PLASTIC OIL PANS ?

[Johnnu2]

A guy at our range has a relatively new Ford F-150 with a plastic oil pan (factory orig). Just curious does anyone know if this is gonna be the new normal on vehicles...(US, Jap or otherwise)..???
J.

 

[Bull Barrel]

They have been using plastic fuel tanks and intake manifolds for years.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

My truck has a plastic intake manifold.
You can bet if it can be made from plastic they will do it.
They don't make things from plastic because it is better.
They make it from plastic because it is cheaper. That is the only reason most guns are mainly plastic these days.

 

[smoke-eater]

Plastic oil pans? That can't be a good thing. Over the years, I've put more dents and scrapes in metal oil pans than I'd like to admit, and was lucky to get away with it with no leaks. Can't imagine plastic holding up that well. Kind of outrageous that they're putting them on trucks that are supposed to be built "Ford Tough."

 

[powder smoke]

When I was a young man I punched in several oil pans on rocks boonie
stompin thru the woods with a CJ and PUs Make mine steel please! Steel oil
pans will dent and get you out! Can not imagine a plastic oil pan holding up
to hitting rocks. They do everything possible to save a dollar. ps

 

[Kevin]

They would also save on weight, and a lighter weight car would save on gas mileage. For most cars never being driven anywhere but a paved road, it does make sense.

 

[contender]

As noted,, not as many trucks nowadays are used as trucks. They are the soccer mom types,, & never see real USE! So, make it cheaper by using plastic & charge more for a real oil pan etc.
But,, long ago,, I knew that even a steel oil pan could get punched & leak. In 1989,, I ordered my new truck with skid plates & pan protection. I did it again in 2004. Never had to worry about my oil pan getting a hole from my use of my truck.

 

[kmoore]

I have read that the f250s and F350s had plastic oil pans for several years when they came out with the 6.7. My 2013 is steel,but a lot of other parts are plastic. My 2002 f350 was the 1st as I recall with a plastic fuel tank.

 

[Bull Barrel]

My 92 Dakota's tank is plastic.

 

[daveg.inkc]

Radiators, too. Molded plastic.

 

[Kevin]

And plastics have come a long way too. For some reason they have to wrap bunches of bananas in a band of plastic. I’m pretty strong, but cannot pull that little thin piece of plastic apart at all. It’s pretty strong stuff.

 

[Bull Barrel]

Radiators, too. Molded plastic.

Are you referring to the entire rad or just the tanks?

 

[Mobuck]

And now you know why the value of the older "all metal" pickups stays high.

 

[gunzo]

Not just regular vehicles.

I had to spearhead a repair of a wrecked 25 ton dump truck few years ago. The oil pan under the 525 horse power Detroit Diesel was cracked & leaking. It was 2004 model. That pan was fiberglass.

Composites are here to stay. Like 'em, or not.

 

[daveg.inkc]

Radiators, too. Molded plastic.

Are you referring to the entire rad or just the tanks?

Tanks. The ends.

 

[Jeepnik]

In 1982 Jeep started using plastic valve covers on the 258 sixes. An unmitigated disaster. They leaked no matter what you did. Most of us changed them to aluminum covers. Mine's a Clifford.

Anyplace you have heat, lubricants and vibration it will leak sooner than later.

 

[Johnnu2]

Thanks for all the replies..... I'm hoping the Jap cars continue with metal oil pans (but I'm not counting on them either), my Subaru (2009) and Toyota (2016) both have metal pans..... Gonna climb under at the stealership when I buy a new 'Toy' next year just to see what surprises I'll be getting.. Geeze Louise........
J

 

[caryc]

I was mowing some high brush with one of my tractors and didn't know there was a boulder about three feet high in that brush. I ran the tractor right up on the boulder. The front wheels were off the ground and it was sitting with the oil pan on top of the rock. It was actually sitting a little crooked so one rear tire was off the ground too.

I walked home and fired up my MF202 workbull and drove it out there and chained it to the stuck tractor. I put that Workbull In Lo/1st gear and it creaped slowly and dragged the 8N off the boulder.

Thanks to the "cast iron" oil pan on the 8N nothing happened to it. I was really worried that I may have at least cracked it but nothing happened at all. Thank God for those cast iron oil pans !

PLASTIC OIL PANS OMG !!!!!!!!!

 

[Dan in MI]

It's not always all about money. The EPA keeps bumping mileage limits and NHTSA keeps bumping safety regs. The safety items add weight. Weight costs MPG's. Look at most of today cars. They are 1/2 the size of 1970's GM, Ford, Chrylser, oceanliners of the day, but they still weigh 80% of that 70's tank, or more.

