'87 F-150 Engine/Oil problems
09-04-2010, 08:14 PM
#1
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'87 F-150 Engine/Oil problems
I need a little help/advice... A few months back, I bought a 87 F150 as a fix-up project for me and my son. Things have been going fine. We redid the interior and have been using the truck as a daily driver while we plan out the rest of the project. Anyways, on the way home from work the other day, I noticed the smell of oil burning as I pulled into the garage. I went inside and let it cool off for awhile and when I came back out, nearly all of the oil had dumped onto my garage floor (at least 4 qts). When I popped the radiator cap, I noticed that my coolant level was very low as well. I crawled underneath yesterday to inspect things--the oil pan doesn't have any visible holes, the filter is still in tact and dry, and the leak appears to be from somewhere below the filter (possibly from the gasket). Without dropping the pan, the gasket appears to be in good shape, but that may be the source of the problem. I can't tell whether the coolant mixed with the oil or not. I tried to turn the engine over manually with a rachet, but I couldn't get to the main pulley to do it (I tried one of the top pulleys)--no luck getting it to turn over. Any ideas on what to try next? From what I can tell, the fix could be as easy as a cheap gasket or as expensive as dropping in a new engine (in that case, I'd probably just buy something different). Any help you can offer is much appreciated.
09-05-2010, 08:04 AM
#3
April 2010 TOTM Winner
Do you have a 4.9L, 5.0L or a 5.8L engine?
To manually rotate a 4.9L engine,
use a 15/16" socket with a long pull-handle to turn the crankshaft bolt.
(Always turn engine clockwise)
The source of this major oil leak is probably not the oil pan gasket.
(Seems like oil is being pumped out and not leaking?)
As dirtcrew51m said, check oil pressure sending unit.
Ensure the oil filter is not loose.
All I got for now.
To manually rotate a 4.9L engine,
use a 15/16" socket with a long pull-handle to turn the crankshaft bolt.
(Always turn engine clockwise)
The source of this major oil leak is probably not the oil pan gasket.
(Seems like oil is being pumped out and not leaking?)
As dirtcrew51m said, check oil pressure sending unit.
Ensure the oil filter is not loose.
All I got for now.
