Making oil pan gasket

[eppoh]

I have never used silicone to make an oil pan gasket, but will need to next week.

 

On the oil pan, is the bead run the full width of the pan mating surface, including over the bolt holes? Or do you tr to avoid getting the silicone over the holes/

 

That seems problematic if trying to make a good tight seal?

 

I was thinking about an 1/4 inch bead all around, let cure for a few minutes, attach finger tight, then torque an hour later.

 

You guys that do this often, chime in.

[Fairtax4me]

With the engine out this will work really easy. If it's still in the car, you should try to drain the oil at least a day ahead of time.

The oil dripping down out of the block and off of the internals will make it a real pain to get the gasket surface clean and oil free so you get a proper seal.

 

Use Ultra Grey sealer. Clean the pan completely. Inside and out. Scrape all the old sealer off, a brass wire brush works great for removing old silicone/rtv sealers. Use acetone or alcohol, brake cleaner works as well, to clean the sealing surface.

 

Clean the pan bolts. Dunk them in solvent, use a wire brush, your fingers, rag, or what have you, to get the bolts clean and free of oil. This will help make a better seal, and make it easier to thread the bolts back into the block.

 

Use a clean rag to wipe all the oil you can off of the block and bottom of the internals to prevent drips. Clean the mating surface with a wire brush and clean with solvent just like you did the pan.

 

Apply a roughly 3/16 - 1/4" bead the whole way around the pan. Then wipe it down across the width of the flange with your finger. Get it all around the bolt holes, cover the entire width of the flange.

 

Check the block surface to make sure oil hasn't run down to the mating surface, lift the pan into place and press and hold it against the block.

Try to avoid moving it side to side too much. Install the bolts, I usually put one at each end of the pan finger tight to hold it in place then install the rest and torque to spec. Most of the time pan bolts need only a few ft-lbs I think Subaru specifies something like 3-4, if you don't have a torque wrench that reads that low, most people don't, "snug" works.

 

Let dry for a few hours so the sealer can cure before adding oil.

[GeneralDisorder]

I wouldn't try to make a "bead" of thickness "x" or anything like that. It's very deceptive how much "sqeeze out" you will get from a 1/4" bead.... it will be obscene. .

 

The better method is to create a uniform thickness "layer" evenly spread across the mating surface of the pan. RTV is best used by spreading it with your finger - like buttering toast. You don't leave the butter in a big glop in the middle do you? No - because you need to know that you have enough to cover the surface and not too much. That's the purpose of spreading it out.

 

Personally I've been using a lot more loctite 518/permatex anearobic than I have RTV and it's treating me very well. It's not as messy as RTV and won't cure except in the absense of oxygen.

 

Torque the pan bolts to 6-8 ft/lbs. That's always worked well for me. I use an inch-pounds wrench on them.

 

GD

Edited May 17, 2011 by GeneralDisorder

[eppoh]

Do you make a bead across the bolt holes too, then put the bolts through while it is wet?

[GeneralDisorder]

No - you don't put anything on the bolt holes. Go around them. And no beads - just squirt it on your finger and "ice" the flange like a cake.

 

GD

[ericem]

[MilesFox]

I prefer to use the cork gasket with my favorite sealant smoothed out with my finger. On old gaskets, the gasket always sticks to the oil pan, and not the block. Sometimes it can be so cooked, that you need a sanding wheel to get it off.

 

put a film of ultra grey on the pan between the gasket. Ypu mawant the cork gasket there to give the bolts something to squeeze against. But not too tight, as you can split the gasket.

 

It would be nice if someone made a silicone gasket with metal sleeves in the bolt holes

[svxpert]

I prefer to use the cork gasket with my favorite sealant smoothed out with my finger. On old gaskets, the gasket always sticks to the oil pan, and not the block. Sometimes it can be so cooked, that you need a sanding wheel to get it off.

 

put a film of ultra grey on the pan between the gasket. Ypu mawant the cork gasket there to give the bolts something to squeeze against. But not too tight, as you can split the gasket.

 

It would be nice if someone made a silicone gasket with metal sleeves in the bolt holes

 

 

cork gaskets were phased out by subaru back in the ole' ea82 days. back in the day I would use a torch to burn off the old cork gasket and then a wire wheel to finish it off. what a P.I.T.A. silicone is used for oil pan gaskets now. silicone oil pan gaskets done correctly will last the life of the car. i have never had any problems with the ones I do in my shop.