I just removed the transmission and bellhousing on the way to replacing my slipping clutch - turns out the oil leak that I suspected was from the rear main seal was actually from the oil pan, just below the rear main seal. Oil ran down the the tin guard that is attached to the lower engine side of the bellhousing, onto the flywheel - garbage clutch at 40K miles.

Anyway, now that the tranny and bellhousing are off, can I remove the oil pan entirely to replace that gasket without having to jack up the engine or any of that other stuff people seem to be doing to replace the gasket? Do I have to remove the starter or the exhaust Y-pipe or can I just unbolt the oil pan and slide it out?

I think this thing is leaking every possible fluid from every possible orifice - not happy.

Thanks for the help.

 

I would check your PCV hose. My block was leaking oil everywhere also. The problem was I had a 1/4 inch hole in my pcv vacuum hose(on bottom where it could not be seen visually) causing the block to build pressure at high rpm. Once I fixed the Hose all my leaks went away. $2.15 was all it costed. I knew something was up because I had rust in my oil filler tube from the caustic gases that were trapped in my engine. Hope this helps.

By the way I changed my oil pan gasket before I figured this out. You will have to unbolt the motor mounts and lift the engine. Make sure you pull your oil quantity sending unit before removing the oil pan because it will break the tip off. Use some "the right stuff" around the U shaped ends of your pan or it will leak.

 

you do not have to unbolt the motor mounts or lift the engine. If you have a factory y pipe, you'll have to remove it. You'll have to remove the starter too. Then just take the oil level sensor out and pull all the pan bolts. Cut the old seal and pull it out. Then take the new one and stretch it around the pan from the bottom. Pull one side up over then pull the other side over. The gasket will stretch. You dont have to pull the pan out or nothing. This is really a 45 minute job. Other guys on this board have done it this way and cany believe how easy it was.

 

How did they get the gasket sealer in the tiny crevices where it needs to go? Just replacing the gasket without sealer might not fix the problem.

 

Do I have to use the replacement gasket from GM or is there a better part available from Felpro (I'm not a big fan of the stock replacement parts usually)?

It sounds like the whole gasket is a one piece molded rubber kind of part - is that right or are there different gasket sets for the LT1 that come in multiple pieces? Is the Felpro part the same sort of one-piece molded rubber thing?

Much thanks.

 

I was able to move the pan enough to get the tip of the silicone dispenser where it needed to be. You dont have to use very muvh silicone. Also, make sure you look to see if any of the gasket spacers got stock in the studs when you remove your old one. This will definetly cause a leak if you dont catch it.

 

yes, one peice molded rubber gasket

 

If I have this right:

to change the oil pan gasket no need to lift motor??

to pull oil pan right out yes a need to lift motor??

My car is stock all stock for this subject matter automatic tranny.

 

Ok, more problems.

As I stated earlier, I have removed the tranny, bellhousing, clutch, clutch shield and Y-pipe. I then removed all the oil pan bolts and nuts (though not the studs at the four corners of the pan) and the oil level sensor and wire. I still can't get that fricken' pan out with the motor still attached to the motor mounts. I tried rotating the balancer to get the optimum positioning of the crank so that the pan will clear the front throws, but that got me nowhere - in fact it didn't even seem to be close.

With the clearance on mine and the engine attached to the mounts, there seems to be no way I could get the silicone on the front of the block (also becuase of that steel pipe that hangs down and wraps around the front of the engine where the timing cover meets the oil pan - is that pipe for the A/C, I haven't checked yet.) Even if I could get the silicone nozzle in there, I would think that I would get oil or grunge of some sort on the new gasket as it went in, compromising the repair, no?

If I remove the engine mount through bolt on the driver side and jack the engine sideways and up (pivoting toward the passenger side on the other mount), will that give me the clearance (jacking very carefully on the oil filter mounting pad)?

Otherwise, I'll have to reassamble the car with the new clutch etc. and then do the pan once I can lift the the whole engine as described in the haynes book.

Any more dissassembly on this car and it may end up as a piece of new age sculpture.

Thanks for the help.

 

^^^its a GM product, if it aint leaking, squeaking, rattling, or creaking....there is something wrong with it