oil pan gasket leak fixed!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 768
Likes: 1
From: Round Rock Texas
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. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,576
Likes: 32
From: Sarasota Florida
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!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3,461
Likes: 18
From: cooper city florida
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.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 37,663
Likes: 1,112
From: CA
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
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 768
Likes: 1
From: Round Rock Texas
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.
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Race Director
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Clayton NC
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
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,777
Likes: 105
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.
Just installed one on my big block, dry as a bone! I think the blue color is kinda neat!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 768
Likes: 1
From: Round Rock Texas
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
Likes: 1,926
From: Washington Michigan
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.
