Oilpan gasket question
03-24-2002, 03:31 AM
#1
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Oilpan gasket question
I finally got my oil pick up tube back tonight (I'll have pics tomorrow...I also have pics showing the 2 differences between the old and updated windage trays) so I can start bolting my car back together. Everything is cleaned and prepared to go back on the car (well...I am having my crossover pipe split and flanged monday so I don't have to pull the intake manifold off if I ever need to replace the oilpan gasket or rod bearings again) but I am a bit confused by the oilpan gasket after looking at it. I understand that I need to secure it to the pan either by dental flossing it or duct taping a few bolts through it, but how do I deal with the large mass of the gasket that goes along the outline of the flywheel in the back of the pan? I fear it won't seat properly and I won't be able to see it. Any suggestions? Also, what is the easiest way to get the x-member back on? I found it easiest to unbolt 1 motor mount from the engine and 1 motor mount from the x-member and slide it out sideways, but I am wondering if this method is good (in reverse, of course) for installation. TIA,
03-24-2002, 10:39 AM
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Ribs,
Get some permatex "Aviation form-a-gasket". Use a very thin layer, wait until it gets tacky to your fingers then put the gasket on the pan. This really helps on the front and back. It doesn't hurt anywhere else either but mainly in the front and back and at the 90° turns. The aviation stuff is thin anyway.
Get some permatex "Aviation form-a-gasket". Use a very thin layer, wait until it gets tacky to your fingers then put the gasket on the pan. This really helps on the front and back. It doesn't hurt anywhere else either but mainly in the front and back and at the 90° turns. The aviation stuff is thin anyway.
03-24-2002, 12:11 PM
#3
Nordschleife Master
ribs,
My x member came straight down? Just make sure you have both the motor mount bolts out I guess
I dont want to put mine back together until I get a manual rack! Can anyone help me out?
My x member came straight down? Just make sure you have both the motor mount bolts out I guess
I dont want to put mine back together until I get a manual rack! Can anyone help me out?
03-24-2002, 01:06 PM
#4
Drifting
Ribs - make sure you have a dental mirror, a flashlight, and some sort of "probe" to feel around with. You'll need this stuff for peace of mind, and visual confirmation of gasket positioning.
Liked your powdercoating write-up, BTW...
Liked your powdercoating write-up, BTW...
03-24-2002, 10:05 PM
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Thanks guys! Ski's suggestion seemed to work best...I got the form-a-gasket stuff and it made the gasket stick to the oilpan nicely.
Now the struggle I faced getting that motherf'r on there...first, I didn't remove either of the heat shields on the sides of the oilpan when I removed it...it came down without having to mess with these...but...it is impossible to get it on without removing the passenger's side heat shield for the headers (for the oilpan gasket) and without removing the bolts for the downpipe heat shield on the otherside of the crank case and sliding it down before you push the pan up...I accidentally dropped a washer into the oilpan from a downpipe heatshield bolt and had to pull the pan off to fish it out after I already navigated it around the pick up tube. Some of the metal rings in the old oilpan gasket came out when I pulled it off (not to mention it was actually split in half) and one was still stuck to the pass. side rear most screw hole on the motor, and when I tried to put the pan on the first time, it wouldn't close up all the way to the motor on the rear. After much scratching my head, I finally removed the pan from the car and discovered this...then, when I was reinstalling the pan, the gasket got hung up on the driver's side downpipe heat shield that I slid down (it slid back up) and I had to remove the pan again to reorient the gasket. Then, when I was putting it back up for the 3rd or 4th time, I got 2 bolts in the driver's side of the pan and I went to go put a couple of bolts in the passenger's side and the fing gasket fell halfway into the oilpan on that side...so, off again, on again...at this point my arms started to fatigue from suspending the oilpan 18 inches off my chest for an hour and a half, so once I got it around the pickup tube, I slowly jacked it up with my floor jack...and like magic, everything lined up and I was able to get all of the bolts in and torqued them all to 3 then 7 ft-lbs. I was able to slide my pinky most of the way along the rear of the oilpan gasket behind the flywheel and everything felt like it was in place...there was about 3 inches along that stretch I couldn't reach, but looking at the gasket on the corner and from what I was able to feel along the rest of it I am pretty damn sure it is seated properly (geez...I sure as **** hope). I re-installed the heatshields, put the weird banjo bolt thing back in the side of the oilpan, and then started to re-install my crossmember.
