Oil leak..pic inside..need some info

[Michael Yount]

If it's the rubber/steel composite one piece gasket, no sealer at all should be used/required. Just some oil or white grease to let the gasket slide and not bind when it's tightened.

You might try this - get the car up on jackstands and drain the oil (clean pan - you can reuse it). Loosen all the bolts. One at a time remove the bolts (with small socket and a small wrench I can get to all of mine without jacking the engine) and coat the threads with thread sealer. Once you have thread sealer on them all, gently retorque the pan - starting from the middle and working your way out criss-crossing from end to end. Then clean everything really well and try again.

 

[pwcracer]

I just replaced my oil pan gasket and didn't even think of using thread sealer. I never want to do that job again, so next time I think it will be easier to pull the engine out..

 

[Killer50stang]

NO sealer was used after conversation with builder. I again went under the car to inspect..I'll give some observations see if anything helps. On the tranny side of the dust shield it is bone dry..I pryed it back to inspect..no oil at all. The pan it's self is dry as a bone. The oil on the dust shield bottom lip was from the back bolt on the oil pan on the drivers side. There is oil residue on the oil pan stiffiner on that side. Oil is residing on the bolts on the very back and the fourth bolt furthest away from the tranny ( oil collecting on these bolt heads). The area directly under the rear main is dry and clean..no sign of oil driping from under the rear main area at all. The passenger side is perfectly clean. I am curious about the rear main, which is why I keep bringing it up, but oils location is higher and to the side..I don't see how the oil could only collect on underside flat portion of the pan where the bolts fasten and not run directly down from the rear main area if main was leaking.

There's a recent post on using the sealer if you do a search. I think he had the same problem you were having. Good luck!