The GM aluminum oil pans are also used to give additional rigidity and structure to the aluminum engine block.
I just helped a friend replace his oil pan on a newer VW Jetta, it was so simple I wonder why anyone would try a temp fix solution. Heck it has to be easier to change the oil pan in the 4.2, than changing the spark plugs.
I don't think anything blocks removal of the oil pan on the 4X2 4.2 F150 so it should be easy, but my truck is at home and I am working out of town.
Do it right, do it once.

 

I've been reading about removing and replacing the oil pan, it seems to involve raising the engine to clear the crossmember. If it were as simple as a 66 mustang then I'd be all over that R&R.

 

Well that settles that.
I was afraid of that because I know Ford, but wasn't near my truck to check into it.
Here we go again, Ford making sure we cannot do things ourselves with stupid engineering. It comes from cramming the same basic engine into every vehicle they make (for more profits) regardless of the frame etc.
I wouldn't pull the engine for that either.
I think I would get a tap, re-thread the hole, and put a new plug in it.
You are right, heavy grease will keep down filings and a couple of bottles of thin oil should wash the rest out.
Using that Dorman larger self tapping bolt scares me. My experience with those types of fixes is that they are only good a couple of times, then they strip also. Remember, what you are dealing with is also a Dorman solution.
Getting that T part out of the pan is going to be a pain.
I'm thinking maybe a coat hanger wire thickness making a loop 90 degrees at the end small enough to get into the pan but big enough to fit on at the end of the T. Then pull the loop to the center of the plug bolt inside the pan. The loop should grab the "T" thing and as you pull it should pull the ends together so you can then pull the whole thing out. If you use something like coathanger wire, there is no chance of it getting stuck since you will be able to pull it back out if you have to.
Sorry Ford messed you over on the oil pan replacement since those things strip all the time.
That sux.
Good luck.

 

I prefer a steel pan over a casted aluminum pan anyways less trouble

 

What I'm thinking is that once I loosen the threads a good ways, I can get the T to collapse/fold on itself. I'm not sure if it's spring loaded or if it has to be manually collapsed, I guess I'll figure out which it is.

 

Let us know how this movie ends, but I am telling you if it was me and my luck, not only would the thing not be spring loaded, the T would fall off into the pan while I was trying to remove it and I would spend the rest of my life wondering when it was going to destroy the engine.
I mean, all of my vehicles are full of nuts and bolts that fell into places you can only get to with a cutting torch. Not matter how careful I am, some critical part always flies into some inaccesable space like it was magentic attraction.
Hope you have better luck than me.