Engine Builders-favorite oil pan sealing tips?

[lineslinger]

I thought that was your tool of choice Rick?

Try this stuff, Aviation form a gasket. I have rebuilt 3 british engines using it with zero failure. Its serious stuff, don't get in on you.

[Ant]

I have used Permatex black which seems to be ok, on my aluminium dry sump pan.
I have used Loctite Master Gasket this can go a bit hard. My oil pan has no end rubbers so I made some alloy strips to fit in this reduces the amount of silicone or whatever in those areas. Sounds like you have a problem with one or more surfaces and if the oil pan is a problem try glueing the gasket to that first.
I have also found using slippery uncured gasket compounds on each side of the gasket material can be a recipe for disaster and promote gasket squish!

I would ask a Motorcycle shop as my friend who has the Honda dealership uses special gasket compounds, as they can have issues with farm, race and other old motorcycle oil leaks so with alloy castings being old and thin the need for a real good product. We have just done my 8.8" diff up and we will be using the sealer on that and my Jerico tail housing.

I would be careful with oil pans though because if you use something to much like a glue you will have trouble removing it and the compound needs to be not to brittle otherwise if it comes off possibly cause problems. You might want to do one side of the gasket to oil pan then bolt on to the engine being careful not to have any compound on the engine side, let it dry and then remove and do the other side.........!

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by Rick Parker

Sounds like time for a little manipulation with a Ball Peen Hammer??? Or shorten the studs & use 12pt nuts which are a little shorter.

Absolutely.

Originally Posted by lineslinger

I thought that was your tool of choice Rick?
Try this stuff, Aviation form a gasket. I have rebuilt 3 british engines using it with zero failure. Its serious stuff, don't get in on you.

Three British CAR engines or three British aviation engines??? Either way, you sure are hard on yourself trying to mate two British-engineered surfaces together and then expect no leaks.

[ERA Chas]

El,
Per Barry R's instructions I used the Motorcraft gray diesel silicone the following way:
Make a sandwich of 2 gaskets and the windage tray. (Be sure to flatten tray and pan rail and check on a plate of glass for flatness)
Apply silicone with a credit card as squeegee to one gasket and attach to tray. Lay on glass with weight. I gave it about an hour but less will work. Attach second gasket to other side of tray the same way. Spread the silicone evenly but get a nice coverage so you can just barely see the gasket through it. Weight and wait again.
Now take this assembly, coat the gasket again, attach to pan, invert again on glass and weight the pan. I used a few studs as alignment 'tools' so all the holes line up as it dries.
When dry, coat the last gasket surface and attach the pan/tray assembly to the block trying not to smear the silicone. Having studs to locate the pan helps. Of course, the block surface should be hospital clean and dry. Use acetone or lacquer thinner.
Torque by feel as evenly as you can but don't 'kill' them. They'll take maybe a quarter tun again after you run it and cool it.
This is what worked for me.

[elmariachi]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

El,Per Barry R's instructions I used the Motorcraft gray diesel silicone the following way

I used the Motorcraft gray and I used Rick's High-Tack to glue the two gaskets to the windage tray. I feel like its right now, and I hereby dare it to leak. I dared lightning to strike me a few years ago and that hadn't happened, so...................

I've run it a couple hours pretty hard tonight and so far so good. Now I am going to drink a bunch of beer and forget about it.

[ERA Chas]

Great news, your garage floor will love you. Just check the nuts for snug in a while.
Remember, beer adds weight-you'll need more HP...

[Eljaro]

I do stick bothe gaskets with black RTV sealant on both sides of the windage tray, and cover the surfaces on block and oilpan with heavy grease. Work very well and you can remove the oilpan without having to get all the hardened sealant off every time. An old mechanics tip which helped me a lot.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by Eljaro

I do stick bothe gaskets with black RTV sealant on both sides of the windage tray, and cover the surfaces on block and oilpan with heavy grease. Work very well and you can remove the oilpan without having to get all the hardened sealant off every time. An old mechanics tip which helped me a lot.

Thank you. I use the grease method on the valve covers and it works very well.
Been afraid to use it on the pan. You have no leaks?

I just got it sealed using the diesel silicone and it works very well so far.

[lovehamr]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Just check the nuts for snug in a while.

Like a pro baseball player?

[Eljaro]

no leaks around oil pan with the grease!

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by lovehamr

Like a pro baseball player?

I was thinking more like a handyman in a womens prison...

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by Eljaro

no leaks around oil pan with the grease!

Thank you my friend from the beautiful country!

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Careful cleaning of the windage tray and Canton pan has revealed that their mating surfaces had waves and warps and were not totally flat. The rear corners were actually bent away from the block pan rail. After cleaning the gasket residue, I spent time with a persuader getting the surfaces flat. The flange on the pan was difficult but now lays perfectly flat on the work table.

So I am going to change my street/strip canton pan to a RR canton pan. The flange is not level and mostly slants down and away from the pan. By "persauder", did you just pound it into place with a hammer and a piece of wood or is there a better way?

Also, I am going to install the canton windage tray this time, which needs to have a hole cut for the pickup. Anything I need to be concerned about when I am cutting the windage tray?

Thanks!

[ERA Chas]

Basically yes but you need to have a perfectly flat surface to check your progress. Before you start, lay it on that surface and mark the areas that are not touching. Be patient, and use either a strong light or feeler gauge to check the gap or flatness as you go.

I'd make a cardboard template(s) of the tray and place it in the crankcase opening and keep trimming the pickup location. Allow for the curvature where it bends around the crank and be sure to locate the template to a few perimeter holes so you put it back correctly each time you check. Then cut the steel tray to match your template.

[dcdoug]

Thanks, that's helpful.

Of course it would also have been helpful if Canton could manage to get the pan straight in the first place...

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by dcdoug

Thanks, that's helpful.

Of course it would also have been helpful if Canton could manage to get the pan straight in the first place...

Virtually none of them do unless you buy a billet pan from Stefs, Milodon or Jeff Johnson.

[dcdoug]

What I'd really like to have is an Aviad pan, but I can't live with a solution that requires me to pull the engine to get the pan off, which is my understanding on the CSX cars.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by dcdoug

What I'd really like to have is an Aviad pan, but I can't live with a solution that requires me to pull the engine to get the pan off, which is my understanding on the CSX cars.

Not sure but that may have a fluted, stamped rail too. I know Armando's does.