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Elmobile · 01-20-2021, 03:15 PM

My quest for the perfect to me RV continue...
Today I went to have a look at a 1996 Fleetwood Bounder 32H. Bigger than the 30' that I set my target for but the house part is very clean and maintenance record seem to indicate it was mostly well look after... Well almost!
Before cranking the engine I ask to check the oil level. Was train like that on real buses, just have to do it. Guess what the dip stick was dry. The owner added oil and all is fine. He was very surprised.
Long story short , the drain plug had been stripped and replaced by a self tapping tapered plug.No way that I could leave as is if I was to get it. There is a slow drip!

Question is: Can the oil pan be replaced without removing the engine from the chassis? I check some of the Ford truck forum and it is necessary. But this being a F53 chassis on a motorhome, is there clearance to get it from under... And yes the engine is a 460.

Thank you

burgman50 · 01-20-2021, 03:25 PM

Not sure I understand, was there a huge puddle underneath? If not, how many miles was it driven without oil?

RELHUB · 01-20-2021, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elmobile

My quest for the perfect to me RV continue...
Today I went to have a look at a 1996 Fleetwood Bounder 32H. Bigger than the 30' that I set my target for but the house part is very clean and maintenance record seem to indicate it was mostly well look after... Well almost!
Before cranking the engine I ask to check the oil level. Was train like that on real buses, just have to do it. Guess what the dip stick was dry. The owner added oil and all is fine. He was very surprised.
Long story short , the drain plug had been stripped and replaced by a self tapping tapered plug.No way that I could leave as is if I was to get it. There is a slow drip!

Question is: Can the oil pan be replaced without removing the engine from the chassis? I check some of the Ford truck forum and it is necessary. But this being a F53 chassis on a motorhome, is there clearance to get it from under... And yes the engine is a 460.

Thank you

This is a sign you need to WALK AWAY from this one...
You have already found two different issues with this MH already.

Low oil level ....not a big deal.
Replacing OIL PAN .... big pain in the butt.

Mr Lars · 01-20-2021, 03:31 PM

Two issues here, how long was it driven with oil level way low? If at all
It may be better to drop the front axle down out of the way for a pan change.
Try and consult with a Ford dealership that still has large truck service.
Or any large truck service center, these units are getting to the age, that nobody in these service centers have ever worked on this vintage. Don’t ask me how I know.

Digger01 · 01-20-2021, 03:43 PM

Has it been sitting for a period of time and was there oil on the ground?

Elmobile · 01-20-2021, 07:18 PM

Yes the coach has been parked since August and probably not even started. The owner went under the truck and saw a small puddle on the ground. They may have been a quart missing.
I was just wondering if the oil pan can be replaced from under. It was -12C today so I did not crawl underneath to get an idea. If I can do it myself, I could keep it as an option. If the engine has to come out, I will have to forget it...Unless the owner has it done before I buy it. Very unlikely.

OverDo · 01-21-2021, 05:09 AM

If there is enough material left on the thread boss you should be able to ream or drill and tap the pan for a larger drain plug without removing the oil pan from the engine.

Elmobile · 01-21-2021, 06:13 AM

OverDo, I cannot answer your remark. I would have to remove the current plug to be able to assess the potential for a proper repair...
Right now I am going to follow RELHUB advice and just walk away. There is other issues with the coach. The roof membrane is gone (down to the fiberglass in some areas) and need to be redone, the tires may be good for this coming summer as I plan to stay local but will have to be replaced before any long haul.
Thank you all for the input. It does help tremendously making sound decision.
I must say so, that I never though it would be so hard to find a good coach

Cheers.

Dav L · 01-21-2021, 08:58 AM

Strong odds no need to replace the oil pan. There are oversized drain screws for that purpose. If for some reason the oil pan does need to be replaced, it's about three hour job. No real biggie.
If the oil was only down one quart due to the seepage, also no problem.
Certainly concentrate that you don't hear any knock noises and engine performance is good that doesn't indicate any loss of compression. See while engine is running if there is any blow by via the oil fill cap when removed. But likely no issue.

The roof is a much larger issue and indicative that rest of RV wasn't maintained. So, either buy it really cheap after doing a real good inspection or walk.
Obviously the owner was a mechanical knucklehead who's work can't be trusted. You just don't know what he messed with.

Digger01 · 01-21-2021, 01:09 PM

To have the roof coated is about $1000.00 here in NC that is the price I was quoted on my 32H. But luckily I had it inspected and all it needed was a good cleaning.

153stars · 01-21-2021, 03:54 PM

There piggy back plugs that can be put in with JB weld for good measure. Personally I trust Devcon steel epoxy more on something like that. Hot and oily. I still a lot of good deals on FB marketplace still they can go quick though.

Elmobile · 01-22-2021, 05:37 AM

If I was to go for it, I definitely have a compression test done. the engine has 100K miles on it. I did not take it for a drive but it starts and idles well. No knocking. Manifold would have to be checked as I got a sniff of fumes toward the front but no noise. It does have a current provincial safety inspection. They are very thorough as it was an inter-provincial inspection...
The fellow actually spend a lot of money on it like: a new transmission and just before putting it on the market, replaced the heater tank...
So in turn he is asking too much money for it: 23K CAD.
I am waiting for the C19 travel restrictions that we have here to go have a look at a similar unit (1995 Coronado 32') with 41K miles. The owner is asking 16.5K CAD which is more inline with the coach market value considering that the engine was professionally rebuilt about 1K miles ago.
After that I will have to look in Quebec or Maine...

House Husband · 01-27-2021, 04:32 PM

The oil pan on that 460 can be removed with out removing the motor but you won't like the process.
The cross member that the engine mounts sit on will have to be moved forward. There are several bolts in the frame that must be removed to move the cross member forward. It won't twist out of the frame. You will need to support the engine by the harmonic balancer.
Beware of Fel-Pro's pan gasket. It will need sealer applied to the corners. Up on close inspection you will see why.
The engine will come out of the front of the coach but the intake manifold will need to be removed so the cherry picker can be mounted across the top of the china walls. You will have about an inch of clearance.
If you elect to pull the engine, send me a PM and I can offer more details of the process.

Richard

Elmobile · 01-28-2021, 05:47 AM

Thank you so much for the offer... I will keep it in mind as I am still looking. I will get one soon or later. Considering my budget, it probably be in need of some TLC. Hopefully I will not have to pull the engine out right away but who knows.
I gave up on this particular one as well as the one on PEI. The owner said that he owned it for 10 years but never used the generator, water system or the AC. And with C19, we are not allowed to travel across provinces...
Right now I am waiting to hear from a fellow who has a 1995 Triple E Embassy A31 for sale. Again a 460 so who knows what I will find

The safety inspection tag has expired recently so would have to be done. Good time to have an experience mechanic go over it, including checking the compression.
I keep you posted but thanks again for the help.
Just realized that if it wasn't for a site such as this one, I would never look at older coach. I know I have the ability to do a lot but I would need the guidance that can be found here...
Thanks to all who contribute!