Are you supposed to use sealant on the oil pan gaskets?

[hollowch]

I'm putting my engine back together and I need to know whether or not to use any type of sealant on the oil pan gaskets?

 

[broncnaz]

basically no but you do use a little in the area where the main seals and pan gaskets meet. some people do your RTV or sealants like gaskinich to help hold the pan gasket in place.

 

[KyleQ]

I did a bunch of work on my pickup last fall and I had to drop the oil pan to pull my timing chain cover to get at the timing gears -


I dropped the pan as far as I could get it with leaving the rear two bolts in and I basically sprayed brake cleaner on the bottom of the block and on the gasket (to clean them off) and I only put RTV on the timing cover and put it back together.

Here is the timing cover put into place with RTV on it, the 1 piece silicone gasket stuck to it.


Here is it torqued down-


I am happy to report that I have ZERO leaks - I was a little hesitant to put everything back together dry, but it came apart dry and hadn't leaked a drop as of yet, so I'm happy with it.

RTV the bottom of the timing chain cover and leave the rest dry - worked for me, and it wasn't in the best of conditions....


Now on my EFI swap I was out of time, I had help and we wanted to get that 435 stabbed in, so we put my oil pan on with ONLY RTV, no gasket. Leaky bitch is all I gota say, leaking around the rear main, where I put half the damn tube of RTV too. I had the engine upside down on a stand and it was perfectly clean - it didn't matter. I now get to have the displeasure of dropping my pan, cleaning it and putting in a 1 piece gasket from under the truck.... Luckily I hacked out the engine x-member so nothing will be in my way.

 

[bknbronco]

If i ever get around to dropping my oil pan i will weld the plates to the pan that the dipstick goes through, then ill weld the tube to them also. My dipstick leaked from the tube so i pulled it and sealed it. Now it leaked from the plates. If you think you did or will have a similar problem id fix it now. Do a search on here it is common on them pans.

 

[Bronco Junkie]

I rebuilt my motor last summer.....used a cork gasket for the oil pan without any sealant and no leaks so far. Fingers crossed!!

 

[hollowch]

If i ever get around to dropping my oil pan i will weld the plates to the pan that the dipstick goes through, then ill weld the tube to them also. My dipstick leaked from the tube so i pulled it and sealed it. Now it leaked from the plates. If you think you did or will have a similar problem id fix it now. Do a search on here it is common on them pans.

Mine has always had a pretty bad leak as well.. I will be welding this thing in this time around.

 

[hollowch]

basically no but you do use a little in the area where the main seals and pan gaskets meet. some people do your RTV or sealants like gaskinich to help hold the pan gasket in place.

I've heard of that Gaskacinch stuff before... I wonder if they sell that at autoparts stores? Or I've also heard that Permatex Hi Tack works well

 

[blubuckaroo]

Anything that is like a contact cement is good on the pan side only. Motor oil on the block side. A little RTV in the saddles and corners. Whatever you do, don't use RTV on cork. It'll squirt the gasket right out.

 

[patterdale]

A little gasket cement to hold it in place while you bolt it up should be all that is needed. Making sure the surface on the pan (if it is sheet metal original) is as flat as possible is more important. Most people over torque the pan bolts and create dimples that squash the gasket at the bolt hole and cut it causing leaks. When they see the leak they "tighten" the bolts even more and make the problem worse.

 

[Madgyver]

Permatex #2 to hold rail gaskets in place and a dab of RTV silicone at each corner where the rubber meets the rail gaskets.
The trick is tighten down evenly from the center and alternating to each bolt - cross pattern.