Honkity Hank

The oil pan gasket is leaking near bolt number 17. Wondering if there is an easy fix for this as the thought of having to replace the gasket is bummin me out. SInce you have to take off the cross over tube and remove the sub frame to get to the oil pan, this is a much bigger job than I want to tackle.

Any way some high temp RTV will work.....probably not, but maybe one of you experienced rennlisters will know the answer.

Thanks,


Jeff
Atlanta

Sam Lin

No easy fix, plan to bite the bullet.

Sam

Danno

I've seen some lazy mechanics slather tonnes of silicone on the ouside. Guess if you really clean it off really well and apply enough silicone, it would seal it.

cpt_koolbeenz

You could try tightening the bolts... NOT a lot - just a little. Most likely won't do much, but it may.

Honkity Hank

Danno, will your car detailer wax my car like that too? (referring to your signature).

Not sure that being lazy has much to do with not tackling the oil pan gasket replacement. Looking at Clarks garage explanation, it looks like it will take a long time. Especially without a lift. First I have to fabricate or buy an engine support. Then buy a half dozen tools that I don't already have. Half way through the job I am sure a bolt will be frozen or snap off, creating a big gumption trap. If all else goes well I will have spent about 80 hours on it. Clark says 12 hours, I figure 40 and then doubled that!

Or I can pay someone else to do it. (most likely) lets see 12 hours at a $80 shop rate, plus parts. $1k ought to do it. As long as I don't get a case of might as well as ... and fix, prevent, or do something else.

crap, having a track car is more expensive than I thought it would be. Oh well, ya gotta pay to play!

Jeff

Sam Lin

Jeff, a ready-made engine support is around 100 from Harbor Freight, otherwise make your own from Home Depot for under $25. The rest is various metric sockets - what tools are you referring to? If that gasket is leaking, the bolts are well-lubed, hard to snap one of them.

Sam

Honkity Hank

well I need a tool for the tie rod ends, a few extra sockets, the engine support you mentioned.

The bolts on the oil pan are not a worry, but rather the bolts for the cross over tube, exhaust, intake etc. never know what you will run into there.

Jeff

David Floyd

Are you certain it is the oil-pan gasket and not running down from above ?

Waterguy

The cost of doing it yourself is probably higher than paying a mechanic, mainly because of all the things you really should change "while you are in there." By the way, you really should change your rod bearings while you are in there....

Bri Bro

the bolts for the cross over tube, exhaust, intake etc. never know what you will run into there.

The intake bolts have never been a problem for me...the exhaust bolts can be an issue. Just drop it off at your local exhaust shop and tell them to loosen all the exhaust bolts you are concerned about. The car will sound like crap driving it home...but all the bolts will came right off

David Floyd

It won't hurt anything to try the RTV, maybe it will help for a while, but sooner or later the pan gasket will need to be replaced.

I just bought the Lindsey 3 piece cross-member and 2 piece cross-over pipe, these will make the oilpan gasket change easy.

pk951

Honkity Hank

You might want to inquire about the plates that my Swiss sells to keep the gasket from bulging out, if you do your'e gasket.

B951S

I always use a jack with a block of wood under the bellhousing to hold the motor up, Never had any problems..

THe worst part of a pan gasket job has to be the crossover pipe...I hate it with a passion.

Good Luck, and while you have it off, get some gasket retainer bars to be safe. Other advice is after you cleaned everything off, make sure you dont get any oil back on when offering it up to the block, If so it might be prone to blowing out after a while....