Hey guys! I'm brand new here and already have a question if you don't mind.

There seem to be three types of oil filter adaptors for our 4.6/5.4s, all of which the coolant hose connect to.

1. The kind that the oil filter screws right on top of.

2. The kind that relocates the filter somewhere else via hoses (or has some other use for hoses)

3. The kind that is in between those two. It's a somewhat long one piece housing that relocates the filter back to where you have to get behind the wheel to change it, but again no hoses.

I have No. 3.

This is what it looks like;



I have two questions about it. First is probably pretty simple. It's gonna take the same kind of gasket as the other two, right (I already have a Fel-Pro).

Second, it seems to run between the motor mount and engine block, which I think would be REALLY stupid on Ford's part. Some please tell me that's not the case before I get into unhooking this thing.

I'm just putting this out there in case anyone already knows. I've seen hundreds of instructions, threads and videos on changing these adaptors and not one was like mine. I'll be doing more research and taking a better look at it but if you already know please chime in already.

It's getting oil absolutely everywhere and I have quite a coolant leak (it is not in my oil and my radiator never drips?).

Right now I'm running tap water in the thing and eager to get the right fluids in, but would really like to change the thing before I buy all the distilled water/coolant/flush product I'm going to need to get this engine up to my maintenance standards, only for it to just leak back down again and literally pour money into it.

 

OK I got a really good second look. I think I can get to all the bolts as I have a 2WD (fingers crossed). That middle one is BY the motor mount and mounts to some bracket, which looks like it might run back to the other bolt just above the filter. After studying the pic really well I've determined all the coolant/oil passages are the same as the other adaptors, so the gasket's good to go.

So I think I answered all my questions here already. Maybe I posted too early but have already tackled a lot of things on this truck (just bought it) and this is one of the last major things to tackle (took dash out, changed heater core, upgraded blender door to Dorman part, upgraded broken motor that turned that to a Dorman, changed the browning trans fluid/filter). I'm very anxious to get the major work tied up and done so I can enjoy my ride!

Thanks for looking guys and I'll keep you updated if there are snags. I know there are others with these adaptors!

 

When you changed the trans fluid, did you drain the torque converter? If you didn't, you only got about 1/3 of the old fluid out. Hope you reused the pan gasket, it's a permanent gasket and the replacements are nowhere near as good. Yes, the torque converter DOES have a drain plug, unlike newer vehicles.

 

I didn't go through the trouble of a full flush seeings how the magnet was clean. I upgraded to a Dorman pan with a drain plug and reused the Ford gasket. I heard about them being even better than a new replacement.

I'll be doing 2 or 3 more changes every 10,000 miles and from then every 30,000.

 

It's easy to drain the converter - just pull the inspection cover on the bottom of the bell housing and turn the engine over till you see the plug.

I'd do that soon, then you can forget about doing it again for quite a while.

 

Thanks for your help glc. I'll take it into consideration.

 

Well bad news. The long tubes reach between the block and motor mounts and it cannot be removed without lifting the engine from that mount some. Ford wasn't satisfied there. That hole between the long tubes bolts to a bracket reaching all around the motor mount and also bolting to the engine block. Ford wasn't satisfied there. They RIVETED, not bolted, but RIVETED the bracket to the motor mount in not one place with two rivets you can't get to to drill out, but two places.

I wonder how much someone would charge me to do this since I need to change the oil pan gasket anyway and that requires lifting the engine, but I had a way around that myself. I was already quoted $100 to do it by a mechanic I won't ever take it back to because he told me I had $2700 worth of other work to be done that I just don't have (badly leaking radiators usually leak water.....somewhere...at some point....and so on and so on....

Should I just invest a couple hundred in a cherry picker or take it for another quote?

Edit: Nevermind, I have someone in mind I'll just take it to. Someone with a lift shouldn't have a problem with this so labor shouldn't be over maybe $250. Boy would that be worth not going through this myself.