Retry One Piece Oil Pan Gasket?

[NJBronk]

I dropped my oil pan after changing my timing cover and water pump, so I decided to go with the one-piece rubber oil pan gasket since that seemed to be the consensus here (Fel-Pro OS 13260 T).

I have what I believe to be the stock oil pan that has the indents around the lip. I didn't really try flattening out the edge / bolt holes at all, but I cleaned the pan and block surfaces really well. The u-shaped ends of the gasket didn't seem to fit into the recesses in the timing cover and rear main section, but I had already put RTV in the corners so I figured I'd cross my fingers and hope that snugging it down would seat them.

After getting everything back together I had a pretty big leak at the rear, and then I snugged the oil pan bolts on the back half about as much as I felt comfortable, but still have a pretty consistent leak wicking out of the rear. I plan to drop the pan again but I'm not sure if I should try the same one-piece gasket again or go back to the cork gasket and rubber u-pieces? I guess maybe trying to flatten out my pan might help, but I don't want to keep wasting perfectly good oil (and my time) chasing a leak and it's kind of hard to tell whether it's flat or not with the ridges.

Any thoughts on other things to check/try for the one piece gasket?

This is my oil pan (after just initial scraping/cleaning). Does that one-piece gasket even work with these pans?

 

[bfoldy]

I wouldn't think the indents on the side lips of your pan would pose a problem. Those gaskets should be thick enough to compensate.

Just a couple of procedural questions to check off:
1) Are you using the Snap-Ups as part of the installation procedure? For me, the part I worried about the most was ensuring the curved ends of the gasket insert into the grooves in the timing cover and rear main section. The Snap-Ups really help in making sure you have everything in place before you mount the pan up.
2) I assume you are tightening the oil pan bolts in several rounds of increasing increments working from the inside out to ensure a nice even distribution as you go?
3) Do you have the steel stiffening rails along the sides to ensure uniformity?

 

[bronco italiano]

Did you also change your rear mail seal?

 

[cldonley]

You shouldn't need to replace the rubber one piece gasket if you drop the pan again, unless it has obvious damage. You can compensate for any imperfections in your pan by adding a bit of hi-temp RTV in the suspect areas, after you thorougly clean off the oil. What @bfoldy said is very important-with the steel pans they can flex a ton, so if you over torque the fasteners, or torque them to different values, it WILL leak. Best thing you can do is follow the installation instructions and torque the fasteners with a torque wrench in the pattern they specify. If you don't have the clips that hold the gasket and pan up while you start the bolts, you can cut the head off of a few extra bolts and use them to guide everything into place, but I think you can pick up the clips at the parts store. They are super helpful.

 

[lars]

Before you do anything else, try slipping a feeler gauge- any thin one- between the pan and gasket and/or gasket and block near the back. If you can slide the gauge in, then the pan isn’t pulled up tight. Likely because the U part of the gasket is sitting proud of the groove in the bearing cap. In that case all you need to do is tighten the bolts some more. Also as mentioned above, the stiffening rails that Ford and others sell are a good idea.

 

[NJBronk]

I did use the clips and made sure to keep them! They were great.

Do you push the rubber gasket all the way into the grooves on the timing chain cover and rear before putting the pan in? I couldn’t seem to be able to get it to fit. Not sure if it fully recesses in there?

I did tighten in several rounds first hand tight and then a little bit on top with the wrench. I didn’t use a torque wrench, but was sure not to over-tighten.

I don’t have steel rails…. Do they go on the underside of the pan mounting flange? Does someone have a link to them?

I didn’t change my rear main seal. I thought about it but was in the camp of if it ain’t broke…. I don’t have any leaks from the weep hole in the bell housing.

The gasket didn’t come with any instructions, if someone has torque values/patterns that would be great, though I used an extension with a u joint on the end to get to some bolts, but those were on the front drivers side (where I didn’t have a leak…) so a torque wrench won’t be accurate there.

 

[NJBronk]

Before you do anything else, try slipping a feeler gauge- any thin one- between the pan and gasket and/or gasket and block near the back. If you can slide the gauge in, then the pan isn’t pulled up tight. Likely because the U part of the gasket is sitting proud of the groove in the bearing cap. In that case all you need to do is tighten the bolts some more. Also as mentioned above, the stiffening rails that Ford and others sell are a good idea.

I wouldn’t be able to get a feeler in there because of the bell housing being so close. Maybe if it was the front. I did try tightening the bolts in that area which helped with the big leak but not the small one. Maybe at this point I’ll try tightening again before pulling it apart, but I was afraid of over-tightening…

 

[cldonley]

The steel rails go under the bolt heads, between the bolt heads and the pan. A Haynes or Chilton manual will give you the torque specs and pattern.
Found these reinsforcment rails on Ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/1755998167...d=link&campid=5335857059&toolid=20001&mkevt=1. They have them at Jegs and Summit for $126.

