Weel during the cam install I tore the oil pan gasket in the process of taking the front cover off. I didn't have the part then and was in need of getting the car back together so I pasted ome silicone there and closed it back up. I knew it was going to leak and it did for about a year. Got motivated to change it out last week and dam that sucked. Took me six hours. Anyone who is has to do this take your time, it was worth it int he end no leaks anymore. Kinda boring but thought that I would share.

Anthony

 

6 hours?!?!? Did you remove your oil cooler first?

 

not sure where that is. Not the best mechanic just determined to get stuff done. I basically pulled a bunch of **** off jacked up the motor , droped the pan about three to four inches and put the new gasket it. After than put everything back on and called it a day but saved a lot of money in the process.

Anthony

 

You had to drop the K-member I presume??

 

For anyone reading this in the future:

Take the part of the gasket you ripped, and RTV it to the timing cover. Let it set up over night. Then Re-assemble next day using even more RTV, spread it on there like butter!

Anyways, key is glueing the gasket on night before. Mines been like that for a long time, no leaks.

 

Yeah i gotta do my oil pan gasket again too, i was in the process lastnight of tearing eveything apart to replace the timing ocover and gasket (the timing ocver wasn't properly seated in the oil pan lip so it was leaking) and i get the timing cover loose and off and see that it cut the oil pan gasket in half, so i had to pick up a new one at work today. This just sucks cuz now i gotta get my friend's dads truck call up another friend see if he;ll let me borrow the hoist and jack up the motor. the labor part isn't what bothers me its trying to get everyone coordinated on a set day and time to do it thats the PITA! sh*t never ends!

 

I had to change my pan gasket and it was just too much trouble to jack up the motor so I cheated and it worked very well. The pan drops about an inch so you can cut the old gasket an get it out. I got a Felpro and it said to put it on dry. I just cut the gasket in the middle of the driver side pan on about a 3 " diagonal and put Ultra Copper on both sides of the slice. It's been 2 years and you could park that thing over a white sheet overnight and not see a drop.

 

John that sounds like a good idea, I think you just saved me a few hours of work this weekend....

Brad

 

Just be sure to clean the mating surfaces. I used MEK where the sealant went.

 

it works really good and u can do it in an hour or so Did mine like that as well..no problems at all.
Marcin

 

That is such a great idea, i was thinking about my oil pan leak and was dumb-founded, i can't believe i did not think of that....do you guys run a thin bead of RTV all the way around the oil pan on both sides of the gasket, i did with my 88 IROC and it is still tight to this day, no oil leaks any where.....

 

when i took my timing cover off i ripped the right corner of the oil pan gasket.there was no way in hell i was changing it out without a lift so i just cleaned the surface really really good,used a shi*load of gm sealent for oil surfaces and used it around the timing cover and let it sit for a couple days and not one drop of oil comes through that spot.

 

Thats what I did mine ripped where one of those tabs are, so I cleaned it up and put some super copper in there. Then I put super copper on both sides of the part of the gasket that goes on the timing cover and put it all back together and let it sit like 3 days while I finished the rest of the car.

 

I didn't have to cut my gasket at all. He's what I did:

1-Drain the oil
2-Remove the Y-pipe
3-Remove oil filter
4-Remove oil dipstick
5-Unbolt oil pan
6-Unplug low oil sensor connector
7-Unbolt the dip stick tube

Now with the pan lowered put your fingers in the pan where the oil tube is and feel it sticking into the oil pan. With the other hand if possible slowly slide it out just enough where there is only about a 1/2 inch remaining into the pan or pull it out all together, it's up to you.

8-Pull out old gasket
9-Clean up pan and block as best you can
10-Put some RTV gasket sealer around the bottom of the timing cover and rear main seal area.
11-Slide the new gasket around the oil pan until it fits into place
12-lift pan into place and put 3-4 bolts in hand tight to hold the pan in place and check all around to make to sure the gasket is installed correctly, if it is, install the remaining bolts in the pan.

I think you can figure out what's left to do.

Scott