oil pan question

[russosborne]

Hi.
I just got my 96 4.6 engine yesterday. I am going to need a front sump oil pan for the project it is going into.
Canton Racing has one, but it is way out of my price range at the moment.

I was looking at the engine, and noticed that the oil pan on this is flat(sorry, I am used to 289/302 engines). The bolts all looked symetrical from side to side and front to back. Realising that I will need to do something about the pickup, is there any reason that I can't just flip this pan around and use it that way? It would move the drain plug, which isn't an issue. there is also something else located near the plug, I am not sure what, it just looks like a socket or connection. Nothing is connected to it.

Thanks,
Russ

 

[wmburns]

I can't answer the question about the flip. I can answer the question about what the electrical connection. It is an oil level sensor. Ford dropped it after 1996. Apparently they got a lot of false readings from it for example when ppl would park on an angle.