On the crossmember, I ended up bolting the motor mounts loosely to the member, then bolt the mounts loosely to the motor, then I tightened up each side. I was in the middle of re-attaching the power steering line to the crossmember when mother nature called and I needed to go home to drop the kids off at the pool...anyways, I am here now and am going back in a minute to try to get my motor re-attached to the frame of the car, the power steering rack re-installed, and hopefully I will get my front suspension back on tonight, too. Tomorrow, I will wait for my split and flanged x-over pipe, but if it is going to take longer than tomorrow afternoon, I am going to tell the guy to forget it because I really need to get this car back together. You think I will be able to finish the front end tomorrow? I still have to do t-bars, rear sway bar bushings, rear brakes, and rear shocks, but I don't see that taking me more than a day unless I screw up the t-bars more than a couple of times. Anybody in salisbury want to help me with the torsion bars?
Now the struggle I faced getting that motherf'r on there...first, I didn't remove either of the heat shields on the sides of the oilpan when I removed it...it came down without having to mess with these...but...it is impossible to get it on without removing the passenger's side heat shield for the headers (for the oilpan gasket) and without removing the bolts for the downpipe heat shield on the otherside of the crank case and sliding it down before you push the pan up...I accidentally dropped a washer into the oilpan from a downpipe heatshield bolt and had to pull the pan off to fish it out after I already navigated it around the pick up tube. Some of the metal rings in the old oilpan gasket came out when I pulled it off (not to mention it was actually split in half) and one was still stuck to the pass. side rear most screw hole on the motor, and when I tried to put the pan on the first time, it wouldn't close up all the way to the motor on the rear. After much scratching my head, I finally removed the pan from the car and discovered this...then, when I was reinstalling the pan, the gasket got hung up on the driver's side downpipe heat shield that I slid down (it slid back up) and I had to remove the pan again to reorient the gasket. Then, when I was putting it back up for the 3rd or 4th time, I got 2 bolts in the driver's side of the pan and I went to go put a couple of bolts in the passenger's side and the fing gasket fell halfway into the oilpan on that side...so, off again, on again...at this point my arms started to fatigue from suspending the oilpan 18 inches off my chest for an hour and a half, so once I got it around the pickup tube, I slowly jacked it up with my floor jack...and like magic, everything lined up and I was able to get all of the bolts in and torqued them all to 3 then 7 ft-lbs. I was able to slide my pinky most of the way along the rear of the oilpan gasket behind the flywheel and everything felt like it was in place...there was about 3 inches along that stretch I couldn't reach, but looking at the gasket on the corner and from what I was able to feel along the rest of it I am pretty damn sure it is seated properly (geez...I sure as **** hope). I re-installed the heatshields, put the weird banjo bolt thing back in the side of the oilpan, and then started to re-install my crossmember.
On the crossmember, I ended up bolting the motor mounts loosely to the member, then bolt the mounts loosely to the motor, then I tightened up each side. I was in the middle of re-attaching the power steering line to the crossmember when mother nature called and I needed to go home to drop the kids off at the pool...anyways, I am here now and am going back in a minute to try to get my motor re-attached to the frame of the car, the power steering rack re-installed, and hopefully I will get my front suspension back on tonight, too. Tomorrow, I will wait for my split and flanged x-over pipe, but if it is going to take longer than tomorrow afternoon, I am going to tell the guy to forget it because I really need to get this car back together. You think I will be able to finish the front end tomorrow? I still have to do t-bars, rear sway bar bushings, rear brakes, and rear shocks, but I don't see that taking me more than a day unless I screw up the t-bars more than a couple of times. Anybody in salisbury want to help me with the torsion bars?