oil pan gasket

[briannbronco]

anyone have any tips on changing the oil pan gasket on a 1988 ford bronco with a 351 windsor. i would appreciate it.

[FearMe]

Make sure and get a one piece. Well worth the money. Clean off the old surfaces really well. ONLY use a dab of silicone sealer in the little tab corners front and rear. Use some tacky gasket sealer or cement to hold the gasket to the pan while you position it. Don't over tighten.

[mooktank]

What he said ^. I've used 4 piece gaskets before and they suck. Go for a 1 piece. Also, if you have the time to pull the engine it would make it a hell of a lot easier.

[NetBSD]

What he said ^. I've used 4 piece gaskets before and they suck. Go for a 1 piece. Also, if you have the time to pull the engine it would make it a hell of a lot easier.


they dont suck if you do it right, i always get the 4 piece and some hi-tach(sp?) and let it sit for a few, then it goes right up, some silicone in the tab corners then bolt it up. on my 78 i have to jack the frame up so the pan clears the axel or i always make a mess trying to put it back.

[f250crawler]

so its possible to change the oil pan gasket in a 90 fullsize bronco without pulling the engine?

[NetBSD]

so its possible to change the oil pan gasket in a 90 fullsize bronco without pulling the engine?


do what i did, grab a tape and see if you can clear everything, thats how i found out i had to jack my frame up from the axels, i never did the oil pan on anything newer then a 79 so i have no idea

[demonranger]

so its possible to change the oil pan gasket in a 90 fullsize bronco without pulling the engine?


Not easily

You can get away with pulling engine mounts & lifting the engine up to clear the crossmember that cradles the engine.

[Ditchrunner]

I didn't think it was that bad. Just take the nuts off the engine mounts, cherry pick the engine up (watch for tight lines, wires, etc!) as much as you can w/o bending, ripping, or snapping something off. About 3", IIRC.
You'll have to wiggle the pan out.
I have used both types of gaskets, and I much prefer the one-piece for in-frame replacement.
Like was stated above, use dabs of silicone, not gobs. A little hi-tack to hold the gasket in place.
If you are like me, you will cuss at least once during the removal, and again during the install. Just don't throw the ratchet so far you can't find it.

[broncman]

Use the "silcone" blue colored gaskets. CLEAN all surfaces and these gaskets are the shit!! They are reusable and DON"T leak!!

[f250crawler]

thats good, ill have to try it that way cause my friend has been trying to get me to do it for a month or two i just didnt want to pull it to replace it. Do u think i could change the gasket on a 460 without pulling the motor to?

[Ditchrunner]

I've never attempted a 460 gasket swap in frame. I looked at my 83 F250, and I don't think it would come out w/o having to take the radiator loose and letting it be drug up with the engine while hoisting. I'm not sure it would work even then. My pan has a pretty deep front end (still rear sump) to drag over the crossmember. It is a pan out of a van, though.
You might be able to drop the pan enough to remove the sump from the oil pump and then slide it out.

[briannbronco]

thanks im sure it is all good advise i will post pics when im finished

[79broncn]

Good idea to make sure the mating surface of the pan is FLAT before
re-installing. Sometimes warpage/distortion occurs due to previous overtightening.
Lay it on a known flat surface to check. Sure hate to
go through it, just to do it again.

[Offrhoder4x4]

Just saw your other thread about replacing the rear main seal. If you're gonna do the RMS, do it at the same time as the oil pan gasket. With the tranny removed from the block, you can lift the engine even higher with a cherry picker and it make the oil pan a LOT easier to change in-frame.