# 1989 Ford F-150 - Piston through oil pan **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** engines, ford\ **Created:** [December 19, 2022, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022 "2022-12-19T23:08:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Germany69army](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Germany69army](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Germany69army)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2022, 11:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/1 "2022-12-19T23:08:40Z")
My piston rod went thru the oil pan on my 4.9 inline six ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 9:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/2 "2022-12-20T09:55:37Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone doing that with a 4.9/300 Ford inline six That’s always been one of my favorite Ford truck engines ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/3 "2022-12-20T12:29:38Z")
These engines are virtually unbreakable if you keep oil in them. One of the most reliable engines ever produced. Congratulations, you killed one. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/4 "2022-12-20T13:59:07Z")
Get a remanufactured short bloc, great engine **if** you maintain them. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/5 "2022-12-20T14:14:14Z")
I’d go for a long block, given how this engine must have been treated over the years. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/6 "2022-12-20T15:35:03Z")
After boosting it to 500HP? Towing it rear wheels down with it left in 1st or 2nd gear? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/7 "2022-12-20T15:36:28Z")
This didn’t happen by chance…but by neglect. Have you heard about the radical thing called oil changes. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/8 "2022-12-20T15:40:12Z")
Stuff happens! I’ve seen engines self destruct with less than 50,000 miles on them. And they weren’t neglected or abused. Tester ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/9 "2022-12-20T15:56:59Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > Stuff happens! > > I’ve seen engines self destruct with less than 50,000 miles on them. Anything’s possible. But it’s far more probable this engine was neglected. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/10 "2022-12-20T17:20:39Z")
You’re probably right, existing head would likely need work, a long block would be the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/11 "2022-12-20T19:17:23Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Towing it rear wheels down with it left in 1st or 2nd gear? You want carnage? A few years ago a customer flat-tow hitched up his '89 T-bird SC 5-speed to his RV, inadvertently left it in R instead of N, and hit the freeway. I wish I still had the pictures. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 7:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/12 "2022-12-20T19:18:38Z")
> [@Germany69army](#): > > My piston rod went thru the oil pan on my 4.9 inline six That’s unusual for that engine, but at this point it’s over 33 years old with who-knows-how-many miles. All things break eventually. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/13 "2022-12-20T19:22:56Z")
I’m waiting for the part about never buying another Ford ever! ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/14 "2022-12-20T19:23:53Z")
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=426&width=240&href=https://www.facebook.com/streetfx/videos/jeep-was-left-in-4-low-1st-gear-and-towed-it-behind-an-rv-at-60mphcr-sbcsdime210/482770369567673/ Tester ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 7:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/15 "2022-12-20T19:23:56Z")
Stuff just happens. I had a 2001 windstar that we bought from new. well maintained, synthetic oil changes every 5k miles. it had 225k miles on it one Mother’s Day. I had done a oil change, plugs, wires and coils a week before. it ran great. Mother’s Day I went to take mom out for dinner. she could not get into my truck. I start the minivan up and it sounded just like open headers. I shut it off and looked underneath because I thought someone might have stolen the Cat. everything looked fine. I thought for a second and said to myself…Well there goes Mother’s Day. 🤣 well, curiosity got to me, so I started it up again for a few seconds and the same thing happened. which I knew it would. this time when I looked under the vehicle there was fresh oil and 6-inch chunks of aluminum under the van. My sister picked up mom and I spent the rest of the day cleaning up oil from the cement driveway. Life Happens, and the van went to the big scrap yard in the sky. 😉 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Germany69army](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Germany69army](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Germany69army)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/16 "2022-12-20T20:42:05Z")
I’m going to go with a long block ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/17 "2022-12-20T21:48:50Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > inadvertently left it in R instead of N, and hit the freeway. Ohhh … that hurt just reading it! My imagination likely isn’t creative enough to recreate that carnage! ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/18 "2022-12-20T23:07:52Z")
> [@weekend-warrior](#): > > I start the minivan up and it sounded just like open headers. How does something like that happen with no warning, and at idle speed? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 12:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/19 "2022-12-21T00:04:02Z")
Sorry to hear that happened @Germany69army . As posted above, unusual event esp for that particular engine. If you are asking what to do about it, either the engine needs to be completely taken apart & rebuilt, or , in the way of common-sense, either replace the bad engine w/ a known to be good used engine, or junk the truck. There are aftermarket new engines which will fit your truck too I expect. Surf over to the Ford Racing website. Or the Summit Racing website. ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022/20 "2022-12-21T00:28:36Z")
That is a good question. I have no idea, especially since the engine did not make any unusual noises the last time I shut it off. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1989-ford-f-150-piston-through-oil-pan/188022.md?page=2)