Are you happy they switched to a steel oil pan?

[IFFV68]

weight

I would rather go on a diet to lose a few pounds then get a plastic oil pan.
Plastic Oil Pan doesn’t make any sense.
I know they can make Plastic as strong as Steel.

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[Gregs24]

I would rather go on a diet to lose a few pounds then get a plastic oil pan.
Plastic Oil Pan doesn’t make any sense.
I know they can make Plastic as strong as Steel.

You half answered your own question. Strength is not an issue with a 'plastic' pan. They are also lighter, cheaper and help reduce noise. That is why they get used.

It also gives some people on a forum a reason to rant and fall out with each other, which is the main reason Ford used them

 

[LoneRanger57]

I prefer 6al4v in my oil pans

 

[JasonX]

Wait it used to be plastic? How the heck didn't it melt?

 

[smurfslayer]

You half answered your own question. Strength is not an issue with a 'plastic' pan. They are also lighter, cheaper and help reduce noise. That is why they get used.

It also gives some people on a forum a reason to rant and fall out with each other, which is the main reason Ford used them

LOLS!
See 2017-2018.5 F150 for a case study in robbing Peter to pay Paul with the plastic oil pan.

The 2017 through approximately mid year 2018 F150s- The Raptor in particular were spec’d with a plastic oil pan, which was immediately panned by everyone but the guy leading the press conference, Ford Performance’s head. It wasn’t even 2 months in before the first leaking plastic pan was reported. That’s January of 2017. And it only got worse from there. Enough that Ford abandoned it in favor of a metal pan starting about... May-ish, 2018. I’m sure someone can correct me on the date manufacturing switched.

Think about this, there were enough leaking pans to compel Ford to about face and change the parts associated - pan, gasket, oil pickup and a few more supporting parts to stop the hemorrhaging in warranty repairs. That’s a LOT. There are more F150’s sold than pretty much anything else. It’s Ford’s bread and butter.

So the plastic oil pan is not really a reason to rant so much as a reason to worry about leaks !

How about the remedy? So, the truck has to be down for multiple days. Oil drained, new parts in place, pan has to be installed and cured __DRY__ for 24 hours which most stealerships won’t do, resulting in multiple visits to correct the “leaking oil pan”.

Full disclosure: I’m rocking a 2017 Raptor with a plastic oil pan that <knock wood> isn’t and hasn’t leaked.

 

[erocker]

You half answered your own question. Strength is not an issue with a 'plastic' pan. They are also lighter, cheaper and help reduce noise. That is why they get used.

It also gives some people on a forum a reason to rant and fall out with each other, which is the main reason Ford used them

They're cheaper, that's why they're used. That's it.

 

[Gregs24]

They're cheaper, that's why they're used. That's it.

The reasons were given in my post, You have chosen to ignore them!

 

[Gregs24]

LOLS!
See 2017-2018.5 F150 for a case study in robbing Peter to pay Paul with the plastic oil pan.

The 2017 through approximately mid year 2018 F150s- The Raptor in particular were spec’d with a plastic oil pan, which was immediately panned by everyone but the guy leading the press conference, Ford Performance’s head. It wasn’t even 2 months in before the first leaking plastic pan was reported. That’s January of 2017. And it only got worse from there. Enough that Ford abandoned it in favor of a metal pan starting about... May-ish, 2018. I’m sure someone can correct me on the date manufacturing switched.

Think about this, there were enough leaking pans to compel Ford to about face and change the parts associated - pan, gasket, oil pickup and a few more supporting parts to stop the hemorrhaging in warranty repairs. That’s a LOT. There are more F150’s sold than pretty much anything else. It’s Ford’s bread and butter.

So the plastic oil pan is not really a reason to rant so much as a reason to worry about leaks !

How about the remedy? So, the truck has to be down for multiple days. Oil drained, new parts in place, pan has to be installed and cured __DRY__ for 24 hours which most stealerships won’t do, resulting in multiple visits to correct the “leaking oil pan”.

Full disclosure: I’m rocking a 2017 Raptor with a plastic oil pan that <knock wood> isn’t and hasn’t leaked.

LOL's - not

There are plenty of carmakers using plastic sumps for good reasons. There are advantages and disadvantages to the two materials as I mentioned above. They are used by Porsche and Mercedes in their performance cars where cost really isn't a factor.

 

[Gregs24]

Wait it used to be plastic? How the heck didn't it melt?

Because materials technology is more advanced than you realise. There are plastics that can take extreme heat without any issues.

 

[Skye]

I see "plastic" as a generic term, akin to alloy. Here's one company listing properties of base materials.

https://www.plastikcity.co.uk/useful-stuff/material-melt-mould-temperatures

I think the problem lies not in that it is plastic, but how that pan was created and installed.

Being formed and coming out of the mold, if the quality is not there as part of the overall process (not the right blend of base materials, not thick enough, not reinforced enough, removed from mold too quickly) plastics can be warped easier than a stamped metal item.

During installation, if the sequences not supportive, the plastic item is easier to warp when being fastened.

A quality plastic pan is possible, but at least at the time, the costs involved in making one that would work well might have ultimately exceeded those of a steel pan.

 

[Zig]

I see "plastic" is a generic term, akin to alloy. Here's one company listing properties of base materials.

https://www.plastikcity.co.uk/useful-stuff/material-melt-mould-temperatures

I think the problem lies not in the bits that make the pan, but it's how made and installed.

Being formed and coming out of the mold, if the quality is not there as part of the overall process (not the right blend of base materials, not thick enough, not reinforced enough, removed from mold too quickly) plastics can be warped easier than a stamped metal item.

During installation, if the sequences not supportive, the plastic item is easier to warp when being fastened.

A quality plastic pan is possible, but at least at the time, the costs involved in making one that would work well might have ultimately rivaled or exceeded a steel pan.

Sometimes falls along the lines of brass and steel - different characteristics will be impacted differently under the same conditions and then when combined a whole new set of items need to be addressed. As an example the transfer of ‘heat’ from one to another and then the needed enhancements in order to achieve the results comparable to the existing remedy/solution. Cheap steel pan or reinvent reinvest reevaluate and finally remedy a redone solution? One might be able to make them from plastic bags but as everyone can tell, that aint working, i mean is there a plastic bounty cause sure seems it’s not being collected.

 

[jimbo67]

My 2018 f150 has had 2 plastic oil pans replaced, the second one hasn't leaked. Like was said in a previous post there is a process to replace that must be followed. I vote for a metal oil pan. If it wasn't broken don't fix it.

 

[smurfslayer]

...plastics can be warped easier than a stamped metal item.

During installation, if the sequences not supportive, the plastic item is easier to warp when being fastened.

A quality plastic pan is possible, but at least at the time, the costs involved in making one that would work well might have ultimately exceeded those of a steel pan.

Exactly! The more prone it is this type of induced failure, the more upskilled the installer repair tech need to be, the less cost effective it is. The parts and procedures need to be able to survive contact with a technician of average intelligence and capability.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

I drive around naked to shave some weight off the steel OP!

Yes. I've been stopped by the police due to complaints, but I told them I was "celebrating my body" like the Kardashians, and Jenners do all the time...............

 

[Zig]

I drive around naked to shave some weight off the steel OP!

Yes. I've been stopped by the police due to complaints, but I told them I was "celebrating my body" like the Kardashians, and Jenners do all the time...............

Whole new meaning to Stick shift, but officer ma’am i really am glad to see you.

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