2.3 oil pump replace tips?

[smoker_xr]

Any tips for removing and replacing the oil pump for the 2.3 in my 91 XLT Ranger?

I have my Ranger up on ramps from where I pressure washed most of the grime off of the bottom.

Is this one of the ones with a four piece oil pan gasket, or just the one piece?

My Clymer manual says I have to take out the radiator and disconnect lots of different connections. If I'm only raising the engine off the mounts an inch or so, do I really have to have it nearly ready to pull the engine (or so it seems)?

Thanks

 

[Kenneth S]

I a real pain to pull the oil pump it's allmost easier to just pull the engine because you have to lift the engine so high. Why are you changing just the oil pump?

 

[smoker_xr]

how high to lift?

How high do I have to lift the engine to pull the oil pan to be able to get the oil pump out?

My oil pump looks to be hogged out of aluminum, if that helps understand the configuration.

I heard top end clattering AND erratic readings on the oil pressure gauge.

 

[Kenneth S]

Oil pumps very very rarely "go away" the clattering and the erratic oil pressure are usually signs of bad lifter(s), bad, or spun bearings, if your engine has alot of miles, or hard use on it an oil pump may not fix it, if it were mine I'd just pull the engine completely out (it's not much to much more to do than just rasing the engine high enough to pull the pan) and have a closer look at other things.

 

[shadetree]

A good possibility it is not the pump, but the pan gaskets. The gaskets were made out of cork from the factory. With the oil pan and block expanding and contracting at different rates, over time it would grind up the gaskets. The small pieces fall into the pan where they are picked up by the oil pump. They clog the pickup screen starving the engine for oil. Symptoms would be good or fair oil pressure when cold, the pressure would be erratic or fall to almost nothing as the engine warms up. Ford finally fixed the problem after about 1993.

It is best to pull the engine for several reasons. Even with the engine lifted, you cannot get the pan off. You don't want to be jockeying around with the engine up on blocks/jacks/whatever. By lifting the engine, you have almost everything loose to take it out anyway. shady

 

[Kenneth S]

If it has the aluminum pan it has a kinda o-ring seal with some silicone, if it's a steel pan it should have a one piece silicone gasket.

 

[smoker_xr]

It was the pan gasket

I finally got enough time off from work to finish the project this last weekend.

The oil pump pick-up screen was completely full of little crumbly black chunks from the old oil pan gasket.

It was the the one piece aluminum pan with the groove in it for the one piece gasket.

Yes, I replaced the oil pump and pick-up screen/filter while I was in there.

Most important, my 15 year old son did the majority of the work, and learned a lot in the process!

Thanks to the group for the helpful comments.

 

[DPDISXR4Ti]

Bumping this old thread as I'm working on my neighbor's '89 2.3 5-speed with low oil pressure. I've tried flushing the pick-up by draining the oil, replacing with a gallon of diesel fuel for 24 hours, and then draining and replacing with new filter and oil. No change. I'm assuming the pick-up is severely plugged or oil pump bypass valve failed.

Wondering how high I might need to lift the engine to get the pan off.