Wheelgunner

Hi, I'm new to this forum and wanted to see if anyone else has any experience with this issue. So last weekend I was under my car replacing the starter and noticed I had an oil leak. Upon further inspection, it appeared that oil was dripping from the oil sending unit where the electrical wire connects to the oil sending unit. So I think ok, no big deal. Went to O'reilly's, got a new oil sending unit and installed the new one. I had done a little research and a couple guys recommended tightening the sending unit all the way down onto the oil filter housing (even though it was not this way when I took the old one off). As I was tightening the new oil sending unit, I heard a popping sound and for a second it turned slightly easier. I went ahead and tightened it all the way to the housing. As soon as I start the car up, oils starts dripping from the housing and when I turned the engine off and wiped away the oil I can see a big crack in the housing. So I call call O'reilly's and NAPA and they tell me they can't even order the part. Called two local salvage yards as well with no luck. Next I start looking online and can find nothing. The closest thing I can find is an oil filter adapter from American Muscle thats sole purpose is to change the angle of your filter or to gain clearance for additional mods, but it doesn't have a connector for the coolant hose. So my questions are:
1. Does anyone know where I can find this part?
2. Is it likely that I cracked it by over tightening, or did an existing crack just become more apparent when I put the new one in; and when I finally get a replacement should am I going to have to worry about this happening again?

cliffyk

As you have found, those who recommended that did not know what they were talking about. The thread on the sensor is a tapered pipe thread which should NEVER be tightened "all the way down", especially when it is threaded into a relatively small section aluminum casting. The forces generated by doing so are quite dramatic.

Rule of thumb for pipe threads (always use teflon tape or pipe dope) is hand tight plus 1-1/2 turns, and a bit more (1/4 to 1/2 turn tops) if it leaks.

Don't know off hand, web search or a junk yard would be my first tries.

Yup, see above...

Not likely...

Nope, not if you tighten it as described above...

Wheelgunner

Thanks for the response. I still haven't had any luck finding a replacement part. I called the local Ford dealership, and while they couldn't order the part, they did give me this part numer: F8ZZ-6881-AA

Searches for this part number pulled up several places that stock this part. However, when I was looking at the stock photos that I found of that part, it looked different than the oil filter adapter on my car. So I went ahead and drained my coolant and oil, pulled the the adapter off, and sure enough it was a different number stamped on the back : F2LE-6884-BG Searches for this part yield zero results. Any ideas or thoughts on why this part is different than the one the Ford dealer told me it would be and why search results for the actual part number on my adapter gets no results?

Wheelgunner

Here is a picture of mine:

cliffyk

If you have a decent welding shop in town bring it to them and ask that they clamp it so as to force the crack at the o/p sensor bore up tight, and then TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) or MIG (Metal Inert Gas) weld it. TIG would be my choice, however they will know their tools best and will probably know what to do before you ask them.

This will in all likelihood fix the problem--then just make sure you use teflon tape and make it hand tight + 1-1/2 turns (try 1 turn first)...

Wheelgunner

Ok, that may be my best option. My Stang is my daily driver so I need to get it running pretty soon! Thanks for your help.

Subbz

Hey I actually went through the same thing about a month ago. I thought it was the sending unit as well and I tightened it all the way and cracked it. I found one on ebay and ended up cracking that one as well because I did the same thing. So lesson learned don't tighten it all the way. Luckily I found an oil cooler adapter which already had the sending unit on ebay. There are two versions of that oil cooler adapter there's one that has the sending unit right next to the oil filter and one that has it jutting out like yours. Both should work since I originally had the first one and I was able to fit the one that's jutting out perfectly.

This might work since the bolt pattern looks correct
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-6-DOHC-teksid-OIL-FILTER-ADAPTER-HOUSING-F2LE-8884-BD-MUSTANG-COBRA-MARK-8-/331124909904?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d18952750&vxp=mtr
If not try looking around in the junkyard for it. Or you can do what Cliffy says and just get it welded if you're still out of luck.