Powerstroke question....

[Soundguy]

Yes, still talking about the 7.3.

I wouldn't call oil pan rust issues a pandemic, but it is a rather common issue that's aggravated up north where they use a lot of salt and the like on the roads in the winter.

If you do a web search for "7.3 oil pan" you can find a lot of folks talking about it. At one time, I heard someone was trying to design a two piece oil pan that could be installed without removing the engine.

well.. i'll agree without even searching now that you mention 'up north'.

IMHO.. that's not anoil pan issue per se.. but an entire under carriage issue.

in my search for a 7.3 350 I looked at alotta carfax, and then at alotta undercarriages. I was not looking for a northern vehicle. every one I say had springs and hangers and brake lines.. and well.. EVERYTHIG under there rustred out. lower door and body panels.. etc.. etc.

found a good solid southern one finally..

soundguy

 

[flyingcow]

Soundguy, IMO it's the salt issue. When i say we get 6 months of snow/salt out of 12 months, thats no joke. Maybe around 1st half of April it'll stop snowing, but until you get into the end of May the residual salt off of the roads and shoulders will finally be gone. I usually don't have my fuel tanks polished until mid June. Waste of time before that,every time it rains the spray off of the road will dull the shine.


i am doing as you did. Looking south, with carfax searches also. The right deal, the cost of a plane ticket is minor in the long run. If i find a keeper, when i get home the frame will be cleaned and a couple of layers of Imron. just tryin' to keep the dream alive.:laughing:

This thread has been a good one for me. Thanks guys. :thumbsup:

 

[Soundguy]

yep salt. A friend of mine had his undercarriage 'tough lined' before he took his truck up north.

it's terrible to see the undercarriage all pitted and orange and everything gone after runing them up there. brake s and all..

soundguy

 

[2458n]

International did not paint the oil pans well if at all. Ford just put them in the trucks the way they got them. Three ford diesels- three with rusted out oil pans. 1988,1989. and 1996. bought them that way. Ohio roads eat them up.

 

[Soundguy]

88 and 89 wouldn't even have been a power stroke....
nor even a turbo 7.3 would have been a NA engine..

soundguy

 

[Highbeam]

Oil pan rust is real. Even on northwest trucks where mine spent it's last 12 years. I found enough rust on my oil pan to warrant wire wheeling and a thorough brushed on coat of rustoleum to try and slow it down. Nothing else on the underside of my truck has any rust at all. Normally, no big deal, swap the pan out. On the powerstrokes some genious decided to attach a big herkin riveted in cross member which prevents the pan from coming off seperately from the engine.

In addition, the only way to get a proper seal on the new oil pan using the proper IH oil pan sealant is to have the engine upside down on a stand.

Do everything you can to keep the pan happy. Every chance you get, shoot the pan with the hose. Keep a nice glossy coat of paint on there, maybe even coat it with grease.

The common location of rust failure is about the center of the pan where it rolls up from the sump base towards the front of the vehicle. Right above the lousy crossmember.

The dip stick seal at the oil pan is another sore point. There is a seal here that can leak and replacing it is very risky since you can easily drop a part into the oil pan. No problem, pull the pan and fish out the part!!!! Nope, the whole engine.

 

[Soundguy]

sounds like a good place for asphalt paint.

soundguy

 

[TheKid]

Oil pan rust is real. Even on northwest trucks where mine spent it's last 12 years. I found enough rust on my oil pan to warrant wire wheeling and a thorough brushed on coat of rustoleum to try and slow it down.

Do everything you can to keep the pan happy. Every chance you get, shoot the pan with the hose. Keep a nice glossy coat of paint on there, maybe even coat it with grease.

The common location of rust failure is about the center of the pan where it rolls up from the sump base towards the front of the vehicle. Right above the lousy crossmember.

I've tried the wire brush and paint method without much luck on my 02 PSD. Just too many places you can't get to with a wire brush. Lately I've been using the brush where I can reach and then putting a good coat of marine wheel bearing grease on the entire pan using a chip brush.

 

[Soundguy]

i'd use asphalt fence paint or rhino style bed coating.. or that ruberized undercoating in the spray can.. if I needed it anyway. the pans on my 3 powerstrokes still have the factory paint on them

soundguy