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HELP! Oil Pan Stuck

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Bronco_007

Bronco_007

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Agree. Coolant isn’t leaking from the valve cover, right? Confused because I can’t see any coolant above that drip drip, there on the cork gasket.
 
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Bronco_007

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And now I have no power. Turned it off to find the leak and now won’t crank. No light’s, horn, nothing. My life!
 

DirtDonk

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If it does it again, let us know. As you may already know, or have figured out, there are only a few things that can kill power to the whole truck.
 
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Bronco_007

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Alright, new smoke. Not the thick white stuff (coolant leak resolved), but grey. See fine bubbling at the exhaust manifold seals. Blown exhaust manifold gaskets? Let me know if video doesn’t load…
 

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SLOWnEASY

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What cylinder are we talking? Or at least drivers or passengers side? There's really nothing where it's bubbling that would be connected to a coolant passage. So either it's a fine mist spraying on it from somewhere else; Or it's possibly just residual that is boiling off. Do you smell burning coolant?

First thing I would probably do is let it cool. Then use a garden hose and run a large amount of water all along the under side of the valve cover lip. Then fire it back up and let the water boil off and see what you have.
 
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Bronco_007

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B
What cylinder are we talking? Or at least drivers or passengers side? There's really nothing where it's bubbling that would be connected to a coolant passage. So either it's a fine mist spraying on it from somewhere else; Or it's possibly just residual that is boiling off. Do you smell burning coolant?

First thing I would probably do is let it cool. Then use a garden hose and run a large amount of water all along the under side of the valve cover lip. Then fire it back up and let the water boil off and see what you have.
Both sides. Driver is cylinders 6 and 8, and passenger is cylinders 3 and 4. No, I don’t smell coolant. Might be residual. But it’s sharing to or issuing from the edges of exhaust manifold. Which is why I wondered manifold gasket.
 
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Bronco_007

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valve cover leak most likely. Just oil. What is telling you its coolant?
There was green coolant dripping from the cork gasket edging out beneath the cover.
 

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Bronco_007

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There was green coolant dripping from the cork gasket edging out beneath the cover.
But I guess it was running under valve cover edge from somewhere else because I tightened all hoses and no more coolant drips. Now just oil.
 
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SLOWnEASY

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Well oil could definitely leak out from under the valve cover gaskets. Are the valve cover bolts tight? Maybe give them a slight snugging up. Don't go hog wild, just something like a 16th or 1/8th degree turn and see if it helps. Also if you have compressed air you can try to clean up the gap between the head and valve cover. Just put on safety glasses and hold the air hose in one hand and a can of brake cleaner in the other hand. Put both nozzles about 2-3 inches away from the surface and spray both at the same time. Then drive it or at least get a fast idle for 10 minutes and see you get.
 

El Kabong

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When it's cool take a piece of toilet paper & wipe the suspected area (Oh boy. There's a phrase that's asking to be taken out of context). The TP will pick up invisible liquids. On the white surface you should be able to see which liquid it is. And by starting low & working your way up you should be able to locate the source.
 
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Bronco_007

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I did the water and then the wipe. Looks like I’m leaking oil from under the valve cover nicely. I also checked the manifold bolts. Got a half to 3/4 turn on all of them; gentle pull only. Coincidence this happened with the coolant leak. Got a FelPro silicone rubber gasket to replace the cork under the valve covers (which are original stock). Anyone have experience with those gaskets? Any reason to think I need to replace the covers?
 

phred

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Is it coming out of the valve cover or over it. Hard to tell from the photos. No coolant should be coming from inside.
 

El Kabong

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I did the water and then the wipe. Looks like I’m leaking oil from under the valve cover nicely. I also checked the manifold bolts. Got a half to 3/4 turn on all of them; gentle pull only. Coincidence this happened with the coolant leak. Got a FelPro silicone rubber gasket to replace the cork under the valve covers (which are original stock). Anyone have experience with those gaskets? Any reason to think I need to replace the covers?
Take a look at the valve cover surface where it mates to the head. Sometimes they can get distorted if the bolts have been overtightened. A little ball peen hammer work with a socket backing up around the bolt hole can improve the match up.
 
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Bronco_007

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Is it coming out of the valve cover or over it. Hard to tell from the photos. No coolant should be coming from inside.
It looked like it was coming out of the valve cover. The top was dry. But I tightened all fittings on the heater hose and no more coolant anywhere. Still don’t know where the coolant came from. But I think it’s just oil on the valve covers now. Will replace the gaskets. If there coolant under the valve cover my problems are a lot worse than some cracked cork. Appreciate everyone!!
 
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Bronco_007

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It’s the valve cover gaskets. They’re toast. This is my first time changing them. I’ve been lucky. Previous owner left old cork underneath the new cork when they did it. Miracle they didn’t start leaking sooner. Razor blade, scotch bright, elbow grease. Any tricks getting baked on cork and old gasket maker of the factory valve covers? Anything to avoid?
 
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