2.5 oil pan gasket or not?

[tkrug21]

In searching I have not found any reference to this, so sorry if it has been addressed already.

I am finishing up a head gasket replacement in a 97 2.5. I pulled the oil pan off because this engine came from the junk yard and they drill holes instead of pulling the plug. Both oil pans had not gasket, sealed with goo only. I bought a gasket from AutoZone and it fits, but the box states it's only for 1.8 and 2.2 engines.

The oil pan itself has a passage that comes from the block and goes down into the pan like a tube. It has an O-ring around the point where it mates with the block. I got thinking that if I put a gasket on this pan, it will seperate the pan from the block farther than it was originally. This would mean that this tube would not be sealed to the block anymore.

The first question I have is what the heck does this tube do? It is not the oil pickup from the pump, that tube is bolted to the bottom of the engine and is not part of the pan. So what is it?

Second question, does it matter if it's sealed with the O-ring? I like the idea of having just a bit more oil in the pan, and also the idea of the pickup screen being just a bit farther from the bottom of the pan, just in case the pan ever gets hit.

I know this seems like a minor point to be concerned with, but you never want to cause problems with your engine getting oil correctly.

Any ideas?

[nipper]

Subaru engines (aside from the head gasket hiccups) are designed well. There is usually very little wear on the bootom end of the engine due to the opposed piston design. It seems like they are doing something right, and its very rare that anyone here talks of a spun bearing.

I would leave things as subaru had them. I did see what your talking about in the Haynes manual, but i cant see where its coming from. You need to find a Lubrication diagram to see what it is.

Is it a thru pipe or just a dead end?

Also remeber that an engine oil system is just a bunch of passage ways with very controled leaks. Resistance to flow (the controled leaks) is how one develops oil pressure. By leaving out this oring you may be causing a big leak and effectivly dropping your oil pressure. I dont think you really want to tinker with it.

 

nipper