[Gregski]

Do I put anything on the oil pan gasket? I am buying the cheap cork rubber multi piece one from Auto Zone if that makes a difference. Do I rub engine oil on it do I soak it in motor oil? This is going on an old pan and old block if that helps.

 

[80 maytag]

Install it dry, it will never seal if its wet with oil. Clean the pan rail on the block and pan with solvent to get it clean and dry. I use 3M weatherstrip adhesive, the yellow stuff looks like gorilla shnot, and it will not leak or come loose, ever. Or, you could skip the gasket and get a can of Right Stuff, Ford uses it on most of their intakes and pans and it is the ''right stuff'' to seal a leak. Rich

 

[mark v]

If you use a sealant make sure it will hold up to Oil, I use Permatex Black RTV.

 

[80 maytag]

I've found rtv/silicone to be kinda slimy, it splits the gasket hydraulically. Take 2 fingers and pinch a hole in a cork gasket, with your digits dry, then grab a goober of rtv and smear it around the hole and squeeze, I bet you can split it easily. Just my 2 bits, Rich

 

[NcFurnitureman]

Canuck told me to smear both sides of mine with right stuff, a very thin layer and I have no leaks yet after 10k miles. I agree with 80 maytag, if you don't clean the pan and the block with solvent it isn't going to seal no matter what.

 

[Boghog]

For cork gaskets,I have always used Permatex spray adhesive.A light coating on a clean surface will hold the gasket inplace.Also remember to worque the bolts to the proper torque.Overtightening will split the cork.

 

[Jonzo77]

agreed on the gaskets sealer. just enought for the ends of the gaskets, especially where the pan meets the mains

 

[Gregski]

thank you everyone who read and replied to my post, I ended up using the magical WD-40 to clean my oil pan and a razor blade to scrape up the 20 year old gasket, there was a nice inch or so of sludge but the oil looked good otherwise, no water in it, no metal shavings either

because I was mounting the pan from underneath, on one side of the pan I put some motor oil on my finger and rubbed it on the gasket and the block to get it to stick but it did not, the other side of the pan went on dry (this is going to be an experiment to see if it leaks or not) and like my friend Bob the gear head used to say if it leaks oil that means there's oil in her, or PLS, Pavement Lubrication System

as far as torquing the oil pan bolts, my Haynes manual says 5/16 inch to 12 ft lbs, and 1/4 inch to 8 ft lbs, I don't know what they are smoking as my bolts were 7/16 on the sides, and two 1/2 inch each on front and back, so I torqued all of them to 12 ft lbs, and got a feeling that may have been too tight, so I'm filing this under lessoned learned

here's some pics of the before and after shots

 

[Justaguy]

Your 7/16 and your 1/2 that you found are the bolt head size. the bolt shank itself is 1/4 and 5/16 respectively.

 

[Ricky B]

Just out of curiosity, was there a reason that you didn't go with the blue silicone 1 piece gasket from Fel-Pro? The things kick butt, seal excellent and are reusable too. Best $32.00 you'll ever spend.

Well, unless you're in Bangkok on a Saturday night---but I digest....

 

[Jonzo77]

Just out of curiosity, was there a reason that you didn't go with the blue silicone 1 piece gasket from Fel-Pro? The things kick butt, seal excellent and are reusable too. Best $32.00 you'll ever spend.

Well, unless you're in Bangkok on a Saturday night---but I digest....

everytime i put one on my car(s) they ripped when i would re-install them for the second time. i think they're garbage. i've never had a problem with cork. the ones i took off my car lasted 28 years without any leaks. still had the motorcraft label on it tii

 

[Ricky B]

everytime i put one on my car(s) they ripped when i would re-install them for the second time. i think they're garbage. i've never had a problem with cork. the ones i took off my car lasted 28 years without any leaks. still had the motorcraft label on it tii

There's better tools out there to remove them with other than a Sawzall...

But seriously, I've ever never remotely come close to destroying a silicone gasket on any of my vehicles. You also gotta remember that the cork that is available today is much different from the cork of yesteryear, back when the Portugese didn't use all the fast-grow chemicals and pesticides and what not to get their trees to grow as fast as weeds. regardless, I still stand by the silicone ones. In fact threw I also some on the Bronco's valve covers a year and a half ago---so far, so good....