I have a 2000 Ford Ranger 3.0 V6 112,000 miles with a standard transmission.

I either have an oil leak coming from the back side of the engine at the oil pan gasket (I can see a drop of oil hanging off one of the bolts) or I may have a rear main seal leak. In either case, it only drips a few drops each time I park, but I wanted to see with you all. If you had either scenario, could either one oil soak the clutch, or would a rear main seal just sling oil on the backside of the flywheel, but not make it around to the front side to get on the clutch? Just curious if it is something I need to be concerned about or just ride it out and leave it be.

If it was the rear main seal, wouldn't you see the oil dripping out the bottom of the bell housing of the transmission?

I don't want to pull the engine to the oil pan, but I could do the rear main seal later when the weather gets warmer.

 

If you're going to drop the trans, why not do all 3, oil pan, rear engine and trans in-put seal.
With the trans off, I think you should be able to remove the oil pan with out having to lift the engine. (the engine should just sit there on its mounts on its own with out the trans bolted up to it)
With the tranny out of the way, the oil pan should simply drop and slide back _ it's the tranny that's in the way of getting the pan off.

While you're in there too, replace the slave cylinder _ get a Ford one, the aftermarket ones only seem to last a year.

Also know there is a bolt at the top of the bell housing, that's a "bear" to get at.

As far as oil getting onto the clutch, it comes in contact with the flywheel first (as you said) and is simply flung off inside the bell housing.
So if the oil is just a small drip, I would leave it, or wait until you need to do a slave cylinder/clutch job.

 

Well Jeff I hope you are right. It would be easier to do that, but according to the Haynes manual it says ....."Step 10. Remove the inspection cover from the front of the transmission. On 2006 and later models, remove the nuts from the engine mounts and raise the engine two inches with a three bar engine support fixture. Refer to Chapter 7 and remove the transmission, then the engine flywheel/drive plate."....."Step 12. Unbolt the oil pan. Using a hoist, raise the engine approximately two inches to allow clearance to remove the oil pan. If it is stuck on..."

I know it says on 2006 and later models above, but then the last part of that step 10 says to remove the transmission like it applies to all years. Lastly, step 12 says lift the engine and it doesn't specify years.

So can you remove it without lifting the engine? I do notice that it is tight against where the transmission mounts up. That is why I thought you had to lift it, to get space to get to the back bolts. It does mention later "Caution: The oil pan is a tight fit between the transmission spacer plate and the oil pump pick up tube. Be careful not to damage the pick up tube when you remove the pan." I assume that is what I am talking about is that spacer plate which is a piece of metal that meets up with the transmission.

Thoughts? Anyone else replace theirs without having to lift the engine?

 

I have my engine out at the moment and take it from me, the Haynes manual is quite useless when it come to the business of the oil pan.
The problem is that the pan is hard up against the bell housing baffle plate, I tried to remove it never the less, and I got it free, but the oil pump is in the way.
There is a baffle inside the pan that the oil pump gets caught up on.
With the trans out of the way, you should simply be able to pull the oil pan back to clear the oil pump _ even with the front cross member as close as it is to the engine.

 

Ok, good to hear. Thanks for the advice. I thought your Haynes manual comment was pretty funny.

 

My engine is sitting on my bench, with the crank exposed.
I'll temporarily bolt on the oil pump and see just how much clearance is needed to get the oil pan off.
Not right now, but in the next few days.
I'm curious myself now.

 

Another leaky Vulcan engine. It's a shame such durable engines are plagued with oil leaks and water leaks much sooner than expected. Oil pan gasket leaks on 1999 and 2000 model engines get worse quickly wherever they do start leaking. The gaskets will actually start protruding out from the oil pan. Mine started leaking at 95,000 miles and within a month it got too bad to ignore any longer. They are guaranteed to start leaking before 150,000 miles. Real main oil seal leaks can start slowly and take more time to get worse. So keep a pan under your Truck just to see if gets worse in a short period of time. Regardless, both the rear main and oil pan gasket WILL start leaking so you might as well have both replaced. The same goes with water pump leaks. If you have it replaced, go ahead and replace the timing chain cover and timing chain. Whatever area is being worked on at the time, go ahead ad replace other gaskets as well. Usually the valve cover gaskets are the first leaks to appear. I know these engines quite well. They are durable, but when one leak starts, the other leaks are not far behind.

