oil pan gasket leaking on '92 Explorer

michael mcentee

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Apr 8, 1998, 3:00:00 AM4/8/98

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The oil pan gasket is leaking on my '92 Explorer.
Ford wants over $700 to repair it claiming the engine has to be raised.
Has anyone done this on their own without raising the whole engine?
Any help is appreciated.

Mike

Solotimer

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Apr 9, 1998, 3:00:00 AM4/9/98

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Unfortunatly this is very true. I believe that to change an oil pan gasket it
pays around 8.0 hours of mechanical labor. I own a collision repair center and
just had to change a damaged oil pan on a 93 explorer. It is because the
suspension components are in the way that you have to pull the motor, and can't
access it from the bottom. Pain in the Butt, big time!

Dr. Bob

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Apr 9, 1998, 3:00:00 AM4/9/98

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michael mcentee <michael...@smc.com> wrote:

>Mike

Oil pan is leaking?? This is a cast aluminum pan attached to a cast
engine block. Very gently retorqueing the bolts should stop any leak
you have that might be caused by gasket shrinkage.

The engine needs to come almost completely out to remove the pan. The
crankshaft throws and the oil pickup hang down inside, so you need
almost as much clearance underneath as the pan is deep, or maybe ten
inches all told.

Many things that leak oil on the engine will end up leaking it onto
the pan. Be real sure you are looking at the problem, and not just a
symptom. A couple spray cans of Gunk Foamy Engine Brite and the
garden hose will get the oil off the engine, making it a breeze to
find the leak at its source. There's also a real good case for
keeping the engine clean all the time, so leaks are discovered early.

dr bob

FRDCP32

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Apr 9, 1998, 3:00:00 AM4/9/98

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Like someone else said$ 700 buys a lot of oil ! the engine would have to be
pulled out to do it right unless its leaking so bad its leaving spots in your
driveway leave it alone .Thats what I did on mine and Im a Ford mechanic ,its a
real pain . but on a 92 you really should make sure its not your valve covers
leaking and if they are, use the updated metal Ford gaskets they wont leak
again . Ive seen valve cover leaks cause fires due to the oil on the exhaust
and these really should be done for safety reasons! Darryl

Paul Lee

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Apr 9, 1998, 3:00:00 AM4/9/98

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On Wed, 08 Apr 1998 22:24:19 -0400, michael mcentee
<michael...@smc.com> wrote:

>The oil pan gasket is leaking on my '92 Explorer.
>Ford wants over $700 to repair it claiming the engine has to be raised.
>Has anyone done this on their own without raising the whole engine?
>Any help is appreciated.
>
>Mike

Like somone else has already said, check the valve cover gaskets. I
have a 92 XLT and had someone diagnose my oil loss problem as a oil
pan gasket, but when I got a second opinion, I found out it was only
the valve cover gasket.....much much more affordable. I can't
remember exactly how much right off hand, but it was not bad.

MalibuDave

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Apr 11, 1998, 3:00:00 AM4/11/98

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I had almost all the oil leaks in the 91-93 era Explorer: Valve cover(s), rear
main, oil pan, etc - a couple of them twice. For me the oil pan leak was the
last straw. I did all the tests. Used gunk to clean off the pan. Looked like
the leak was coming from the front main seal so I spent about 5 hours R&R. A
week later there was that little golden streak driping back down the pan.
Tried tightening the pan bolts. Nothing worked. So I raised the engine -- all
the way out -- and put in a '96 with 5k miles. Runs great, no leaks. Only
lost about 4 days.

Dave