F150 oil pan - ok to sand and paint?

Hello all,

One of the first things I noted about my then future truck was a lot of rust on the oil pan. I have since read that rusting through the pan is a common problem. Is there any reason to not sand and paint it? Any preference for paint to use?

Bill

Reply to
Bill Schwab
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When I rebuild, I always have the sheet metal hot tanked clean at a machine shop. No sanding for me!

For paint, I like to use Rustoleum clean metal primer followed by the same brand in a gloss. Spray cans work well.

If you're not going to take the pan off, I suggest you brush it down with "Rusty metal prep" available at any home store or auto body place. It's actually phosphoric acid that changes the rust to a paintable finish using chemical action. However, I doubt you can get it done right will it's on......

Reply to
Teddy Bear

I think that if you remove it to sand and paint, you will see the problems associated with doing that.

You might find no problems at all, and in which case all is fine. But, if you do the job with the pan in place, and there is a problem you can not see, the result can be a load of oil trailing behind your truck as you go down the highway.

Pull the pan to clean and paint it. You should be okay. But, if you aren't, you will be half way through when you find out instead of all of the way through and back on the road with a surprise oil drain.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Jeff said pretty much the same thing, essentially saying that the rust might be all that's holding the oil in the engine =:0

Ok, so let's assume for the moment that I'm crazy enough to remove it - not sure about that yet. What's all this about removing the radiator, starter, and blocking up the front of the engine? Confession: I have not yet jacked up the truck, and I was not very careful in aligning/comparing what I can see from the front and side. With that said, it looks like the pan should be able to drop and then slide over and behind the front end and below the tranny. There are multiple sources that describe the engine lifting trick, so it seems likely to be important. Any ideas what I am missing?

Unless there is a way to shortcut the procedure, I might be inclined to buy a new pan, or recondition another old one prior to removing anything. Getting in and out sounds like a very full day's work even w/o watching paint dry.

There was mention of removing and plugging automatic tranny lines; that is not a factor for my truck. However, the A/C is alive and well, and I want to keep it that way. For me, that means leaving it alone. Any concerns there?

It looks like $75 or so would get a new pan, and "the" gasket goes for around $22. Something I read tonight has me thinking there might be some other gaskets, but I would need to go back over it. Would you replace the oil pump at the same time? What about the pressure switch? Just in case you were wondering, no, I did not come up with that list on my own :) I will take credit for realizing that there would suddenly be low-hanging fruit, but I wasn't sure what it would be.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Schwab

This project falls into the catagory: "If it ain't broke, Don't fix it"

Dave S(Texas)

Reply to
putt

It looks like the pan should be able to drop and then slide over and behind the front end and below the tranny. Multiple sources describe the engine lifting trick, so that may be important. What's all this about removing the radiator, starter, and blocking up the front of the engine? Am I missing something? ______________________________________________

Pan removal is usually more that just dropping it one or two inches until it falls onto the axle/exhaust and sliding it out. It may take a drop of 5 or 6 inches to clear crankshaft throws, and it may take even more drop to clear some throws when the pan is tilted to clear the oil pump or the flywheel. The engine must usually be lifted away from the objects which pass beneath it.

Lifting the engine requires disconnecting the motor mounts, so it should be blocked somewhere to support it safely. Some things may have to be removed for clearance - the exhaust pipe, the starter, the radiator, interfering fluid or electrical lines. Other items, although not interfering, may have to be removed to avoid damage when the engine is raised - the engine fan, hoses, fluid or electrical lines, etc.

Good luck.

Rodan.

Reply to
Rodan

Got it.

There is no guarantee I will try it, and if I do, it won't be right away.

Dave's "if it ain't broke" comment is well taken. My only concern is that it could rust through the pan, and oil is really important.

Thanks!

Bill

Reply to
Bill Schwab

If I was going to go to all the work involved in removing the oil pan, I'ld replace the damn thing. Granted it is just a nut and bolt job, but its a lot of work. And unless you have a nice clean garage to work in, the entire time the pan is off, the inards are exposed to blowing dirt and other garbage from the yard. As has been stated the engine has to be raised, at least 6 inches, 10 is better. Rad can stay, but the shroud has to come off, exhaust needs to be dropped from the manifolds, which raises the all to great possiblity of snapping manifold to pipe bolts. The starter has to come down, so you can get to the pan bolts it covers up. The torque converter cover has to come off. If it has mechanical linkage for the tranny shifter, it should be disconnected, if cable its ok.. Add to all of this you need to get the beast up in the air at least a foot on some good jack stands to get enough clearence to work on it for your body.

Whitelightning

Reply to
Whitelightning

I've replaced a few oil pans on these type of trucks. One thing no one mentioned (and so I have to assume they've never really done one) is the oil pump. After you take the nuts off the motor mounts, disconnect the fan shroud, take the air intake hoses off the throttle body, disconnect the map sensor hose from the throttle body, then you can jack the engine up all the way against the floorboard. Once you figger out how to hold it there, THEN you can cut the left exhaust pipe off right under the starter. It WILL be in the way. NOW, back to the oil pump. You are going to have to reach all the way up into that pan and unbolt the oil pump from the block, and then lay it in the pan. YES putting it back is even funner, as the hex drive shaft will have fallen out also. I agree with one of the other posters, if you have that pan off, replace it with a genuine one from FOMOCO. Take the new pan, have it sand blasted to remove the junky factory paint, and rough the surface. Then after an appropriate cleaning to get rid of any sand, prime and paint to your hearts desire. IF it's not leaking now, the best bet would be to wire wheel it clean and keep a good coat of paint on it. Undercoat in a can works well also.

Reply to
Steve Barker LT

Thought I throw this out ....

An aluminum oil pan is a popular replacement for the original in inboard powered boats. The GM 350 and 454 blocks as well as some Ford engines are often used with an aluminum oil pan because it sits low in the bilge of the boat, is often splashed with fresh or salt water and is difficult to get to for inspection.

I am sure there are aluminum pans available for just about all types of engines.

Eisboch

Reply to
Eisboch

That's what I I had to do with the whole underside of my truck. Northern Ranger come down here with snow salt or it had been in water here. Garages were freaking out about putting it up on a lift. Framework mainly rusted, anything with iron, body and under-panneling holding up better (probably galvanized). Not exactly a mechanic's dreamtruck. I used a couple airdie grinders and various wirewheel brushes prior to going with a bristle brush and phosphoric acid (muric acid is too fast and strong for anything but controlled cleaning setup). Walmart has two types of canned rubberized undercoating (seems they were less than Autozone), and the phosphoric was only $19 gal at Porter paint. No prime. It'll be high and dry so should hold out better for now on. Not a fun job - was pulling 3/8" wirestubs out my back with needlenose pliars. Once a wire from the brushes goes in - get it out as in now, as they've a very nasty tendency to work their way further in. And wear fully-covered safety glasses.

Reply to
Flasherly

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