Oil pan gasket question
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 289
From: Chardon Ohio
Oil pan gasket question
OK, I am replacing the oil pan gasket and rear main seal on my 81 because of oil leak in that area. My problem is that I don't know what gasket to get. The engine is not original, it was replaced by PO and is a GM 350/300 or something like that crate. I went to Auto Zone and got what the guy thought was the right on and it's not. Here are pics of how it fit. As you can see, it doesn't fit on the front end and it doesn't have a bulge for the dipstick on the one side.
What I took off was a cork gasket. I like the one piece blue silicone (or whatever it is), it seems nice but not the right size.
Any help on what I should get? Oh, and it's 4 bolt main, and automatic if that makes any difference.
Thanks,
Jim
Also I need rear main seal! thanks
What I took off was a cork gasket. I like the one piece blue silicone (or whatever it is), it seems nice but not the right size.
Any help on what I should get? Oh, and it's 4 bolt main, and automatic if that makes any difference.
Thanks,
Jim
Also I need rear main seal! thanks
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 61
From: Southern NH
I have the one piece gasket and it works great.
what is the part number of the one they gave you? The one I used on my stock '81 has the dipstick bump on both sides.
Is your rear main seal correct? it's possible your engine might be a newer 1 piece rear main seal and need a different oil pan gasket.
what is the part number of the one they gave you? The one I used on my stock '81 has the dipstick bump on both sides.
Is your rear main seal correct? it's possible your engine might be a newer 1 piece rear main seal and need a different oil pan gasket.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 289
From: Chardon Ohio
I have the one piece gasket and it works great.
what is the part number of the one they gave you? The one I used on my stock '81 has the dipstick bump on both sides.
Is your rear main seal correct? it's possible your engine might be a newer 1 piece rear main seal and need a different oil pan gasket.
what is the part number of the one they gave you? The one I used on my stock '81 has the dipstick bump on both sides.
Is your rear main seal correct? it's possible your engine might be a newer 1 piece rear main seal and need a different oil pan gasket.
They gave me a OS 34500R
The rear main seal is a two piece. I have the bearing cap off.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 289
From: Chardon Ohio
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 61
From: Southern NH
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
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From: Southern NH
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
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From: Chardon Ohio
all done.
Just as a folow up -
I got it all back together last night. Man, that was scary setting that bearing cap back up in there. Never done that before. It doesn't get much more serious than that! But with all the stuff I've read here and other places, I think I got it on correctly. Put some oil on the bearing surface and some grease and oil on the sealing surface of the main seal. I did the 3/8" offset of the main seal like the (FelPro) installation instructions said. And I put the RTV black on the two mating lands on the cap and block. Torqued her all down. HOPE IT DOESN'T LEAK!
The oil pan went on too. Those little 'snap ups' are awesome. It would be VERY HARD without those. It was just a pain working upside down for that long putting all those bolts in. It was nice that the bolts were all included. I did put a dab of RTV at the corners like it said. The only thing I winged it on was the torque of the oil pan bolts. I don't have a torque wrench for 80 in-lb, so I just did em hand tight with the ratchet. 'sort of' , not really tight...
Now I get to wait till whenever it's nice again to drive it and test it.
I got it all back together last night. Man, that was scary setting that bearing cap back up in there. Never done that before. It doesn't get much more serious than that! But with all the stuff I've read here and other places, I think I got it on correctly. Put some oil on the bearing surface and some grease and oil on the sealing surface of the main seal. I did the 3/8" offset of the main seal like the (FelPro) installation instructions said. And I put the RTV black on the two mating lands on the cap and block. Torqued her all down. HOPE IT DOESN'T LEAK!
The oil pan went on too. Those little 'snap ups' are awesome. It would be VERY HARD without those. It was just a pain working upside down for that long putting all those bolts in. It was nice that the bolts were all included. I did put a dab of RTV at the corners like it said. The only thing I winged it on was the torque of the oil pan bolts. I don't have a torque wrench for 80 in-lb, so I just did em hand tight with the ratchet. 'sort of' , not really tight...
Now I get to wait till whenever it's nice again to drive it and test it.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,404
Likes: 1,595
From: Western NY
Just as a folow up -
The oil pan went on too. Those little 'snap ups' are awesome. It would be VERY HARD without those. It was just a pain working upside down for that long putting all those bolts in. It was nice that the bolts were all included. I did put a dab of RTV at the corners like it said. The only thing I winged it on was the torque of the oil pan bolts. I don't have a torque wrench for 80 in-lb, so I just did em hand tight with the ratchet. 'sort of' , not really tight...
Now I get to wait till whenever it's nice again to drive it and test it.
The oil pan went on too. Those little 'snap ups' are awesome. It would be VERY HARD without those. It was just a pain working upside down for that long putting all those bolts in. It was nice that the bolts were all included. I did put a dab of RTV at the corners like it said. The only thing I winged it on was the torque of the oil pan bolts. I don't have a torque wrench for 80 in-lb, so I just did em hand tight with the ratchet. 'sort of' , not really tight...
Now I get to wait till whenever it's nice again to drive it and test it.
You should be OK....the torque wrench in a good tool to use, but the gasket has the steel inserts in the bolt holes, which keep the gasket set at a constant "crush", so you'd have to really work pretty hard, to over tighten the bolts.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,943
Likes: 61
From: Southern NH
good job. the snap ups are a great invention, I couldn't imagine putting a cork 4 piece gasket back in upside down.
you're braver than me. My rear main is slightly leaking, just barely, but I was too scared it would be worse if I changed it so I left the old one in there and just did the pan.
you're braver than me. My rear main is slightly leaking, just barely, but I was too scared it would be worse if I changed it so I left the old one in there and just did the pan.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 289
From: Chardon Ohio
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 289
From: Chardon Ohio
good job. the snap ups are a great invention, I couldn't imagine putting a cork 4 piece gasket back in upside down.
you're braver than me. My rear main is slightly leaking, just barely, but I was too scared it would be worse if I changed it so I left the old one in there and just did the pan.
you're braver than me. My rear main is slightly leaking, just barely, but I was too scared it would be worse if I changed it so I left the old one in there and just did the pan.
So this was a MUST DO. Really it wasn't a big job. There is a lot of info on doing this on the web. And the FelPro stuff came with good instructions too.Hopefully it will work!!
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,565
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