GL Oil Pan Leaks Like a Sieve?

[scoobydube]

Go to Ebay and buy longer and also high strength bolts.  What you have in their now are the soft M6-1.0 x 13 mm long bolts.  If you tighten them, they snap off.  Go with the 10.9 high strength grade flare head bolts in the 16 mm length and tighten them up until you can't tighten them anymore.  This will really cut back on the oil pan leaks.  At the back of the oil pan, you can do some light grinding of the cross frame in order to get a 1/4" socket set in there with some swivel end attachments.  It requires a 10 mm end socket and you would want the 1/4" version of that.

[bushytails]

Or use a new gasket with a bit of silicone on both sides...

 

[el_freddo]

^ this. 
 

although this thread seems like it’s missing the original post/question… 

[SuspiciousPizza]

I read in a discussion that the OEM gaskets (like intake manifold gaskets, cam tower oil passage o-rings, etc) are the only gaskets to be used. This is due to the density of the cork "cells". Aftermarket gaskets aren't the proper cork. Allegedly. 

I used an OEM gasket on my rebuild without sealant and it worked just fine. I also cleaned the sealing surface on the block as well as the oil pan. 

You can still buy the oil pan gaskets new and they're around $5 USD. Only downside is you may have to order it. RTV is faster and arguably would work just as well.

Also the bolts shouldn't be torqued. In my opinion this is a hand tool only job. You can use a screwdriver and "2-finger tight" is plenty. For the rear bolts I use the longest 1/4" extension I have with a swivel on the far end. Snake the extension in from the side and use the aforementioned screwdriver to steer the socket. A shallow socket holds the bolts nicely. 

If you have the engine out then just use a screwdriver. 

To drop the pan you must first angle the pan out from between the engine mounts then rotate it 180°. Operation is the opposite for the install, start with the pan backwards.

If you over torque the gasket, especially non-OEM gaskets, the gasket will split. It is wood, after all. This creates little openings for oil to leak from. The instinct to tighten the bolts makes the issue worse.