I have a early double sump oil pan with no dipstick accommodation for a 302 ford with the dipstick in the timing cover, can I use this oil pan on this engine, and still be able to check the oil, and if I can how? Is there some sensor it has a threaded hole on the side for a oil sensor is that the only way to go, how do you know how much oil to put in if that is the case, thanks lou
They make an add on dipstick for oil pans. it is basically a deal that rivets or welds to the side of the pan with a dip stick tube in it. The ones I have seen are kind of generic and you mark your dipstick after you fill it with oil. But they may make one specific for your oil pan. Check with your favorite catalog speed shop for one. look in a manual and find the capacity of that pan, then when you out one quart less then capacity, check your dipstick and mark it then top it off and check your dipstick and mark it again.
This's is a very timely discussion as I am currently involved in swapping to the double sump pan on a 289 for installation in a '50 Ford. I knew the dip stick has to be addressed but hadn't gotten there yet. Having examined the pan configuration, I would offer a thought for consideration when calibrating the dipstick. The small front sump will retain some oil all the time and has it's own drain plug. Consequently, it seems to me it might be preferable to follow Benno's suggestion about putting in one less quart than capacity, but run the engine before marking the dip stick. That way, it would have achieved it's 'natural' oil level under normal operating conditions. Whereas, just filling it in static condition might not duplicate the distribution of oil between the two sumps that occurs when running. Once the 'quart low' level has been established, add the final quart and repeat the process. It is possible that the static fill results in the same distribution between the sumps and I am overthinking this matter. What do you think, Benno? Ray
I don't think that you are over thinking it at all. On a stock engine like say a rear sump Ford truck engine if you change the filter then fire it up then check the oil it will be as much as a quart down. So if you put the right amount in it to fill the pan then light it off it is going to be a quart down which should be your lower measurement, right? here is something to think about, on a double hump pan wouldn't you want the dip stick in the part of the pan closest to the pickup?
You can make one to fit in level sender hole in the rear sump. If you can use the center sump early 80's van pan it has a dipstick on pass side.
Benno, Yes, in the rear sump, which is where the pickup is relocated with this double sump pan. The rear sump, by far, has the greater capacity. It would appear to me that a quart, or bit more, would fill the shallower front sump then spill over into the rear sump, which is why I thought running the engine before marking the dip stick might be useful. I agree with filling one quart less than required and running should result in lower reading and mark accordingly, then add the final qt and Mark 'full'. The sequence is the same as you first recommended, just altered by running the engine before marking the stick. Ray
Johnboy 34, I have what appears to be an OEM Ford double sump pan ("Ford" and part number stamped in metal) and it has no provision for any sender or fittings other than a drain plug in both sumps. Ray
On the double sump 302 pans the dip stick has to go into the rear sump. Check the side of your block to see if it has a small plug that can be replaced by the dipstick tube, if not you will have to find a pan like the one pictured above with the dipstick in the side.
I will look for the 'plug' in the block, but am not optimistic about that being there. If so, great, problem solved. Otherwise I'll fabricate a fitting for the pan and add a dipstick tube. Ray
There's more than one rear-sump pan... Ford moved the dipstick to the block on the passenger cars in '81. The pans with built-in dipsticks to look for are the early Bronco (a bit hard to find these days), '79-84 1/2 ton trucks and vans (the one beaner shows), and '79-80 Fox-body cars. If you have a marine yard around close, Ford also used rear sump pans with dipsticks on a lot of their marine motors, although these pans are generally larger capacity than the car/truck versions.
When I worked at a Ford Dealer in 79 and 80, we changed a lot of those pans that had a riveted on dipstick because they leaked. It wasn't an easy swap. Ford paid a lot of warranty money to have them changed. That's likely why they put it in the block. Later on, when I worked on used cars that were out of warranty and had a leaky riveted on tube adapter, I would remove the adapter by grinding the rivet heads off to get the gasket out. I left the rivets in to avoid putting anything in the pan. Then I put the adapter back on over the rivets and brazed it on including the rivets. I can't remember if they used 5 or 6 quarts of oil in those because the oil in the front sump basically sits there. The front sump is just to make room for the oil pump. If you block that pan up so it sits level and put 4 or 5 quarts of water in the rear sump, it will flow into the front sump. It will definitely flow into the front sump when you stop and of course the oil flying around in the engine finds it's way into the front sump too. You don't want to measure it in the front sump because if you empty the rear sump, there is still oil in the front sump. When you have the pan off, you can put a tube or a fitting for a universal dip stick.
