Oil pan grief

[Walzbeer]

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[D.Hearne]

Sometimes you can easily miss the two corner bolts right up next to the end of the pan. If you have all the bolts off, the pan should fall right out, provided you removed the cross brace under it. Sometimes you also need to unbolt the steering drag link to get it out.

 

[wild70stang]

On the underside of my mustang, there is only the cross brace and the oil pump like you said, and I played "doctor" on my original engine (sitting on a pallet under a tarp) and I took the oil pan off without a problem. Not sure what your missing. But check around alot, even by the timing chain or transmission area to see if its stuck on something.

 

[jbuening]

Not sure how you are disconnecting the oil pump, as it is mounted to the underside of the block and to remove the oil pump you would have to have the pan off already. Anyways, was this leaking at the front or the rear? If the rear it could also be a rear main seal (front could be a seal around crank nose on the timing cover too). Make sure that ALL bolts are completely removed and tap the side of the oil pan with a rubber mallet to break the seal loose. It may be stuck in a few spots and needs a slight tap to get it to come off. May i recommend the new rubber composite 1-piece seals? It has a steel core with a rubber composite mold and is all one piece. I bought mine from Autozone but most other places carry them too and mine has never leaked since going to the one piece design. Fel-pro was the brand and part number was OS30214T. It is the Perma-Dry model and they are the only gaskets i use now. They are more expensive than the usual cork ones, but who wants to replace the cork ones every year because of leaking at the corners? I also went with the Perma-Dry valve covers. These are reusable by the way.

 

[Rusty67]

While we are here....

I pulled an oil pan off recently and I've been having a lot of trouble geting it back on. I'm using the 1 piece gasket and I can't get the gasket to stay in place and get the oil pan up at the same time. Any tips on doing this on your back ?

 

[66coupe351]

I've got a 351W in my '66 coupe, and I have to remove the starter and loosen the driver-side header(loosen the bolts at the head and remove the bolts at the collector) before the oil pan will drop. Other than that make sure all the bolts are out. It may also be stuck fairly tightly with just gasket seal. Pry a little, but not hard enough to bend the edge of the pan.

Rusty67 - I'm also having a tough time getting the black one-piece oil pan gasket back in properly. If anyone has any hints on doing this I would really appreciate it - I didn't use any gasket sealer, should I? I think I should get the gasket attached to the block first with the tabs at either end, but it won't stay. I ended up just sitting the gasket on top of the pan, then raising the pan up and bolting it all together. It leaked really badly when I did this, and I haven't gotten around to doing it a second time.

 

[mustangdave]

As far as getting the gasket to stay during installation, use oil pans studs (the gasket can't move once it is on the studs). Economy version is to get some cheap bolts and nuts to get it started, then replace them with your bolts. It is especially helpful at the ends.

 

[68restoman]

While we are here....

I pulled an oil pan off recently and I've been having a lot of trouble geting it back on. I'm using the 1 piece gasket and I can't get the gasket to stay in place and get the oil pan up at the same time. Any tips on doing this on your back ?

Try using some of Moms sewing thread to tie the gasket to the pan through some or all of the bolt holes, this will keep it flat and lined up for you. After you get the pan seated and some of the bolts in you can cut the threads and pull them out...

68Restoman

 

[jbuening]

I put the gasket on top of the oil pan and slid a bolt through one of the corners of the pan, holding the bolt in with the nutdriver, and raised the pan to the block and screwed the bolt in but not tight. Then with one arm holding the bottom of the pan to keep it still on the block, i grabbed the other bolt and with the nutdriver i put the opposite corner in. So i had the front right corner bolt and the rear left corner bolt in. Then i put the other corner bolts in and then started putting the bolts at the center of the pan in and worked my way to the ends. Once you start sliding the oil pan around when you are trying to get the second bolt in is where you get some leaks, as the gasket has partially slipped off. A second set of hands would be handy but i did it by myself. You could also use a jack to support the pan once you get it up to the block and would free up another hand.
Confused yet?

