2.3L ('83-'97) 1991 ranger2.3 oil pump/pickup/pan gasket

[john203]

After installed a new melling oil pump and pickup tube (m127, 127s) and felpro rubber oil pan gasket (OS30545R), on my 1991 2.3 5 speed 2wd ranger, i can 100% confirm you can not remove the oil pan no matter how much you jack the engine up. mine is a '91 2wd model, and the best i could do it raise the engine ~4 or 5", and work with how much i could lower it. IT IS 100% possible to change the oil pump, pickup, and oil pan gasket without fully removing the pan though.

remove negative battery cable
remove fan shroud
remove both top motor mount nuts (18mm)
remove trans mount crossmember nuts (18mm)
place a jack with a block of wood under the middle of the trans and jack up
place a jack on the crank pulley and jack up
once it is high enough that the egr valve is hitting the firewall, remove all the pan gasket bolts (8mm heads all around the perimiter of the pan, and if it is a manual transmission, 2 13mm headed bolts through the bottom of the bell housing. you will have to remove the starter (3 13mm bolts) to get to some of the pan bolts
lower the pan onto the i beams, and you'll see the inside of your engine. remove the 15mm nut on #3 cyl main cap stud
then move on to the 2 10mm pickup tube bolts
the oil pump is then held on by 2 5/16 or 8mm 12 point bolts
remove old oil pan gasket, clean both pan and block surfaces, and clean the pan out with brake cleaner/diesel fuel

MAKE SURE TO PRIME NEW OIL PUMP BEFORE INSTALLING. it is as simple as rotating the oil pump with a 10mm or 3/8" allen key while pouring oil into one of the ports on the pump
it is easier to install the pickup tube and gasket onto the oil pump outside the truck and swing the whole assembly in for install
put pickup tube head into pan, then swing in the pump
line up the oil pump drive shaft, and then push pump into block. at this time, the tab on the pickup tube should be close to the stud on the main cap
put nut on the main cap to support pickup tube, then start the oil pump mounting bolts
the use of swivel head sockets or swivels and extensions with short sockets help install the 12 point oil pump bolts

now time to button the pan back up, bolts just have to be snug
once all oil pan bolts are back in, slowly lower engine back onto trans crossmember and engine mount studs
put starter back in, tigthen both trans crossmember nuts, and both engine mount nuts
DONT FORGET TO ADD OIL BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
it helps a lot to crank the engine with the gas pedal 100% depressed at first to fill the new oil filter with oil and circulate oil throughout the engine without firing it off. holding accelerator pedal to the floor puts the ignition system into "clear flood" mode and will just crank, not fire.
do this until the dash oil pressure gauge reads normal
fire up the truck, look for leaks and listen for noise
any questions about this job, please ask.

 

[franklin2]

If you can't pull the pan completely off, it's risky business to do a job like this. It's so easy to drop a piece or pieces of the old pan gasket into the pan, and then miss them and leave them in there. They get sucked up into the oil pump pickup and suddenly you do not have oil pressure.

If you can be 100% sure you can get all the debris out of the pan, then by all means proceed.

 

[john203]

If you can't pull the pan completely off, it's risky business to do a job like this. It's so easy to drop a piece or pieces of the old pan gasket into the pan, and then miss them and leave them in there. They get sucked up into the oil pump pickup and suddenly you do not have oil pressure.

If you can be 100% sure you can get all the debris out of the pan, then by all means proceed.

yeah, hence why i mentioned to cleannout the pan with brake cleaner or diesel fuel. it will flush it all down the oil drain plug hole, and then you wipe out around the kick up in the rear of the sump.

 

[oldgeek]

Clarification: Did you remove the transmission?

I ask because of this thread.

Post in thread 'Removing 2.3l oil pan thru the back?'

Nov 10, 2008

Hi, I just changed a 92 2.3 clutch, slave, rear main seal, and oil pan gasket at work last week. With the trans and flywheel out, I just took the pass side motor mount loose and jacked up that side of the motor up, and the pan came out throught the back easily. Of course this was on the lift, so if you're doing it on the ground it might not be nearly as easy. Just my $.02
Josh

• fix_or_repair_daily

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

I remember getting all pissed off reading threads like that doing my oil pan gasket. I pulled the trans and unbolted both motor mounts, and it was still impossible.

I ended up reaching inside the dropped pan and unbolting the oil pump pickup, which allowed the pan to slide out the back. IIRC it was hitting crossmembers, not axle beams, so droop wouldn't have helped.

But yeah, it's definitely not coming out with the trans in.

 

[john203]

Clarification: Did you remove the transmission?

I ask because of this thread.

Post in thread 'Removing 2.3l oil pan thru the back?'

Nov 10, 2008

Hi, I just changed a 92 2.3 clutch, slave, rear main seal, and oil pan gasket at work last week. With the trans and flywheel out, I just took the pass side motor mount loose and jacked up that side of the motor up, and the pan came out throught the back easily. Of course this was on the lift, so if you're doing it on the ground it might not be nearly as easy. Just my $.02
Josh

• fix_or_repair_daily

no trans stayed in, but if you could support the engine from above, i bet with the trans pulled back just an inch or two; the pan would come right out.