Oil Pan Gasket

[jacob80]

Hey guys,

 

Well, right now I"m pretty fed up with this damn motor and how it just wants to piss oil everywhere. About three weeks ago, I installed my second oil pan gasket just to have it leak again. Oil seems to be coming from the front crossmember area and soaking it with oil and leaving a six inch wide spot in the last two days. This happened after I retorqued the bolts to 7 ft. lbs. When I installed it, I put a thin layer of gray permatex on the gasket and let it sit for about an hour. This was recommended to me in another thread from a member that has said he did this and has never had a spot of oil leak. Am I doing something wrong here? Please share your experience with your oil pan gasket, and if you've been successful, what you did to apply it. Thanks!!

[24OZ]

Are you using the OEM cork gasket? Use a cork gasket with the OEM Sump as it's designed to compress. You may also need to make sure that the mating surface of your pan is flat.

Edited April 17, 2010 by 24OZ

[z-ya]

I have used the OEM and aftermarket cork gaskets, and they are just "OK". I wish someone made a multilayer gasket like the OEM valve cover gaskets for the oil pan.

 

Anyway, the most important thing is to get the block and oil pan clean and free of oil. Use brake cleaner or acetone. Make sure the pan is not bent also. You can put a thin film of silicone gasket sealant on both sides of the gasket. This will help. The most important thig is not to over tighten the bolts. Snug them up until the sealant dries, then torque them to spec.

 

There isn't a gasket on the RB motors. On mine I again cleaned both surfaces, then used silicone gasket maker. I installed all the bolts hand tight. Then after the sealant dried, torqued them down.

[jacob80]

Yes, I focused specifically on obtaining the correct torque across all bolts and keeping the surfaces clean. I do have a drain hose setup that may be causing some problems as well. I had an AN fitting welded onto the tank, but when it came time to install the hose, the fittings would not fit as I wanted them to, so it is partially binding and putting some pressure on the pan itself. I plan on cuting off the AN bung and running the stock drain return line (metal piece with a small piece of hose connecting it to the pan. Specifically what silicon did you use to seal the pan?

[jacob80]

I just called Advance Auto and had them order a Fel-Pro $6.00 oil pan gasket. Is this gasket okay to use with the silicon sealer? If so, which sealer should I use, specifically? I really do not want to do this again. Thanks!!

[z-ya]

I just called Advance Auto and had them order a Fel-Pro $6.00 oil pan gasket. Is this gasket okay to use with the silicon sealer? If so, which sealer should I use, specifically? I really do not want to do this again. Thanks!!

 

You should be able to use any automotive silicone sealant. I use the high temp copper stuff.

[jacob80]

Okay, sounds good. Do you have any experience with the Permatex "High Tack" stuff? Seemed to work very well on my front cover gasket as I have no leaks. Also made it damn near impossible to pry off my valve cover gasket! No leaks there, as well.

[z-ya]

Okay, sounds good. Do you have any experience with the Permatex "High Tack" stuff? Seemed to work very well on my front cover gasket as I have no leaks. Also made it damn near impossible to pry off my valve cover gasket! No leaks there, as well.

 

No, but give it a try.

[ComicArtist]

When I took my oil pan off to weld an oil line bung in it, it didn't even have a gasket, just the orange silicone gasket maker stuff. So when I put it back on, I cleaned off all the old shreds of gasket maker and used the same stuff to put it back on. Haven't had any leaks so far.

[jacob80]

I just would not feel comfortable at all going that route. I know our WRX only uses silicon to seal the pan, but man, I don't really feel like experimenting and having to pull it off a third time, you know? I think I'm going to try and put the permatex high tack on the block surface and the pan surface and let it set up for about five to ten minutes then set the gasket on the oil pan and like z ya said, just get the bolts hand tight and let it sit for an hour or so then torque them. I've had great success with the Permatex high tack stuff. Let me know if you guys have any other suggestions, thanks!!

[z-ya]

When I took my oil pan off to weld an oil line bung in it, it didn't even have a gasket, just the orange silicone gasket maker stuff. So when I put it back on, I cleaned off all the old shreds of gasket maker and used the same stuff to put it back on. Haven't had any leaks so far.

 

 

That's how the RB motors come from the factory (at least my NEO RB25 came that way). No gasket. It's a stamped steel pan just like the L-series.

 

 

Pete

[letitsnow]

I used a felpro with high temp silicone, no leaks. I'm pretty sure I did the hand tighten and let it sit for a while routine, I know I checked to make sure the pan surface was flat.