To meet emission they have to cut weight. (there's not much else to do, cars are pretty dang efficient now) To meet safety they have to add weight. Something has to give with two diametrically opposed regulations. I can tell you that when push comes to shove, safety ALWAYS has the bigger hammer.


Look at aluminum or carbon fiber truck beds. It's not because they are cheaper or easier to make.....

 

[blackhawknj]

The owner of a large limo company told me the plastic gas tanks were a real pain, they flexed so much they threw the float off, he had to issue repeated bulletins to his drivers reminding them that when the gas gauge read 1/4 tank it was actually empty.

 

[smoke-eater]

My '93 Cherokee had a plastic gas tank. The two metal straps that held it in place chafed the tank enough that it leaked. But it took 23 years!

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Personal opinion only: if a mfr wants to use a plastic oil tank in a dry sump system, such that it's protected from exterior exposure to damage, go to it. But a conventional oil pan in plastic? I've scraped up a couple of metal pans, as I'm sure most of the folks here have, and paint scratches were about the extent of the damage. More adventurous friends have dented, and even punched a hole in, metal pans. Short of adding a five or ten pound skid plate to protect the plastic part which saved maybe a half pound or pound of weight to start, I'm not in favor of conventional style pans in plastic.

But I'm sure I'll be outvoted by the mfrs, who will gladly charge us more for a worse product, all in the name of saving a few ounces so their heavily advertised 500hp engine gets better fuel economy! Maybe one of those engineers will get lost, hit a rock, ruin his plastic pan, and have to walk for help. With luck, the first house he finds will be Contender's. Keep an eye out, Ty!

Rick C

 

[radicalrod]

Well I have had two metal oil pans rust through.....one on a Dodge Ram and one on a Toyota PU......

 

[Rick Courtright]

Well I have had two metal oil pans rust through.....one on a Dodge Ram and one on a Toyota PU......

Hi,

I understand that, though rust isn't a big concern around here! OTOH, parts made of plastic or rubber live a compromised life due to heat and sun exposure.

Pick your poison?

Rick C

 

[Johnnu2]

I'll choose METAL any day, and every day, if I get the option.... I have to admit that this is the very first time I ever heard of a metal oil pan rusting (from any direction).... that being said, I had a 1962 Corvette for 45 years and never had a rusting oil pan. While talking about modern/advanced cars, how do you all like the b.s. they feed us now about flushing and replacing brake fluid (every two years). My God, who believes these people. I never changed the brake fluid on that same Corvette until I changed the sintered metallic brake shoes (option on my Fuel Injected car) for the first time (it was then about 30 years old with about 80,000 miles).

 

[radicalrod]

Well after 30 years you didn't have brake fluid you had brake sludge :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air and makes a mess in the brake calipers .....

You might not notice it immediately but there is no "stopping" it...…

My 98 vette felt like a new car again with a brake, clutch, and manual trans flush.....RR

 

[Bull Barrel]

If you have maintained brakes on motorcycles for any length of time you will be doing the same with your cages.
Brake fluid turns to mud quickly.
And m/c braking systems are no different than autos.

 

[Johnnu2]

Well, I gotta tell you guys, I did the brakes myself, and I can say that brake fluid came out without any sludge (at least that I could detect); the viscosity seemed normal. I didn't even 'flush' the system; just put in fresh fluid and pumped up the brakes (which obviously cleaned things out). I will admit that one brake cylinder was shot (no calipers in 1962), but the car was 30 years old and had good hard miles (and some very hard braking on it). Put another 15 years without changing the "new brake fluid". But we digress didn't we? Apologies,
J

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Hi,

Personal opinion only: if a mfr wants to use a plastic oil tank in a dry sump system, such that it's protected from exterior exposure to damage, go to it. But a conventional oil pan in plastic? I've scraped up a couple of metal pans, as I'm sure most of the folks here have, and paint scratches were about the extent of the damage. More adventurous friends have dented, and even punched a hole in, metal pans. Short of adding a five or ten pound skid plate to protect the plastic part which saved maybe a half pound or pound of weight to start, I'm not in favor of conventional style pans in plastic.

But I'm sure I'll be outvoted by the mfrs, who will gladly charge us more for a worse product, all in the name of saving a few ounces so their heavily advertised 500hp engine gets better fuel economy! Maybe one of those bean counters will get lost, hit a rock, ruin his plastic pan, and have to walk for help.

Rick C

Fixed it for ya! :mrgreen:

 

[Johnnu2]

We were just chatting.... no biggie; but thanks for the help )