OK, let the flaming begin... Engine #3 damage was my fault - though a very minor engineering change could have prevented it.

I apparently bent the pan while supporting the engine as I swapped transmissions. The pan was smashed up against the oil pickup tube. I didn't pay any attention to the dented pan at first because it's been dented for a long time - yeah, I offroad and I'm no weenie about it. Unfortunately this time I dented the pan juuuuust right. The pickup tube makes a pretty good seal against the bottom of the pan. If Ford would have put the little bumps on the pickup like most manufacturers, I would not have had this issue.

I thought dispersing the weight with a block of wood would be OK. I have done that many times in the past - on this same engine even - when I changed the driver side engine mount. Obviously, I was wrong. An expensive mistake.

I noticed an ever so slight wear pattern shaped like a "D" in the pan after I cleaned it. That "D" is this:

 

Yea, that the way your suppose to do it, support it directly under the pan.

It's even in the service manual. So you should of been okay, unless you jacked it somehow.

Geez, I hope mines not bent now, crap..

 

Yea I support it the same way and have many times. So is that your conclusion then , - No oil pressure after transmission swap= Caved/Bent the oil pan during the procedure.

The pickup doesn't look damaged or like it came in contact. Is it bent or are there marks inside the bottom of the pan?

 

Well, the pics don't really show it, but yes, the metal part that goes over the screen is bent. However, I was chatting with my dad about this and he threw a wrench into that theory. If the pan caused the restriction, why did it still not pump when I submerged the pump in the coffee can full of oil?

 

Perhaps the other O-ring lost it's seal then? The one at the pickup tube mating surface connection.

This one-

CAUTION: Make sure the O-ring is in place and not damaged. A missing or damaged O-ring can cause foam in the lubrication system, low oil pressure, and severe engine damage.

Heck, I'll just clip it from the 99 V10 Service Manual. -



BTW - Is this what your making?

 

I'd say I'm confident it's not the o-ring, but I'm not confident about anything anymore.

My contraption isn't quite as elaborate as the one Ford uses, but it's fully functional.

 

Yea I was thinking with all that pressure on pickup, that little o-ring may have lost it's seal. There was enough pressure to bend it right?


Looks good and doable. - How much does that motor weigh, you know? 6 - 650 ?

 

650 if memory serves me correctly. The bar seems to be working just fine, though I'm sure it's close to its limit. I can always build a truss if I need too.

I can't see how the oring seal would break with the mount design, but again... I just don't know whats going on.

 

I was feeling tired today and didn't get much done. Pulling those side bolts while the engine is in the truck really sucks. I got all those out and I inspected main #3 and it looks new, #2 is the demolished one that I pictured earlier, and below is #1 which has some wear, but if you look closely, you can still see the factory ink print "2" on the left side of the bearing surface.

This whole thing still doesn't make sense.

 

Guess not.

 

Pulled all the mains. Just #3 and #6 took damage. Parts to fix it will be here next week.

 

New rods and mains installed. Engine has oil pressure. I'm beat - will post pics later...

 

My pictures mostly didn't turn out, so all you get is the main bearings I removed and the rod bearings when I get back out there to photograph them.

I'm still not 100% sure of the root cause here, but I did hammer the pan back into shape. I did find a VERY small crack in the pickup tube o-ring, but not enough to cause an issue. However, I suppose it may have been the perfect storm of slightly bad o-ring, bent pan, and pressure on the pickup to cause it all. If the oil pump can't create a vacuum in the pickup tube, that oil isn't getting pumped.

 

 

Final update...

Just drove it for the first time in - who knows. Runs great, oil pressure is great, and I finally have first gear again. What a mess.