[hoov100]

The cork gasket is most likely the reason it's leaking. Use a rubber gasket, a bead of clear silicone (RTV silicone breaks down and will usually end up in your oil or clogging your oil pickup) all the way around the oil pan surface and crank down those bolts until they are nice and tight, 7 ft-lbs is not enough to seal an oil pan.

[jacob80]

The cork gasket is most likely the reason it's leaking. Use a rubber gasket, a bead of clear silicone (RTV silicone breaks down and will usually end up in your oil or clogging your oil pickup) all the way around the oil pan surface and crank down those bolts until they are nice and tight, 7 ft-lbs is not enough to seal an oil pan.

 

I torqued them to whatever the factory spec. calls for, and I'm not sure that cranking down on the bolts is a good idea at all. Cranking down on the bolts is probably what causes the dimpled surface from the bolts pulling too hard.

 

Also, now that I think about it, the Permatex High Tack stuff doesn't really prefer oil pan gaskets like some of their other products. The Permatex Ultra seems to be used more commonly for a rubber oil pan gasket with a temperature range of -65 to 400 fahrenheit while the Permatex No. 2 just states its for oil pan gaskets and temperature range of -65 to 400 fahrenheit. I will be using a FelPro gasket, so if its rubber I'll use the grey and if not, I'll use the No. 2. Does this sound like a good plan?

[rossman]

I've had good luck with Permatex Hylomar. It's expensive but worth it in my opinion.

Edited April 22, 2010 by rossman

[jacob80]

Hmm..so many options! I had to laugh tonight because earlier in the week, I retorqued the bolts at 7 ft. lbs and I've had the car on rear jack stands and I walk in there tonight and there is a HUGE puddle of oil, about the width of the underside of the car. I could only point and laugh! I must have done something really screwy. Also, I just installed my rear diff. cover and its already leaking, only had fluid in it for four days, just my luck.

[hoov100]

I torqued them to whatever the factory spec. calls for, and I'm not sure that cranking down on the bolts is a good idea at all. Cranking down on the bolts is probably what causes the dimpled surface from the bolts pulling too hard.

 

If your oil pan isn't warped, it should apply equal amounts of pressure between each bolt and cranking it down should seal the pan to the block even more. You should wipe around the entire edge of the oil pan and watch it, to find out where it leaks. You might be able to band-aid it with a glob of silicone where it leaks.

[Daeron]

I've had good luck with Permatex Hylomar. It's expensive but worth it in my opinion.

If you are *REALLY* having problems with your oilpan gasket, it really might be best to just get the Hylomar and use it.. Just be careful not to OVER apply it.

 

Chances are either the block surface or your oilpan perimeter are warped or otherwise problematic, and in that situation I would be tempted to get TWO cork gaskets, seal each one up with a good, appropriate RTV sealant, and let them hang up overnight to cure, and THEN apply both gaskets to a CLEAN CLEAN surface (maybe with a thin bead of the RTV added...) and slowly, in steps, 7ft-lbs, to 18 ft lbs, to 25, on up to whatever, just tighten the pan down in the order listed in the book.

 

I haven't tried it; nobody I have suggested it to has tried it, but its an idea I think could be a silver bullet for the situation you are having. It isn't uncommon to have these issues; a nice, cast oilpan sure would be sweet, huh??

 

 

 

Stupid question... You DO have the bars that go between the bolts and the sheetmetal flange, right? I also think that replacing those things can go a country mile in helping to remedy these types of issues.

[jacob80]

Yes, i do have the rear bars installed. The ones that distribute the torque load across the back. The funny thing is, is that about two months ago I replaced this gasket because it was leaking all over in the back, so I had a bung welded on and had the pan powder coated. Now, the back is absolutely SPOTLESS and instead, the pan is leaking on the passenger side. I noticed this because the corssmember was soaked in oil from the top and some had pooled in the little hold-downs for the rack. Just a real pain in the ass, hopefully I can get it right this time. I'm just going to pull the damn thing off, make sure its straight, clean the hell out of everything (including the bolt holes), use a Permatex silicon sealant on the pan surface, set the gasket on, put some silicon on the block surface, put the pan on and get the bolts hand tight, let it sit overnight, then torque them in proper order tomorrow. If this doesn't work, I'm not sure what will. My only other idea would to be to go strictly to a silicon sealant and not use a gasket.

[letitsnow]

Some people say to glue the gasket to the pan using something like weatherstip glue, then use a little sealant on the block. I haven't done it, but I might give it a shot on my valve cover, it leaks a bit.