We'll I have been putting off a chirping throw out bearing for a little while. I was going to just let a ford dealership do it like last time, but now there is another issue. My oil pan drain plug has stripped for the second time in 2 oil changes. Currently it is only being held on by like 2 threads. It is leaking but very very little, as i have been watching it for like 2 weeks now. So, I decided that I would rather replace it than deal with another self tapping plug. For the local dealership to fix both it is going to be like $1200-1300. So I'm like wow, the oil pan thing must be a pain in the *** to replace. So, because of the price I've decided to do it myself (with help from the father and grandfather, of course, as both have done this before, but not in a long time and not on a modern car). To get to the oil pan Ford drops the K-member and removes the transmission, but according to Hanes repair manual (this is the way I'm going to attempt it) You can acutally lift the engine out of the car 2-3 inches and get enough clearance to remove the oil pan. So, I was a little excited to get to work on my car as I haven't had time to even do my own oil changes in a couple of years. However, yesterday I lifted the hood and began to look at everything that was going to have to be removed or disconnected to get both these projects done and now I'm feeling very discouraged, because yes this is going to be a pain in the ***. I just have to keep telling myself that I'm saving like $900-1000 dollars.

Parts aren't that bad 300-400 I think is what ive found. It seems though that the pressure plate and the oil pan have to be bought from ford. I'm getting the clutch, throw out bearing, and pilot bearing, and align ment tool from Auto Zone.

My question and reason for the post is encouragement and advice from some of you who may have done this before, and if any one can think of something I might need that I haven't mentioned please chime in.

 

There are a ton of good quality clutches in the aftermarket, like Centerforce or ACT. The throw out bearing and pilot bearing come as replacement parts too. Just use ones that are made in the US, since the Taiwan made ones are a P.O.S. On the oil pan, you are stuck with either a new Ford part or one from a local wrecking yard. It's a lot of work, but if you have a manual and help from experienced people, you shouldn't have any problem. Just work slowly and when you lift the engine, keep someone looking around it so you don't break anything, like A/C lines or a sensor.
Good luck and happy wrenching!

 

Good luck! Take things slow as Eduardo mentioned!

 

And have some cold drinks to make things more enjoyable

 

can't you just tap the oil plug hole out to the next size bigger?

 

Thanks guys. I haven't thought much about an aftermarket clutch. This is mostly because I don't know a whole lot about them. Can anyone enlighten me with the pros and cons?

 

Yea, It has been done twice now in the last two oil changes I've had. Plus the dealership Town and Country stated that they didn't think it should be done again. I'm ready to just get the new pan and be done with it.

Exclaimer for Town and Country. This was the first time they have done work for me, and the damage had been done before they worked on the car. I like their service, but don't want to spend that much money for them to do the work.

 

That's why nobody touches my cars. I always do my own fixing, even A/C. The only shops that they have gone are for paint or collision damage.

 

The clutch is the easy part of that project. The hard part is everything else. I did it over two weekends, but it should take a lot less than that if you're not by yourself. Get the car up as high as you can on jack stands, take off the exhaust, take out the driveshaft, take off the transmission brace, with the jack under it, unbolt the bellhousing to tranny bolts, drop the transmission, take off the bellhousing, replace the clutch, then putting back together is the reverse. Not nearly as bad as some people say it is.

 

it is pretty easy on the SN95's, but clutch is one of those deals I'll let a pro handle.

 

If you have the proper clutch alignment tool or a discarded imput shaft, clutch instalation is a breeze. Also it's a good time to replace the rear crankshaft oil seal btw. It's a sure leaker.

 

As far as I know, since I have oly used an ACT, they are one of the strongest pressure plates around, the only drawback, at least on my Mazda (hydraulic clutch), is a higher pedal effort, and a slight "grabbing" until the clutch breaks in.
Some have told me the Centerforce is lighter on the pedal, but with the counterweights it has gives it more pressure holding at higher rpms, but can't hold as much hp/rpms than an ACT, but this was told to me by some racers around here.
Make some research on the web.

 

I've talked to few guys and did a little web search, and I think I might go with a spec stage one clutch kit. It includes everything I need, is better than the stock unit, and it is only like $50-60 more expensive than the oem stuff. Plus, I think I have located an unused kit through a friend that I might can get for even less $.

Also, any thoughts on a flywheel? leave it alone, resurface it, or get a new one? It was machined last time I had this issue, which was about 40,000 miles ago.

 

Are you replacing the oil pan or the drain plug in the oil pan?

 

The Oil Pan.

 

The correct answer was just "yes" to that question, wasn't it?

 

huh?

 

Any updates?

 

Yea, Yesterday was spent taking everything apart. Other than two really stubborn bolts on the top of the trans (that took two hours for us to get off) it went rather smoothly. By the way to get the old oil pan off the only extra step that has to be done vs replacing the clutch is lifting the engine. Everything that has to be taken off replacing the clutch on the V6, has to come off to slip the oil pan off. Also the transmission is very heavy; DO NOT let it get set down on your wrist. If it does four letter words are required to helping you feel better about your stupidity .

On another note Hanes' repair manual was wrong about there being I hooks on the block to to lift the engine out . We had to find another safe lifting point. Turns out that the part of the engine mount that stays on the block has spots that you can run a chain through them. Only had to lift the engine like 1.5 inches, and didn't even have to remove my CAI or my strut tower brace. Everything had enough play to go that high. It'll go higher if I take my strut tower brace off.

Today will be reassembly. All replacement parts are OEM except for a stage 1 spec clutch kit. I'm looking forward to seeing how it feels Once it is all done.

 

Cool!
Now don't be tempted to do hard launches until the clutch has some hundred miles first so it breaks in properly. It will last longer