Oil Pan Gasket - rule of thumb check?
 

I bet that this is already covered in a gajillion threads, sorry for this.
'92 ROW GTS A/T, stock w/ Volvo mounts;
Suggestions Wanted

1) The oil pan capscrews are oil-wet, and the pan gasket is bulging variously from previous snugging-up. The starter nose is wet, but there is no oil on the engine side of the flexplate.

2) Thinking this is oil pan gasket and not rear main seal. Correct?

3) Have read on this site that clever owners have supported engine from above (I have a decent setup from the Volvo MM job) and have slacked off the MM's, hoisted the motor "a bit" and dropped the oil pan without removing crossmember. Feasible?

4) Lot's of rave reviews on Silicone oil pan gasket. I am happy with a stock gasket and Loctite 515 flange sealant (grape jelly) both sides. As it happens, the 515 is zero cost to me. Is the silicone gasket a big deal?

5) Yes, I will not forget the dipstick tube o-ring.

Thankyou in advance for your advice.

well if you have good MMs,
then all you need to do is support the car on 4 jackstands,
Disconnect the battery,
Drain the oil and filter,
Drop the alternator out of the way and hang it on a coat hanger.

NOTE dont let the alternator dangle from its harness,
as you will shear the blue wire about 4 inches up in the orange sheathing.

Remove the starter.

Remove all of the oilpan bolts and let it drop down about 3 inches,
use a few rags and some brake cleaner to soak up the oil in the pan flanges,
Clean the block,

Then work the new gasket around the outside of the pan.

I like to cut up 4 inch long small pieces of copper wire strands to hold the gasket in place,
this lets you also install a bolt into the hole when refitting the pan.

Once you install the bolt in place remove the wires then tighten the screws.

add a drop of blue loctite to each bolt ,
then they will stay put.

NOTE dont overtighten the pan bolts just a quarter turn past snug is all you need.

NOTE the dipstick tube does not need to be disturbed,
just pull out the dipstick while working on the pan.

Thank you, Stan. Much appreciated. Tim

Continued Oil Leak Saga - Rear Main Seal
 

OK, I get the bonehead prize.

'92 GTS Auto, ROW ex-Japan, about 85,000 km (53k miles)
The pan gasket is now replaced and is to all appearances a shining and colorful installation.

Sadly, what appears now to be the rear main seal continues to leak, even with engine off.
....at least, I think so.

Question - is there any other feasible oil leak source that could appear the flywheel side of the bellhousing?

Thank you in advance for your advice.
Best/Tim

Check the rear edges of the heads where they join the block. There's oil at the rear cam plug seals above that point. This is a known weak spot in earlier cars but should have been fixed in yours. Specifically, there's a pin that goes in the rear cam caps, blocking oil from flowing to a section of cam bearing journal where the shorter/later cams no longer sit. Behind that is a cap with a seal around it, identical to the two you see at the front of the heads at the front of the intake cams. The caps and seals are relatively easy to replace in situ.

Thank you Dr. Bob.
The black plastic cam access covers appear dry.
I am sure that the car has the retrofit aluminum shouldered pin plugs in the empty cam journals, from the tensioner pad replacement job I did a while back.

Thanks also to the Flyin' Scotsman (Malcolm) for calibrating me on his GTS (manual) rear main seal replacement w/ TT job. I'm led to understand that that the latest RMS variation from Porsche can be installed fairly easily, and that that I don't need to go and locate the SIR tools P234 Arbor set up. I've done plenty of seals in my time, I just don't want to do this one again, hence my caution (and retrospectively-extravagant collection of special tools, lol)

My plan is to access this by disconnecting and removing the BlackSeaRD Super Clamp, then the flex plate and flywheel. Hopefully there is enough room in there to swing a small brass hammer.

If anyone has any insights on replacing the RMS in-situ on automatic car I would be most appreciative.

Thanks again/Tim