safe for car to sit with no oil?

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The oil pan of my 02 mustang is punctured, is it safe for the engine to sit in the garage with no oil in it until I can get a replacement oil pan? thanks for any help
 
As long as it's not idling it's should be fine. Not sure how big the hole is, but you might wanna plug it with something to keep the critters out.
 
I've read concerning motorcycle storage, that for the long term (as in the order of years), it's a good idea to have the oil pan drained. This helps to prevent sludging/gelling of the oil as it sit's there, and stuborn precipitates I guess as well. It having been some time since I came across this information, I believe it has more to due with the use of crude-based oils of lesser API classifications.

Areas of concern would be having the engine accidentally started prior to refilling with oil...and as time in-storage increases, priming of the lubrication system as a recommendation.

The short of it...you'll be fine. Like Raven18940 noted, plug the whole if it's greater than a pencil eraser.
 
Kinda off topic but how do you puncture the oil pan?
I live on a busy street and people don't like to wait at the stop sign so they go across the parking lot. Well saw this guy do it and he kinda did not realise that there was a foot high curb and hit it with his alloy oil pan............ It shattered and left parts of the pump, pan and other things all over the street along with oil. He just kept driving down the road. Wonder how far he made it?
 
i was about to do some suspension work. while I was jacking up the car,the jack I was using broke and drops the car while I have my other jack under the car close to the oil pan.
 
I would make sure the oil pump doesn't lose its prime. Maybe when the pan is off, when you fix it, you can do something to check this. (sorry, don't know fords specifically)
 
As long as it has a coat of oil on it, I wouldn't worry about it. Is that the 4.6 or 5.4L in that? Heads would be fine, they are aluminum, the block is iron, I think. If that's the case, make sure there is a coat of oil on it and I'd make sure you didn't puncture the oil pump or send unit since you got to replace it anyway and cover up the hole AND MAKE DANG SURE NO ONE ELSE CAN "BORROW" IT WHEN YOUR NOT AROUND. Hope you can take it off with out having to pull the motor, talk about cussing!!!!
 
Placard it prominently. Although you'll probably not forget what's going on, remember that Murphy lives. Next week, you'll come down with malaria (typhoid, you name it...). Friends and relatives will descend to help out. One of them will decide that they need to move or borrow the car for some reason, and you know what happens next.

A couple months ago, I was visiting the dealer for a minor tweak, and there was a car in the shop that had "NO OIL -- DO NOT START" placards on four sides and the steering wheel. I cringe at the thought of what happened to make them so aggressive in their warning efforts. . .
cheers.gif
 
quote:

Originally posted by stang5:
i was about to do some suspension work. while I was jacking up the car,the jack I was using broke and drops the car while I have my other jack under the car close to the oil pan.

Missed your post but glad to hear your ok. Oil pans can be replaced heads can not.

Ken
 
Don't worry about it. It doesn't sound like you will have the car down for that long until you repair it.
Check to ensure that the oil pump pickup was not damaged.
After the repair is made, you could always prime the engine to ensure that oil is being pumped up to the top end. Or you could squirt some oil into each cylinder, then disconnect the coil and turn it over for about 30-45 seconds.
Or - you could simply start it without trying to rev it up and listen to the engine and watch your gauge to ensure that the oil pump is working properly. It will probably prime up the system just fine.

PS the sign idea is a good one. I use one around here if I'm doing something (like brakes) that is interrupted. Nothing worse than forgetting about that stuff.
 
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