Do I need to use these brackets when installing the oil pan?

[Guest bastaad525]

Sorry for two replies in a row... just wanted to add... TO THE MADNESS!!!!!

 

 

It's so funny, whenever it comes to car stuff, it seems, if you talk to 10 different people, you'll end up with 11 different answers

 

 

I was making some phone calls, still driving myself nuts trying to decide exactly HOW to do this oil pan gasket install... am I being too anal about it? YES! Because I desperately... need.... this to be the last time I have to do this and not have it leak any more!!!! Seriously if it leaks this time my next call will be to a crisis/suicide prevention center!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well I thought you guys might get a kick out of this, I've been calling around yesterday and today, just asking the same question again and again. It's really kind of funny, the variety of answers I've been getting. Here's a sample of the ones I can remember:

 

Nissan dealership tech - use ONLY Nissan factory gasket (but of course!). Well I told him I already had a fel-pro gasket... he reluctantly admitted these were OKAY (heh), and said to use it dry, but with some 'gasket cinch' to hold it to the pan during install. Apparently you only use the gasket cinch in spots, little dabs all around the pan, as opposed to coating the WHOLE surface.

 

Operation Z (specialty shop working on mostly old Z's) - prefers the grey gasket maker stuff, but says they are no good on the older L28 pans for the reasons Technicalninja mentioned. Said he would install a Fel pro gasket dry.

 

Precision Z (another specialty shop) - recommends Nissan gasket ONLY (Fel Pro are junk!) with silicone one both sides of the gasket.

 

Home mechanic that used to do all my work - Fel pro gasket with a bead of RTV Ultra blue on both sides of the gasket.

 

Haynes manual - silicone sealer on ONE side of the gasket (between the pan and gasket).

 

Fel Pro tech/cust. service rep - Recommends using Permatex High Tack on one side to hold the gasket to the pan for install.

 

Permatex tech/cust. service rep - Recommends using Permatex High Tack on BOTH sides of the gasket.

 

Technicalninja and myself prefer the copper spray well I THOUGHT I prefered copper coat... now I don't know what to use!

 

I... am... going.... NUTS!!

[technicalninja]

I forgot to include my opnion of "normal" RTV. I hate the stuff. I bet my failure rate with red,blue,black, clear or any other color than the grey is 50%.

Thats 1 out of 2 jobs having to be redone at my expense (I made my living as a mechanic not so long ago). This is a totally un-acceptable ratio. It also reduces your customer's opinion of you. I DO NOT use anything but the grey in an automotive application. I will use the clear and black for house projects.

This is just my opinion, others may have better results than me and as I haven't used any other color in many years the formulas may have been updated for the better. I am set in my ways and will not try the others again as long as the grey is available. The grey also smells different than the rest. I think it sort of smells like a leather shop. the others just smell like chemicals.

The grey drys different than the rest. I describe the grey as RTV with super glue mixed in. The grey sticks far better than any other color. This make cleaning the grey off of a part much harder than the other colors, they sort of peel away from the surface, the grey has to be mechanically removed with tools (razor blade, scotch- brite pads).

 

Sent you a p.m.

Rick