Changing Oil Pan - Gasket is a PITA

Tim65GT

Active Member
Feb 24, 2004
1,149
2
39
West Texas
I replaced the oil pan because my old original one was kinda banged up and I couldn't get the dang plug to seal up. I tried those oversize thread plugs and nothing worked.

Anyway, I got a new pan and when I got ready to set it up in place, the end seals were just giving me a fit. They did not want to stay in place at all. I put a dab of RTV (Permatex Ultra Black) in the corners and a thin smear everwhere else. I had luck with this method the last two times I sealed up the pan, but this is the first time I did it with the engine in the car. Before it was on the engine stand. It looks like the rear end seal sliped out of place just a tad, but most of it is still in there.

I giving it a full 24 hours to set up and going to find out tonight if it seals good when I fill it up with oil and fire it up. If it leaks, F-it, the motor is coming out.

Whats the difference between the one piece seal? Anyone else have issues like that with the four peice setup?
 
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The one piece gaskets (that I have seen) are reusable. They also are supposed to come with some clips to hold the gasket in place so you can do it on your back.

Using studs definitely increases your chances of success. It can also make it a bit of a chore to get the pan on so some times its a trade off.
 
I thought I remember reading a post a while back about the one peice only compatible with certain year pans.

Anyway, I'm gonna fire it up in a little while, I had to change my waterneck & gasket too. Slight leak with the crappy aftermarket polished waterneck POS I had on there.
 
I go old-school with such gaskets, I use Permatex No. 3 Aviation Gasket Sealer.

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I go old-school with such gaskets, I use Permatex No. 3 Aviation Gasket Sealer

Yeah, I thought about using something like that AFTER I realized the Silicone type sealer was helping the rubber end seals push out of the grooves. by then it was too late because it would have taken too long to clean up the grooves ... and apply the new permatex,... and let it tack...

Anyway I fired it up last night for a just a minute. I didn't see any oil leaks, but when I changed out the waterneck, the thermostat must have slipped out of the groove preventing the waterneck from seating at the bottom and coolant was running everywhere. :jaw:

Another thing Gravity had its way with.:mad:

I got a new travel trailer last year and a new 2011 F-250 4x4 CC PSD. Maybe its the car getting even with me for ignoring its issues for so long. :rlaugh:

I'll have to get another gasket and try the waterneck again tonight.

Anyone had luck sealing the waterneck without a gasket? Is RTV alone enough? I gotta get that dang leak fixed so I can take her out for a real test run to check the oil pan. :D
 
When I do the water neck, I put RTV on the gasket side of the t-stat housing to hold the t-stat in place and then once it tacks a bit I put the gasket on it. It turns it into a single unit that is much easier to deal with. Also keeps the little bugger from slipping out of its notch.
 
In a thread last year, 68stang351 told me another trick for keeping the thermostat seated.

"This is how I always keep the thermostat from slipping down. Next time take a rubber band, and loop it through the thermostat, then place the thermostat in the housing and pull the band tight through the water neck and insert a screwdriver or pencil or whatever to keep the rubber band tight and it will keep the thermostat in place. When you are done, just pull out whatever it was you inserted in the band on top of the water neck, and pull the rubber band out. I do it that way every time and have not once had a thermostat slip."