 

[bronco italiano]

Oh, torque on that delicate gasket is major important.
About 7-9 ft/pds for the smaller bolts
The 4 larger ones are about 15 ft/pds
Start in the center and work your way out
I usually do 3-7-9 for the smaller bolts and go 12-15 for the larger ones.
-I use thread sealer and wave washers if possible.
-I have yet to get a 302 oil pan to not leak, unless I flip that motor upside down on a stand.

 

[ba123]

I don't have that exact one but the one I got for my 5.0 has metal rings where the bolts go so you cannot over torque it..at least ft ron a gasket perspective you're not gonna smash the gasket.

Unless I'm thinking of my last one!

Check if yours does.

 

[lars]

I wouldn’t be able to get a feeler in there because of the bell housing being so close. Maybe if it was the front. I did try tightening the bolts in that area which helped with the big leak but not the small one. Maybe at this point I’ll try tightening again before pulling it apart, but I was afraid of over-tightening…

Look at the photo of the pan you posted. slide the feeler gauge in from the side between the rearmost bolts and the next ones forward. I know it can be done, I've done it when I had a leak. Also if you do pull it apart, there are some tabs on the gasket that fit into recesses on either side of the bases of the half-round part. If they don't get stuffed into the recesses then the U shaped pieces won't seat properly. Been there, done that. Meanwhile, these are the reinforcement rails: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/fms-m-6674-302

 

[lars]

And, I've never used the Fel-Pro gasket, but I have used the Ford Performance gasket with steel core, both on my previous 5.0 and my current 408. Zero leaks. As in, not even a weep or film. But I have always used a skim coat of silicone sealer on them.

 

[ba123]

I used the Fel-Pro and only silicone in the end cap corners.

No leaks, but haven't run it a ton yet. I'd be pretty surprised if they surfaced.

 

[904Bronco]

I'm going out on a limb here... And ask a question...

Are we trying trying to adapt a gasket that was designed for a newer 5.0 motor to the old factory bronco oil pan?

Maybe that is why it is leaking?

Re-enforcing oil pan rails were used on the 5.0 motors, are they adaptable to the earlier oil pans?

 

[lars]

I'm going out on a limb here... And ask a question...

Are we trying trying to adapt a gasket that was designed for a newer 5.0 motor to the old factory bronco oil pan?

Maybe that is why it is leaking?

Re-enforcing oil pan rails were used on the 5.0 motors, are they adaptable to the earlier oil pans?

I haven't tried the late gasket with the early pan, but my (arguably dim) recollection is that the mating flange on both pans are nearly identical. I did have the 5.0 rails on my original engine oh-so-long ago; they fit.

 

[TX-ZACH]

My crate motor came with a cork gasket and leaked like crazy. I used the Fel-Pro

FEL-PRO OS 30214 T Oil Pan Gasket Set​

Its way better than what it was but still leaks. Once it warms up I will try it again. For me it is very difficult to pin point where now.

 

[NJBronk]

So I tried loosing the pan bolts on the back half and carefully re-torquing from the middle back, but still had the small leak. So I dropped the pan.

I think I figured out why it was leaking…



I’m sure it was installer error. I’m guessing the gasket wasn’t lined up with the bearing cap and when I tightened it there was some twisting when it was forced in.

I have a new old-school cork gasket set in my garage; after I find time to spend a couple hours cleaning the RTV off the corners maybe I’ll just try that….

 

[lars]

So I tried loosing the pan bolts on the back half and carefully re-torquing from the middle back, but still had the small leak. So I dropped the pan.

I think I figured out why it was leaking…



I’m sure it was installer error. I’m guessing the gasket wasn’t lined up with the bearing cap and when I tightened it there was some twisting when it was forced in.

I have a new old-school cork gasket set in my garage; after I find time to spend a couple hours cleaning the RTV off the corners maybe I’ll just try that….

For the win... nice when you can find solid evidence. And I realized that I forgot one key detail in my advice on checking for gap with a feeler gauge. Gotta remove the starter to check the rear passenger side. Duh.

 

[bronco italiano]

For the win... nice when you can find solid evidence. And I realized that I forgot one key detail in my advice on checking for gap with a feeler gauge. Gotta remove the starter to check the rear passenger side. Duh.

Like me and my mmhg. LOL

 

[Steve83]

The FelPro (or Mahle) site should say what years/engines/pans each gasket works with. But all 302s/5.0Ls & 351Ws/5.8Ls should have the same block/bearing cap surfaces to mate with the pan gasket, so all the gaskets should work with all those engines. Read this page:

(click this text)


Hi-temp silicone is the wrong sealant to use on an oil pan - the correct one is oil-resistant. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002UEN1U/?tag=classicbroncos-20

NOT changing the rear main seal was correct. If it's already not leaking, changing it can only INCREASE the chance of it leaking.