Oil Pan Gasket problems

[byates2]

So i have a 383 that im kind of restoring. By kind of i mean i'm replacing the gaskets and painting it so it looks pretty again. The engine is almost new so there's no problem there.

My dad told me that chevy has a bad rep with their oil pan gaskets and if you dont do it the exact right way you're gonna get a leak down the road much faster then you want.

I bought the best gasket i could find (its a blue rubber type one) I also bought gasket maker to apply to both sides of the gasket in order to insure an airtight fit but the gasket didnt stick onto the pan with the gasket sealer. so im wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to how to go about this the best way possible?

[RW71]

Is it a one piece gasket?

[into69z]

I put one of those expensive blue one piece pan gaskets and it leaks like the exxon valdez!......can't wait to spend more money on the old cork gasket and try again...

[67ss&99ss]

I have a blue one piece felpro on my truck and I don't have any leaks. I installed it with the engine out of the truck. I cleaned the block well, wiped the pan rails down with acetone, let it dry, put red silicone in both corners of the timing cover and the corners of the rear main seal area, dropped the pan gasket on, then the pan and I made a few passes when tightening the bolts. I found out you have to tighten these gaskets down a good bit. They have steel o-rings in them where the bolt goes through, so they are impossible to over-tighten. A few days after you first put it on, recheck the bolts to make sure they are tight, and thats it.

[Jacfourteen]

I have one of the one piece gaskets on mine too. It worked great but I forgot the 350 that I have is out of a 78 so it takes the thick front gasket and I bought the thin style. So it leaks around the timing cover, but that's not its fault its mine! I bought another but haven't had time to put it on. Don't use any sealant except for small dabs at the corners of the timing cover and rear main otherwise you won't be able to reuse it next time.

[jim zag]

I have discovered why so many Small Blocks leak in the front where the pan and timing cover meet. The new timing covers have the pan seal piece spot welded on with only a few spot welds. The oil coming out of the front main bearing goes in between the spot welds and leaks out in front of the pan gasket. Look at your timing cover. I took a flashlight and I could see light in between the pieces. The original GM covers had one long weld. I am now soldering this area before installing any covers. Make sure the front pan seal is a snug fit in the cover. Most aftermarket covers do not hold the front rubber seal tight. Use a pair of pliers to squeeze it together. Most of the aftermarket stuff from Taiwan or China does not fit well!

[cdowns]

the felpro one piece gaskets r great

the main problems are the oilpan bolt holes if they've been overtightened they get dimpled and cause leaks check the mating surface with a straight edge

also cheapo chrome pans leak good

[67ss&99ss]

Originally Posted by jim zag

I have discovered why so many Small Blocks leak in the front where the pan and timing cover meet. The new timing covers have the pan seal piece spot welded on with only a few spot welds. The oil coming out of the front main bearing goes in between the spot welds and leaks out in front of the pan gasket. Look at your timing cover. I took a flashlight and I could see light in between the pieces. The original GM covers had one long weld. I am now soldering this area before installing any covers. Make sure the front pan seal is a snug fit in the cover. Most aftermarket covers do not hold the front rubber seal tight. Use a pair of pliers to squeeze it together. Most of the aftermarket stuff from Taiwan or China does not fit well!

Agreed! I bought a trans dapt timing cover for my 406 when I had it built and it was a piece of sh*t! Within 50 miles of me putting the engine in, it blew the seal out of the front of the timing cover and it had oil everywhere! I will never use a cheap store bought timing cover again. Whenever I go to swap meets I always pick up a few original gm covers so that I will have plenty on hand for future rebuilds.

[big_al_71]

I bought a brand new oil pan and used a felpro one piece gasket when I built my engine and so far so good zero leaks...it may be worth to just put a brand new oil pan if yours is old.

[67ss&99ss]

Originally Posted by big_al_71

I bought a brand new oil pan and used a felpro one piece gasket when I built my engine and so far so good zero leaks...it may be worth to just put a brand new oil pan if yours is old.

If you get a new pan, be sure to get a GM pan, or quality aftermarket pan, like moroso. I bought new "cheap" pan from a super chevy swap meet and the builder couldn't use it because it didn't have any baffling inside it that prevented the oil from going to the front of the pan.

[junkyardjohn]

Those one piece fel-pro pan gaskets are fantastic. I've used them quite a few times & never had a failure. (knock on wood)