Loud clanging after changing oil pan gasket
 

Just changed my oil pan gasket on my '95 LT1. When I start it up, I can hear a loud banging noise coming from under the car. I don't hear anything when I just bump the engine. I only hear the noise when the engine runs. I'm hoping that the shield between the oil pan and flywheel is the culprit (maybe keeping the drive gear in contact with the flywheel????). When I pulled the oil pan, I found it hanging on by one screw (not even the right bolt for the hole at that). When I reassembled everything, I tried to put it back the way I thought it should go. That is the only thing that I can remember not putting back the way I found it.


Just wondering if anyone has any other ideas before I get back under the car.

Oh yeah...so far, no leak, but the car really hasn't run long enough to test.

That's the first thing I'd suspect is that shield behind the oil pan. Try hitting it with something to see if it makes the rattle. Also is the "clanging" a high pitch "ting ting ting" or more of a muffled sound? A muffled sound would obviously point to something internal.

And just by experience.. try hitting your catalytic converters with a mallet. The ones that came with my long tube headers started a horrible rattle after just 4,000 miles of use.

Less of a rattle, and more like the sound of two aluminum pots banging totehter.

You need to go back up there and check your installation. Needles to say something didn't fall properly into place creating the "banging" noise.

Just wondering what could not fall in right. I didn't touch the crank. There is no leak, so I assume the pan was put back correctly.

Is there a good, easy way to make sure the engine won't fire other than removing all spark plug boots? I don't hear the sound when I just bump the engine. I want to listen while the engine is turning over to see if it is in the oil pan or related to the starter.

Hows oil pressure??? I was thinking maybe you broke the oil pickup tube loose putting the pan back on.Sometimes the spot weld on the tube isn't much.....WW

Has to be the baffle.
ps: You weren't missing any bolts when you reinstalled the oil pan I trust:D

Thanks WW...didn't think of that. I don't recall hitting anything, but I don't remember things that well. I do remember having to push really hard on the right side of the pan to get the first bolt on that side started. Could that be a clue, or is that normal? After the first bolt, the remaining ones went in easily.

On my way out of town. Will have to check pressure when I get back. Thanks again.

You shouldn't feel any pressure when putting a pan on.. The pan should just fit up tight and bolt on.. I would say by pushing hard on the pan you either bent the baffle or the oil pickup...WW

No missing bolts, but I did have an extra washer. Cleaned the oil pan real good and sat it upside down for hours while cleaning more grime from the bottom of the car. Can the baffle move?? How can it suddenly be in the way?

It shouldn't and I have never seen it happen, but there can only be a couple of reasons of why it's happening. Personally I'd drop the pan ASAP:thumbs:

Check your ring finger. Anything missing?:lol:

:rofl: Have you checked your watch too?

The cover shield for the flywheel on my son's old Pontiac smallblock had the same kind of noise. The 2d to the last bolt must have dropped somewhere and only one loose one was holding it on. It was hitting the torque converter mount bolts and was being bounced back and forth from the block and converter- hell of a clanging! Easy to check or just remove it and restart.

Don't forget to check oil pressure even if it fixes the noise-I always watch O.P. after every oil change or pan removal/replacement. No pressure= TURN IT OFF!

Let us know what you find..

That rattle is from the broads mouth banging them pots and pans making some eats.
Ignore it. :thumbs:

Not sure about the pan on the lt1...but on some of my other cars the pan is baffled and the pickup fits inside the baffle and if you dont line it up you could bend it..Is there a chance you bent up the pickup?? Could the pickup be loose?..How is the oil pressure?

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

Can any one tell how much labor time wise it takes to replace oil pan gasket on a 95 I need to do mine thanks.

You left the gasket scraper inside the pan.

He didn't, he ran to the computer to start a new thread.

There is only one dude with the top C4 qualifications to tell the OP what
happened, how it happened, what he did, what's making the noise and how to fix it.

:lurk: