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Oil pan: explorer vs 302?

Eoth

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 10, 2004
Messages
1,677
I'm swapping in an explorer motor. The explorer pan dip stick tube does not work with stock 302 exhaust manifolds I plan on using. I'm thinking that I will just block off the oil tube port on the block and reuse my 302 pan. Any pros or cons for that course of action?
 
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Crush

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,463
Loc.
Greenbottom, WV
Naa. Most people do that. Dont forget to plug the hole in the block for the old dipstick. But. The explorer pan is a nice aluminum piece and tou can bend the dipstick tube just about any way you want to so I would try and make it fit. :)
 

EBGeek

Sr. Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
408
I second what Crush said. You can use the old pan, but the cast aluminum pan of the Explorer (and its sweet, no leak seal) is worth the effort to make it fit IMO. Like Crush said, the Explorer tube can be bent just about anywhere and I ended up bending mine to run between the manifold/block and built a support bracket that slips underneath one of the exhaust bolts.
 
OP
OP
Eoth

Eoth

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 10, 2004
Messages
1,677
Dam you all!! You feed into my sickness. All I needed to hear was "good plan".. But nooooo...... Now I am going to spend half the night screwing with this stupid tube and ultimately breaking it! Then I am going to find out it is obsolete and a new one (that I still will have to modify) is 8 weeks out and might as well be made of gold.
Well, now that I have that off my chest, I will stop bitching and get back to work.
Thanks Guys! ;D;D;D;D
 

EBGeek

Sr. Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
408
I hear ya, Eoth. If there's one thing I learned building my EB is that nothing is EVER truly 'bolt on'. Everything is 'cut to fit, paint to match, wire to work', even for things that come from vendors saying its bolt on ready...

If you don't want to jack with the stock tube, as Casey indicated, I'm quite certain there's a Lokar aftermarket flexible tube available from at least some of the vendors. I'll see if I can find it right quick.
 

Crush

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,463
Loc.
Greenbottom, WV
Lmao. Its pretty hard to break. If you are really worried you can use a brake line bender bit i just used my hands. Mine was a 94 5.8 for a f-250. I used the 5.8 dipstick and unbolted it from the manifold bolt because it was in the way of something else. Then i bent it out straight so that it came out under the master cylinder and above the drivers fender well. Then i welded a new support bracket on that bolted to the engine somewhere. Cant remeber where though. Lol
 
OP
OP
Eoth

Eoth

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 10, 2004
Messages
1,677
Wow.... That sure is purdy. I think all my other parts would get jealous.
 

jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
The OE Bronco pan was the only one designed for the Bronco chassis and you already have it. The aluminum pan will crack if a rock hits it. The dip stick needs no modification and any leak can be fixed easily. Use it and the pick up. A few of the Explorer 302 parts are better than EB 302s. Yes, they're both 302s. The pan isn't one of those parts.
 
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