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Oil Pan Stuck - is mustang pan the same as Bronco 302

djanis99

Newbie
Joined
Aug 21, 2020
Messages
28
My oil pan is stuck on, starting to get deformed as I beat it off. Let it sit overnight and going to try again today. Took all bolts out, triple checked, 22 bolts out. Put floor jack under pan and put pressure on overnight. PO lived their liquid gasket sealer.

I can get an oil pan on Jegs or Summit for a 302 at $50 - all the Bronco specific pans are $300. They look identical - can I use any 302 pan from that era?
 

SevenT

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
May 23, 2009
Messages
496
Loc.
Southern Colorado
Oil pan

djanis99,

Run a sharp knife between the block and oil pan to cut the RTV. That is the best I have.

v/r,

SevenT
 
OP
OP
D

djanis99

Newbie
Joined
Aug 21, 2020
Messages
28
Got it off, was able to get decent access by taking front wheels off and slipping gasket knife between engine and pan.
 

jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
Bronco oil pans are like no others. They have one rear sump and the dip stick on the driver side. The Mustang AKA Fox car body pan is dual sump with the dip stick on the pass. side. It is better than others as the front axle won't hit it as often. The Fox body pan does get hit tho, with front axle when fully compressed. Bronco pans were used on boats so you have a source. here is a sample; https://www.ebay.com/itm/L2-MerCrui...861656?hash=item4db21f0ed8:g:u6AAAOSw7QJfRoKr
 

tatersalad

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 17, 2009
Messages
1,067
The two 68 broncos I've owned had pans with passenger side dipsticks on 289
 

jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
Correct, I said it backwards. The OE Bronco pans have the dip stick on the pass. side and Fox body car pan dip sticks are on the driver side.
 

jamesroney

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
Messages
1,666
Loc.
Fremont, CA
The bigger problem is not that the dipstick is on the left side, or the right side. The problem is that the dipstick on the Bronco is in the pan, and the dipstick on the Fox is in the block.

So if you use a Fox pan on a Bronco block, you have no way to install a dipstick.

If you use a Bronco pan on a Fox block, you can have two dipsticks.

You can also choose to use the Ford passenger car dipstick in the timing cover, but the Fox pan is dual sump...and the front sump for the oil pump does not drain to the main sump. So as long as the oil level is higher than the "dam" between them...the dipstick reads fine. But once you go below the dam...the dipstick always reads the same, even if the main sump is empty.

Explorer pans are very popular, but the explorer also puts the dipstick in the block.
 

Bitch'nBronco

Contributor
Loose Cannon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
3,348
Loc.
Havre De Grace, MD
You may be better off putting a post up in the bronco parts wanted section of the forum. If you're in a hurry, I got my pan from Wild Horses

Sent from my SM-G981V using Tapatalk
 

jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
Only very late 302 pans were designed with no dip stick. I think the '79-'93 pans do have dip stick holes.
 

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
34,834
'87 5.0 pan had no dipstick, was in the block.

I have heard rumor that some boat motors used a Bronco pan.

And the oil pump pickup is specific to every pan as well. Both Mustang use a rear pickup, but they are different pickups.
 

jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
The Mercruiser pan I referenced in post #4 is obviously an EB pan, at least for those of us who remember what an EB V8 oil pan looks like. So it's a lot more than a rumor. Parts houses like RockAuto have pictures of the parts they sell, and their replacement Fox/Panther 302 pans listed for all years through '93 have dip stick holes. The same is true on ebey auctions. Anectdotal stories about a single engine block is far less persuasive.
 

jckkys

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
5,196
That's a late '80s van and 2WD pickup pan as they tell you in the description. The front axle will hit it far sooner than the axle will hit the Fox/Panther pan that only gets hit with the front suspension at FULL compression. The real EB pan I found on ebey for 130 is a far better deal than a new made in China replacement for a very different vehicle.
 
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