Need serious help-FAST! Oil spraying?

[Hoss408]

Okay, guys, I need some help here, not sure exactly what I did, but I did it big apparently. Changed the water pump and thermostat on the '73 today, been heating up a little too much in traffic, etc. No big deal, right? Finished up, filled the radiator, fired it up to let it warm up and pull the coolant through, everything fine for a few seconds, and then BAM! Suddenly I've got oil flying everywhere. Yes, oil, as in motor oil which should have nothing to do with a water pump, right? And when I say spraying, I mean fan flinging it, coating the entire engine compartment, underside of the hood, and the Harley parked next to it before I could get it shut off! Also, noticed a big puddle of coolant in the little valley on the block directly behind the water pump. Any ideas on what the hell I could have done and how to fix it?

 

[Billsboat]

What Engine do you have? On my 302 the oil presser sending unit sits up by the water pump...any way you some how hit that brass tube?

 

[Billsboat]

Or maybe you some how hit the oil sending unit it self and cracked it??? It will be interesting to hear what you find....and oh the mess, Harley and all

 

[Hoss408]

I have a 302, that's definitely something I will check, thanks! Any other ideas in case that isn't it, guys?

 

[CopperRanger]

Or maybe you some how hit the oil sending unit it self and cracked it??? It will be interesting to hear what you find....and oh the mess, Harley and all

X2, I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Doyle]

Puddle in the lil valley usually means you didn't get the thermostat seated in the dip in the housing.

 

[Hoss408]

That was my first thought, too, but it is pooling on the opposite side of the thermostat housing? I'd like to think that's all it is, but not sure...

 

[Hoss408]

Another question, want to remove the oil sending unit and see if I can tell visually if it is bad or not before I spend $50 to order one, how does the wire on the end come off? Has a piece on top that looks like it should be threaded, but want to make sure before I start twisting stuff....

 

[jckkys]

I've seen the gauge type sending unit blow oil out of the top where the wire clips on. It's not common because every car or truck I've owned since 1968 had the same sending unit, and that was the only one that blew out.

 

[Hoss408]

jckkys, I'm really hoping that the sending unit is all that it is. Do you recall offhand if the plastic piece holding the wire on just threads off or is it a special type of connector?

 

[CopperRanger]

It should just pull straight off. Twist a little while pulling on it.

 

[Hoss408]

okay, it was threaded on, just really tight

 

[jckkys]

The connector just slips on the post like other Ford sending units. The whole sending unit is screwed in, 1/8" NPT. In my case the oil came out around the insulation at the base of the threaded post.

 

[JLBachs]

The coolant puddling in that little valley can happen because of a leak out of the gasket between the timing cover and the block, too. Given that your t-stat housing and upper hose are all sanitary - before doing anything else with the coolant issue, I would try bumping those longer water pump bolts (that go clear through to the block) just a little tighter and see if it doesn't stop. On the sending unit, it could be the unit itself or it could be the extension that it screws into. If you had a wrench slip and hit the sending unit, it could have left the sending unit unharmed but stressed the spot where the extension screws into the block.

 

[Hoss408]

Thanks for the advice, guys, got a new sending unit and extension on order, hopeully that will correct the oil issue. @JLBachs - I will try tightening those bolts a bit more and see if that helps with the coolant, after checking the t-stat housing.