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My recently purchased 1995 Ford F150 XLT SC 4x4 with 351W and 196,000 miles on it, is now dripping oil.
It is not burning it and runs smooth and quiet. Took it to dealer to change oil and they said 2 bolts were missing from oil pan and engine has to be pulled to replace gasket etc.
Would it be okay to just insert 2 new bolts and check other bolts for tightness or something else. I will be taking to my mechanic.
Also is this a common thing for bolts falling out? I have never heard of it.
What's the condition of the gasket where the bolts are missing? Is the gasket bulging out? If so, just replacing the bolts won't help. To seal it properly, the gasket will have to be replaced.
Also, are you sure the bolts aren't broken off in the block?
From where you sit, if the bolts are not broken off in the block, you don't have much to lose to try to put a couple of bolts in the empty holes and torque to spec, don't "gorilla torque", just torque to spec.
Depending on how much oil it's leaking it may be more practical to "grin and bear it".
I doubt the engine has to be pulled completely out of the truck to change the pan gasket - take the mounts loose and lift it a few inches probably. That said I have never done a pan gasket on this truck.
*depending* on how badly the existing gasket is damaged, it *might* be possible to loosen the oil pan bolts and put some sort of "form a gasket" in the leaking area. I would try that before I pulled the engine. And/or you might clean the leaking area up and use some Permatex spray on "leak stop" material. That may or may not improve the leak much, but would cost only a little time and less than $10 for the spray bomb.
In some body on frame vehicles like this truck, the front cross-member of the frame is right under part/most of the oil pan. Depending on what's in the way externally and how the oil pump pickup tube is oriented, yeah, on some such you have to at least lift the engine several inches.
I am not aware of any car that you have to pull the engine completely out of the car to pull the oil pan, but some such may exist.
Replace the bolts and see what happens.
As a lifelong Ford owner oil drips are part of the fun of owning Fords. Just like Harley's they're marking their territory.
My recently purchased 1995 Ford F150 XLT SC 4x4 with 351W and 196,000 miles on it, is now dripping oil.
It is not burning it and runs smooth and quiet. Took it to dealer to change oil and they said 2 bolts were missing from oil pan and engine has to be pulled to replace gasket etc.
Would it be okay to just insert 2 new bolts and check other bolts for tightness or something else. I will be taking to my mechanic.
Also is this a common thing for bolts falling out? I have never heard of it.
Thanks
Pan bolts just don't fall out. Someone (a previous owner) started to pull the pan and said F it! Either that or he broke them off in the block. If so, don't panic, that is what they make easy outs or screw extractors for. Those bolts should all be torqued following a torque sequence in a service manual. Most are in two or three steps. Buy the manual for best results. Use a digital torque wrench if possible. I would take out another bolt that is easily accessible and use it as a pattern to get two new ones to match. Try putting them all back in and see if it leaks. If not, you have fixed it. If so, the pan will have to be removed and a new gasket installed. I would recommend The Right Stuff or a rubber gasket. Cork sucks and always seems to develop leaks over time. That cross member is in the way of the pan on a '95. I used to have a '96 and it was the same way. You have to lift or pull the engine to clear it. The pick-up won't clear otherwise. http://www.permatex.com/products/aut...sket_Maker.htm
Last edited by Axle grease; 09-30-2010 at 09:44 PM..
Reason: more detail
Right Stuff is the best gasket sealer available. Just don't try to make an oil pan gasket out of it. Instead just a small amount where the timing cover, block and oil pan come together and also at the joint at the rear main cap and block is the only place it's needed.
Also, make sure the crankcase ventilation system is working and replace the PCV valve.
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