Hi all - sorry for the newbie question, but:

I just bought this truck as a second vehicle, body not too bad and only 139,000 k on it - but it hasn't been driven or too well maintained in the past couple of years...

Got all the obvious things done, fluids changed etc, new muffler, replaced front bearings (there was a lot of slop) - but there's a killer oil leak that's preventing me from even parking the thing on my own driveway - mechanic says it's the sump gasket and rocker gaskets, and from what I can see he's probably right - haven't looked at what doing the rocker covers involves, but am wondering if the sump will drop straight off, (well down and over the crossmember) or does the engine really need to be lifted?

If the sump will come off clear, then I might think about doing it myself, but I'm not set up to (and have little desire to) raise the engine myself if it can be done.

There are a few other issues, it was running rough and had little power last night (plus intermittant error codes) - I hate to confess I haven't had much to do with V8s so my ears aren't tuned to hearing faults like I can with a 4 - but the discussion in other parts of the list will give me something to go on in the meantime, I will try what I read there first (like probably taking it back to the people who allegedly tuned/serviced it in the first place I guess)

Thanks

 

If it is the same as my dad's 94 302 2wd, yup that engine is going up and high at that. We removed the exhaust, dropped the driveshaft, unbolted the engine mounts and tranny ones and pretty much anything else you may think of. That punk has 2 sumps one on either side of the x-member. It was a job alright, be prepared for this. Do any preventative maintenance while it's out, like other seals and gaskets. Clean up and paint the oil pan if it's gettin' raddy lookin, they are prone to rust I guess and you don't want to do this job twice. Good experience, but alot of labor. Have fun !!!

 

Ford has a new style gasket that has metal sides that in the gasket. I just raise up the engine and lower the pan. Then pull off the old gasket, clean the sealing esurfaces. and feed the new gasket in and around the oil pick and pump. Then use a few dabs of silicone to hold the new gasket to the block and reinstall the pan. If you want to take the pan off then you'll have to lower the exhaust. You can also remove the oil pump while the pan is down which will make taking the pan off easier. Just make sure to block the engine up so it doesn't fall on your hands. I have done many pans this way.

 

Hopefully I haven't used up my newbie points yet by asking if the engine can be raised whilst still attached to the transmission etc, with just the exhausts disconnected and the driveshaft? Assuming there's enough play in the cables, hoses etc - of course I don't have a hoist or anything - just moved here and not much money to spare - so unless I can somehow jack engine up from underneath it may be academic...

Disconnecting exhausts is fine by me, as I have discovered both manifolds are cracked, and it'll be the time to replace them - which leads me to wonder how? Hopefully it wasn't when I washed the engine (blush shamefully) - but I doubt I got it any wetter than splashing through water would have done.

I am expecting the worst- frozen/broken studs etc so am figuring on doing the manifolds will be a big job - so will consider muffler putty for now- found some stuff that says it will patch a catalytic converter so it should stand the heat...personally I'm a big fan of JB Weld but I don't know what temperature it's rated to...