 

[krash kendall]

That's great jbuening, but did it leak?

 

[jbuening]

That's great jbuening, but did it leak?

Not a drop from the oil pan. Now the rear main seal is a different story I had went through 3 different multi-piece oil pan gaskets only to have them all leak at the corners. I finally got ticked off and paid the $50 for the one piece and it hasn't leaked yet.

 

[302 coupe]

the fel-pro one piece rubber gaskets usually come with some little plastic bolt thingies that are used to hold the gasket in place during installation. The last two I've done had them anyway, in fact I saved them for future use. I use the stock replacement 1 pc rubber gaskets, not the permaseal stuff.

 

[D.Hearne]

the fel-pro one piece rubber gaskets usually come with some little plastic bolt thingies that are used to hold the gasket in place during installation. The last two I've done had them anyway, in fact I saved them for future use. I use the stock replacement 1 pc rubber gaskets, not the permaseal stuff.

You took the words right out of my mouth He must have tossed the plastic studs that come with the pan gasket They are a MUST HAVE item to install the gaskets and pan with the engine in the car, or one on an engine stand, where you need to install it with the motor right-side up ( had to do this with my 331 with the main girdle) Also helps tremendously to have the factory pan-rail stiffeners to go with it. These were included on all 5.0's starting in about the mid 80's or so when the 1 piece gasket was first used. And with all this hardware, you also need the longer pan bolts that the late models had.

 

[jbuening]

You took the words right out of my mouth He must have tossed the plastic studs that come with the pan gasket They are a MUST HAVE item to install the gaskets and pan with the engine in the car, or one on an engine stand, where you need to install it with the motor right-side up ( had to do this with my 331 with the main girdle) Also helps tremendously to have the factory pan-rail stiffeners to go with it. These were included on all 5.0's starting in about the mid 80's or so when the 1 piece gasket was first used. And with all this hardware, you also need the longer pan bolts that the late models had.

Well i'd have used them if the gasket came with them (or if i knew about them) Maybe i wasn't special enough, or maybe the permaseal ones don't come with those plastic studs.

Also, there is a difference in the early pan gaskets and the late model pan gaskets correct? The early pans had the ribs to prevent the cork from squeezing out and the later model pans did not. IIRC, there are different part numbers for the early pan gaskets and the later ones (one-piece gaskets) due to the ribbing. I did not need longer pan bolts for mine however.

Note: A previous discussion on the VMF

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/f...e+gasket"&topic=&Search=true#Post1262688

 

[65ShelbyClone]

Also, there is a difference in the early pan gaskets and the late model pan gaskets correct? The early pans had the ribs to prevent the cork from squeezing out and the later model pans did not.http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/f...e+gasket"&topic=&Search=true#Post1262688

The ribs are to prevent pan rail flexing on the early pans. The late pans have seperate reinforcing rails that go between the oil pan and bolts that keep the rails from deforming. The late 1-pc gaskets also have steel anti-crush grommets around the bolt holes. I had an SCE "reusable" 1-pc gasket that swelled up really bad after about 3000 miles. I tried to reuse it, but that was a mistake...

 

[D.Hearne]

Well i'd have used them if the gasket came with them (or if i knew about them) Maybe i wasn't special enough, or maybe the permaseal ones don't come with those plastic studs.

Also, there is a difference in the early pan gaskets and the late model pan gaskets correct? The early pans had the ribs to prevent the cork from squeezing out and the later model pans did not. IIRC, there are different part numbers for the early pan gaskets and the later ones (one-piece gaskets) due to the ribbing. I did not need longer pan bolts for mine however.

Note: A previous discussion on the VMF

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/f...e+gasket"&topic=&Search=true#Post1262688

The Felpro gasket comes with the installation studs. Don't know about the others. I've bought at least 3 of the felpro gaskets and all had the studs.

 

[LMan]

Tried using some RTV to hold the gasket on?