removed?

 

[flareside_thunder]

Jon it's a possibility but like i said i change the oil pump anyways so it's that much easier for me......

 

[Skandocious]

Isn't it also true that in order to really do the job and make the new gasket LAST you need to clean/buff/scrape the gaket surface on the pan and the block thus meaning that the pan needs to be completely removed?

I imagine that if the gasket were to leave residue on the mating surface then one would hit it with a scotch-brite pad or something of the like... I would much rather try it that way than pull the engine, perhaps that's just me...

 

[eco]

I imagine that if the gasket were to leave residue on the mating surface then one would hit it with a scotch-brite pad or something of the like... I would much rather try it that way than pull the engine, perhaps that's just me...

Yeah, some kind of scotch brite, emery cloth etc. then wiped clean with a solvent like paint thinner or brake cleaner then wiped dry. The cork gaskets used with a silicone will leave a big mess and must be cleaned completely.

Are you saying that you would have to pull the engine to pull the pan?

 

[Skandocious]

From what I've heard, the engine doesnt have to be pulled completely out, but it definitely has to be lifted a bit for the pan to clear.

 

[andym]

If a previous owner (or you) has replaced the factory gasket with a cork gasket and used RTV then I would think you almost have to pull the pan completely and clean up the surfaces. However, I haven't run into this on any of my trucks, so I can't say for sure.

If you're just replacing the factory gasket with another Ford or fel-pro one piece gasket, then you don't have to touch the engine. Pulling the engine to replace just the gasket is insanity IMO. You can do the job in about an hour and a half. It's not hard at all.

However, if you're going to pull the pan, then you need to jack the engine up far enough to clear the bellhousing and crossmember (and exhaust if you have a V8). I've heard that you need to remove the upper intake to get enough clearance on the firewall.

 

[bigjon33880]

i went ahead and called like 10 shops to kinda see what it would take to do the job and 9 out of the 10 mechanics said in order to do the oil pan gasket on my truck they would have to pull the tranny?, and would go ahead and replace the rear main while they were in there. i myself have never heard that the tranny would have to be pulled but i cant do it myself so what do i know. average prices were about $400-$450 to do it. that still seems a little high priced to me.

 

[Lost]

U dont have to pull tranny . I know several shops that don't .If your drop exhaust and oil pump raise motor slightly you can get pan out.

The only thing I have to say about doing gasket in truck is these pans rust from inside out. I have changed so many bad pans that it is worth the work and possible broken studs on manifolds to do it 1 TIME.

 

[andym]

average prices were about $400-$450 to do it. that still seems a little high priced to me.

Considering that you can do it yourself in your driveway in about an hour and a half plus the cost of a gasket, I'd say that's a little high.

Again, you don't have to pull the engine, drop the tranny, raise the engine, etc. to do this job. If you can use a 1/2" socket, ratchet and some extensions and u-joints, the job is easy.

 

[Mr. Stroker]

pull the trans... Never heard of that. You have to lift the motor to take the pan completely out. Never heard of it having to be pulled to change a gasket. Alls you really need is a half inch or so to get the old one out, scrape what you need out and slide the new one in.

Check your pan to see if its rusting first!.

I helped a buddy take a pan out of his F150 and we took the upper off, unbolted the two motor mounts, and lifted up on a location he picked on the front of the motor with a cherry picker, didnt have to lift it much.

 

[Mr. Stroker]

pull the trans... Never heard of that. You have to lift the motor to take the pan completely out. Never heard of it having to be pulled to change a gasket. Alls you really need is a half inch or so to get the old one out, scrape what you need out and slide the new one in.

Check your pan to see if its rusting first!.

I helped a buddy take a pan out of his F150 and we took the upper off, unbolted the two motor mounts, and lifted up on a location he picked on the front of the motor with a cherry picker, didnt have to lift it much.