Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

So... anyone need a step-by-step (including tool list) to replace the oil pan gasket on a '01 Ford 3.0L??

Part I:
Due to overlapping schedules, my wife & daughter headed up to the cabin a few days before my son & me. Hence, they had to leave 2 days earlier. I get a phone call...
"Honey, we stopped at a light and smoke was POURING out from under the hood".

They got the car off 371 into a shopping center lot (not far from BIR). About 40 minutes later I get there for the assessment.
The oil pan gasket failed/squirted out right behind the balancer. The exhaust "Y-pipe" runs right under here, explaining all the smoke.

They have to get back to the cities by 2pm. It is now 10:30am Monday.

The Plan:
They rent a car (one-way) and go. I'll rent a tow-dolly and drag the Taurus back to the cabin and either fix it, or drag it home in a few days. Pretty easy solution.

BEEEEEEP - WRONG ANSWER!
Survey says: There are no one-way rentals available from Enterprise, Hertz, or National available in Brainerd/Baxter.... period.

The Plan v2:
11am - My mom is driving her car down (40 mins) and they'll use hers to get back to the cities. My daughter will drive it back up Tuesday, and me & the two kids (and dog) will all come home (with the dead Taurus in tow) Tuesday afternoon.
     We have about 40 minutes to get a tow-dolly. There's a U-Haul on "Old 371" the other side of Brainerd.
"We need a tow-dolly"...
"What are you towing, and what are you towing it with?"
"2001 Taurus, and a '99 F-150 4wd"...
"Is the Taurus a wagon?"
"yup..."
BEEEEEEEP - WRONG ANSWER!!!
Survey says: U-haul has some restriction against a Taurus wagon being used on one of their tow-dollies.

The Plan v3:
"Did I say wagon?... no, I was thinking of my mom's car. It's a SEDAN!"
"Oh, then it's ok"... blah blah blah, insurance, 55 mph, no backing, sign here....
ZOOM - back to the other side of town. Pull in the lot just as mom & son show up.

Transfer all the luggage & crap from one car to the other and the girls are off. They'll be an hour late. Get the dead Taurus loaded on the dolly and drag it back to the cabin. Spend the rest of the day and the better part of Tuesday am finishing all the jobs I had to do over the next 2 days in 12 hours.