I modified the pan on a 351 by welding a dipstick tube to the pan where I wanted it. Filled the engine with the correct amount of oil and marked the dipstick. I always presoak my filters with oil (part of the recommended 5 Qt.) prior to installing them, so no issue there.
On a motorcycle I once fitted a banjo fitting to the drain plug (which faced out the side not down) and ran a clear tube upward. Put in the right amount of oil and marked the tube. It was easy to see on a bike though...
Another option is to gut the oil level sensor then use a 3/8-18 pipe tap. Fit an elbow then add a short piece of pipe to slide the dipstick tube into. The pipe should be long enough to put the seat above the oil level, like it is on a timing cover or into the side of the block. Clamp the tube to a header flange. I have an early two-piece rear main 302 block with the double hump pan and pan mount dipstick in a 83 ranger.
I just went through this on the Willys over the winter. I put a 90 degree AN bulkhead fitting with 2 nuts in the pan on the side below the oil level. I then flared the dipstick tube and used an AN sleeve and tube nut. Next I cut and remarked the dipstick and screwed it all together. A teflon washer and some gookum puckey seals it up.
Bringing this up from the dead. Just wondering if anyone has tried one of these on a Ford 302 front sump? https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-NEW-Fo...m=200981485711&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
If you're using a front sump pan, it'll be easier to use the older style front cover with the dipstick in it. All off-the-shelf parts.
You need this: https://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/pro...oil-pan-kit-289302-v8-66-77-early-ford-bronco or this: https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/289-302_V8_Oil_Pan_Kit/bronco_Oil_Pans I just installed a '68 302 in my '51 Shoebox sedan using this pan kit. I drilled and tapped the original dipstick hole in the timing cover and used a threaded plug to seal it off. Easy enough. I used the Jamco bolt-in motor mounts, made the job extremely easy.
You must be using a serpentine belt system with a reverse-rotation pump then, as that's the only real difference. Well, that and the lack of a fuel pump mount on the later covers... Seems to me I recall that some later reverse-rotation pumps will fit the early covers, later truck applications?
You are correct. After many hours of researching brackets etc. I have decided to just use the old Explorer serpentine setup. It's a lot less pain in the long run. I spoke with Alan Grove brackets and they told me there were 28 different water pump combinations for the 302. I don't have time to try and research all this. I bought the early timing cover and installed it, then found out the water pumps were deeper on the 5.0.
Besides the serpentine issue, the explorer front dress is the way to go. It is roughly 2 1/2 inches shorter than any other configuration. I love the room it creates and allows me to run the clutch fan in my comet, falcon and now my 48 ford. The brackets are ugly but I cut them down to minimize the bulk but use the explorer alternator because it is so easy to wire up. If using the explorer pan, just use the factory dipstick. The early 5.0 explorers/mountaineers even had a really nice cast aluminum rear sump oil pan.
I'm curious, what combo are you doing that requires a front sump pan but won't allow the early pump? I know a lot of guys are using the late Mustang motor mounts in mid-'50s Ford/SBF swaps, but I don't like those as they push the motor forward and up, causing clearance issues with the V8 radiator. If you have a 6-cylinder radiator set-up, no problem. I did a 351W into a '56 Ford coupe, I built my own 'adaptors' that used the 'generic' late '60s/early '70s mounts that dropped onto the OEM frame mounts. This moved the motor back and down, the fan cleared the V8 radiator, but I did need to change out the throttle linkage to the late cable type as the drivers-side head got too close to the firewall to allow the stock linkage.
I have a 46 Ford with a 5 Liter Windsor V8 using the double hump oil pan, I have put the required amount of oil in the engine as per the factory manual , I have run the engine but the dipstick level is way too high according to the stock factory dipstick. So should I be using a different dipstick, if so where do I get one. Or should I just re-mark the dipstick.
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