replaceing the oil pan gasket

[blaz4wd]

I have been seeing different posts on this. I will need to replace my oil pan gasket b4 winter sets in. So on 4x4 models do you have to Jack up the motors?(like the old ford Broncos)or can you get to it with out... pus what else should you do when your there...? Thanks. Joe specs 94 f250 4x4 7.3 non turbo.

 

[79jasper]

Pull the engine.
And place oil cooler orings while you're at it.
And valve cover gaskets.

Oh BTW, general knowledge here says to use rtv for the pan. NOT the cork gasket.

 

[gatorman21218]

Yeah you need to pull the engine. So you need to determine how badly its leaking before you make that call.

And you are sure its the oil pan? These engines get so dirty its hard to determine where the leak is coming from. It could be valve covers leaking down, return lines leaking fuel that dissolves the grime and looks like an oil leak etc...

 

[jaluhn83]

I think I'm one of the few dissenters here on the RTV - I've never had a problem with cork type gaskets on a number of vehicles including a few idi, and when I tried the RTV thing on my last engine rebuild I wound up with a nice oil dribble off the front of the pan. More likely than not it's cause I messed up, but still.... I'm going to use and recommend the cork gasket, at least until I see problems with that personally.

 

[dirtbiker]

You will have to break the mounts and lift the motor. I just recently went through an oil leak issue with mine and ended up just using the cork gasket, because I just couldn't get the RTV to seal it (motor was still in the truck, didn't have to break mine free since it's in a different truck). The block surface has to be "surgically clean", which is pretty tough to do while there is still oil all over the crank, etc and being under the truck with dirt and all that. My recommendation would be to use the cork gasket, unless you plan on pulling the engine out anyway.

 

[gdhillon]

^that sounds like a bad time for sure

 

[icanfixall]

No gasket was used from the factory and now some ****** is selling you a gasket... Well thats not something you want to install. Way too many members have used a gasket just because the kit had one in it. Now we all know gasket kits come with several gaskets that are never used but they are in the kits confusing many. Pulling the engine is the only real easy way to fix a oil pan leak and BTW I'm not sure you have an oil pan leaking. Is the oil running down off the passenger side all over the starter. If so thats most probably coming from the pan under the intake. That pan is called the valley pan and it has a drain in the very back of it. That drain can only run down the passenger side of the engine over the starter. So it looks like many differant types of leaks. It could be a fuel return line leaking and running thru the dirt in the valley pan makeing it look like oil. If you engine has a cork oil pan gasket some boob before you removed the pan and installed one.. Big mistake. They rarely hold up. nce they leak tightening them up makes it worse because the gasket has cracked. More tightening cracks it even more. A good quality RTV works the best but you need it clean. Any oil trapped in the cracks where several gasket surfaces come together will cause a leak. The front and backs of the oil pan has three differant pieces of metal making a joint. Up front its the timing gear cover, the oil pan and the block. The back its the oil pan, the block and the rear main seal plate. That area must be cleaned very well or you will leak. Also if the harmonic balancer comes off the keyway must have some RTV on the end of it under the washer. If you don't do that sure nuff oil will leak out there too and thats slings a big mess.

 

[dirtbiker]

In our pan installation, there was just no reason to pull the motor, as the bottom of the engine was wide open. On repeated attempts, RTV just would not seal at the curve at the front main. It was POURING out in minutes. I understand that if you
HAVE to pull it because it is too huge of a hassle to do in the truck it makes sense to use RTV as they did from the factory. But IN the truck, with oil dripping down from the inside of the engine, it is awfully difficult to KEEP clean surfaces that you have properly prepared. We used a cork gasket, with both surfaces lightly coated with Permatex #2 (kind of like tar). Torqued all bolts non-consecutively, and it has not leaked a drop since. Granted, it has only been driven 800 miles since then, but that is 100 times more miles than we got from the RTV installation.

 

[riotwarrior]

seeing as pulling engine is only decent way to do this...I'd recommend that you use quality RTV like Permatex Copper or Ultra Black.

However once caveat. engine upside down and pan and engine must MUST be better than surgically clean. Absolutely no oil residue what so ever can be present on pan or block or you will have a leak.

JM2CW

 

[blaz4wd]

What I have is its just starting to get wet. No oil spots on ground. I was just going to do it b4 it got worse. I did do the valve cover gaskets about a yr or two ago.

 

[ZWilson07]

Is the oil running down off the passenger side all over the starter. If so thats most probably coming from the pan under the intake. That pan is called the valley pan and it has a drain in the very back of it. That drain can only run down the passenger side of the engine over the starter.

In regards to this, this is exactly what I have.

But would that mean that the drain plug is leaking oil past it, or exactly what would be causing oil to come down from that area?

 

[79jasper]

The valley pan drain plug can't exactly just "leak oil."

You most likely have a fuel leak that's dripping to the valley, then running down out the drain plug.
By the time the fuel reaches the bottom of the block, it'll be pretty dark from dirt and crap.

Any hard starting at all?

 

[ZWilson07]

The valley pan drain plug can't exactly just "leak oil."

You most likely have a fuel leak that's dripping to the valley, then running down out the drain plug.
By the time the fuel reaches the bottom of the block, it'll be pretty dark from dirt and crap.

Any hard starting at all?

Nope no hard starting at all but I do have a fuel leak lol. Coming out of the weep hole on my IP from im guessing just the seals being bad. But hasn't got to the point that I feel like pulling it especially with the truck not being my daily driver.

But I can tell it is not just a mix of fuel and dirt if you know what I mean. There is definately some of that there and all under the intake from the weep hole, but it is also a lot of oil down there. Me guessing from real main seal but just thought id double check.

 

[riotwarrior]

Pick up a bottle of UV die for oil and a inexpensive UV flashlight...

Get some purple power or whatever its called super clean etc....go to car wash...wash engine off really good. Spray down super good with cleaner and keep it wet don't let that ***** dry....keep spraying and get under the truck and spray too...I usually take a set of car ramps and drive up on them to do engine..

Spray pan spray it down...good. DON"T DILUTE THE SPRAY just get a gallon jug and use it straight!

After 10 minute soak wash again with pressure washer...get all the stuff off.

then

Pour additive in oil....drive a day or two inspect...nothing? drive more inspect...till you can determine where the leak is coming from...NUFF SAID!!

IT"S NOT rocket science guys...it's just a leak...can only really be a few spots it come can come from right? So do what it takes to find it and then you can fix it!

JM2CW

Al

 

[icanfixall]

Behind the intake manifold there is the CDR valve. It sucks the oil vapor mist from under the valley pan and sends it into the intake manifold. There is a grommet in the valley pan and they do leak after years of use. Thats probably the oil leaks and then it mixes with the fuel leak from the weep hole in the injection pump. Time for a rebuilt pump and check that CDR grommet. Washing the valley pan out probably will send crap into the engine oil so don't wash it till you know the grommet is good sealing. I think your leak is now well determined.