How to Change the Oil Pump on a Ford 302
by Cassandra Tribe
The Ford 302 engine was used in many Ford cars and trucks from the late sixties to the early 2000s. Often referred to as a Windsor engine (after the factory that made it) you can easily tell if your Ford has a 302 by looking at the VIN number of the car. If the 8th letter is an 'H,' it's a 302. This is important to know when you need to change the oil pump. On a Ford 302 this is a relatively easy job to perform. Other types of Ford engines will require a different approach.
Remove the Old Oil Pump
Step 1
Park your Ford on a level surface. Slide an oil drain pan under the engine. Make sure it is under the oil drain plug on the side of the oil pan bolted to the bottom of the engine.
Step 2
Remove the oil drain plug with a socket set and let all of the engine oil drain out. Reinstall the oil drain plug when no more oil comes out.
Step 3
Jack the front of the vehicle up and support the weight of the vehicle on jack stands. You may skip this step if your Ford chassis is high enough to allow you to easily access the bolts holding the drain pan in place (like on most trucks). You want enough room to be able to comfortably be able to work with a socket wrench.
Step 4
Loosen and remove the bolts holding the oil pan to the underneath of the engine block. Pull the oil pan from the engine. Remove the oil pan gasket and discard it.
Step 5
Follow the pick-up arm (a metal arm with a flat disk on the end protruding from the engine block into where the oil pan was) to where it connects to the oil pump. Find the two mounting bolts holding the oil pump to the engine block.
Step 6
Remove the oil pump mounting bolts and withdraw the pump from the engine. This also removes the pick-up arm, as it is attached to the pump. Do not worry about this; there will be a new arm attached to your new oil pump.
Install New Oil Pump
Step 1
Lay the new oil pump gasket on the mating surface of the oil pump. The mating surface is the flat metal part of the pump (by the bolt holes) that will press against (mate with) the engine block when installed.
Step 2
Lift the pump into place and insert it into the engine block. Make sure the pick-up arm at the bottom of the pump is extending out of the engine and into where the oil pan will be. If you can't remember how the oil pan goes, before putting the pump in place hold the pan up so it is lined up with its bolt holes so you can see the direction of the pan. Don't worry about inserting the wrong end of the pump into the engine, it will fit only one way.
Step 3
Place the mounting bolts through the bolt holes of the pump and tighten them with a socket wrench. You want to tighten the bolts until they are hand-tight, then turn them 1/4 of a turn with the socket wrench. You can tell when a bolt is hand-tight when using a socket wrench to install it because there will be no resistance from the wrench when using it until the moment it is hand-tight.
Step 4
Lay the new oil pan gasket onto the oil pan edge, making sure the bolt holes in the gasket line up with the bolt holes in the pan.
Step 5
Lift the pan into place and put in the bolts. Tighten them until hand-tight. Do not tighten past hand-tight. Go on to the next step, where you will use a pattern to tighten the bolts, ensuring the pan mounts and seals properly.
Step 6
Finish tightening the bolts holding the oil drain pan to the engine block, working in a pattern so that you tighten all of the bolts a little bit at a time, working from side to side until they are all one full turn with the socket wrench past being hand-tight. Working in a pattern will ensure the pan is attached in a level fashion so it maintains a good seal.
Step 7
Add engine oil. Check the specifications for your Ford truck or car to know how much to put in. Note that, if you raised your vehicle onto jack stands while you changed the oil pump, you need to lower it to the ground before adding oil.
References
Tips
- Depending on the age of your car, it may be easier to rebuild the oil pump than to find a new one. Use the resource link below to find out more about troubleshooting the oil pump once it is out of the vehicle.
Things You'll Need
- Oil drain pan
- Socket set
- Car jack
- Jack stands
- Oil pump gasket
- Oil pump
- Oil pan gasket
- Engine oil
Warnings
- Never change the oil pump on a car that has been recently driven. Always allow the car engine (and the oil) to cool, or you could get seriously burned.
Writer Bio
Cassandra Tribe has worked in the construction field for over 17 years and has experience in a variety of mechanical, scientific, automotive and mathematical forms. She has been writing and editing for over 10 years. Her areas of interest include culture and society, automotive, computers, business, the Internet, science and structural engineering and implementation.