 

So I had a chance today just to see how much clearance is needed to get the oil pan off with the tranny removed.
With the oil pump in place, there wouldn't be enough, you would hit the lower cross member underneath the engine.
However with the tranny out of the way you can lower the pan enough to easily get at the one bolt that holds the oil pump in place.
There's no gasket involved here so it's just a simple matter of allowing the oil pump to drop into the pan.
With it out of the way, there may be enough room now to remove it with out having to raise the engine.
There's no way of knowing for sure unless someone tries it.

 

Thanks Jeff. I actually found this video the other day. It might be worth a try to. The guy is pretty funny, "F*** that, I ain't pulling no motor for an oil pan gasket." You might watch it and see what you think. It seems logical, surprised though that you can just jack up on the transmission like that and not damage anything on top or the transmission shifter. This is all assuming you know your issue is the oil pan.

 

As you raise the engine watch that the synchronizer at the back of the engine doesn't come in hard contact with fire wall.
He's raising it at the back so you may not have a problem with it, but still keep an eye on it.

Something he didn't mention, and that is there is an aluminum plate sandwiched between the bell-housing and the block.
That plate (on mine) prevented the oil pan from sliding back enough to clear the baffle/oil pump inside the oil pan.
Now maybe the way he raised the engine allowed for just enough room where he could somehow finagle the oil pan around to clear the internal baffle to get it off.
Maybe raising the whole thing at the back of the trans mount will allow the pan to clear the front cross member and be turned sideways to get enough clearance.
What about the exhaust, that's pushing it's mounts and unions quite a bit raising the rear trans mount like that _ something to be careful of.

You'll find out ounce you get in there.

You also may want to disconnect the engines wiring harness as well.
Just keep an eye on things at the back of the engine as you raise it.
It's a tight spot with your vacuum line harness, oil pump sender and various wires running to the oxygen sensors and such.

Ford never intended to have someone remove the pan with the engine in place, so there was no thought what so ever to get it off with the engine in there.

The aluminum plate that I mentioned earlier will be the biggest hurdle to get over.
You may find that even when the pan is free, the back of it comes in contact with that plate and no matter how you move the pan around, you'll never just quite gain enough clearance to get it free.

I'm beginning to think the guys engine in the video had the plate missing.

The worst thing that will happen is you'll get in there and realize that this isn't going to work.

On another video, a guy did manage to undue that single bolt that holds the oil pump in place.
You can get a wrench in there, but it's real tight.
Once the oil pump is free, it drops into the pan and then it can be removed easily, the "BEAR" is starting that bolt again and making sure the oil pump lines and seats properly when it's time to put things back together. (you can't see a damn thing...)
Once you get the oil pump back in place (if this is the route your go), then it's very "TIGHT" to get the oil pan gasket in place.
You can try and bond one side of it first on the pan, but when you try and do the almost impossible job of bolting the pump back in place, the gasket will most certainly get in the way, get caught on your wrench/hands, move around and lose it's seated position.

I don't usually say this because I don't believe in luck when working on machinery, but good luck.

 

I did a bit more playing around, if you manage to get enough clearance by unbolting all the mounts, then the oil pan can be removed with out taking the engine out.
The aluminum plate between the bell-housing and the block is the obstacle, I used some putt knives to force the plate out of the way of the back edge of the oil pan.
Once that's clear it will drop of provided you can gain enough clearance of the front cross member.

I would think that getting the pan back in and dealing with that aluminum plate with-out disturbing the position of the new gasket would be tricky.
Obviously some silicon here would help _ even more so if you allow it to set up a bit.
At any rate, I would still think it would be a PITA to do it this way.
And caution again when raising the engine and trans off its mounts that much _ watch so your don't "wrench" the exhaust flanges.