oil pan gasket leak fixed!
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
oil pan gasket leak fixed!
I have battled an oil pan leak at the timing cover for a long time. I tried new gaskets and even a new oil pan. Maybe this is old news but I heard about the FelPro Perma-Dry one-piece gasket and decided to give it try. Its not cheap ($30) but my oil leak is history. This is by far the best gasket, period, and Ive tried other 1-piece gaskets. It even came with new bolts and "hangers" that screw into the corner bolt holes to hang the pan and gasket while you install the new bolts.
#4
Melting Slicks
Hello
Glad to hear this I bought one a while back and I am waiting for a time when I can go through the engine and use it...Yes its pricey but if it stops the dreaded oil leak...Its worth it!
Glad to hear this I bought one a while back and I am waiting for a time when I can go through the engine and use it...Yes its pricey but if it stops the dreaded oil leak...Its worth it!
#5
Melting Slicks
I just replaced my pan gasket. I ended up using the original type 4 piece gasket, and about a 1/8" wide bead of "The Right Stuff". No leaks! The Right Stuff is the best gasket sealer I have ever used. I also used it on my intake manifold and thermostat housing with no leaks. The only drawback is the directions say to mate parts within 5 minutes.Kinda hard to due on a large piece like a oil pan or intake. I was going to use the FelPro one piece on the pan, but I couldn't handle that blue color.
#6
Team Owner
Those one-piece pan gaskets are nice....but...i found out the hard way that you need to get the correct one for the timing gear...late or early...there is a thickness differnce that i was unaware of...
jack
jack
#7
Pro
Member Since: May 2009
Location: Youngsville Pennsylvania
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Had a small oil leak(2-3 drops/ ride), decided to install the one piece blue gasket....now I have the Corvette-Valdiz on my hands. Will be switching back to the four-piece gasket.
#8
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
The instructions said to use a small amount of RTV where the timing cover/block/pan meet and where the rear main meets the block. I used Permatex Ultra Grey, which Ive had great success with on intake, thermo housing etc.
#9
Race Director
It usually requires putting some sealer at the corners, with that being said if you have a major leak after changing it I would inspect where the leak is and suspect that the timing chain cover could be part of the problem.
Dave
#11
I have battled an oil pan leak at the timing cover for a long time. I tried new gaskets and even a new oil pan. Maybe this is old news but I heard about the FelPro Perma-Dry one-piece gasket and decided to give it try. Its not cheap ($30) but my oil leak is history. This is by far the best gasket, period, and Ive tried other 1-piece gaskets. It even came with new bolts and "hangers" that screw into the corner bolt holes to hang the pan and gasket while you install the new bolts.
#13
Le Mans Master
On the old gaskets its the "smile" piece of the gasket that usually leaks is it not? On the new one piece gasket is this problem eliminated?
#16
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
#17
Team Owner
Member Since: Oct 2000
Location: Washington Michigan
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Production pans prior to '75 used the "thin" (0.29") front seal. Production '75-up pans (and ALL Service pans manufactured from '75-up, regardless of their intended application) used the "thick" (0.41") front seal. Fel-Pro (and GM and others) make that molded gasket in both flavors, but you have to know which pan you have before you buy the gasket, and aftermarket pans are a crapshoot - they come both ways.
Determine the front seal surface radius by measuring from the pan rail flange surface (no gasket) to the 6 o'clock position on the seal surface. If it's 2-1/4", it takes the "thin" front seal; if it's 2-3/8", it takes the "thick" front seal.
If you use the gasket with the "thin" front seal on a pan that requires the "thick" front seal, it'll leak like a sieve at the timing cover, and all the RTV in the world won't stop it. The same is true with most of the Taiwan chrome timing covers - the seal flange on that junk is spot-welded to the cover, and they'll leak; the original GM timing cover had that seal flange continuously roller-welded, and they won't leak there.
You can't just "buy a pan gasket" - you need to know which one you need first.