TH400 Pan Gasket-Glue or no Glue?

[72step]

This weekend I'm planning on sealing up some leaks on my TH400 it's having when parked. I purchased the entire gasket kit from this local transmission guy, and he told me not to use any glue, or sealer/permatex whatever you call it. He said it tends to deteriorate the gasket, and if you use silicone it tends to make it leak. What's you all's take? My main concern is sealing the leak. I'm going to take that tranny guy's advice with a grain of salt. He probably figures if it leaks, I'll get discouraged, and end up taking it to him. So are his comments true? He said not to use any on any part of the tranny. I had thought of using some on only the pan gasket. Thanks...

[krue]

I use rubber gaskets on tranny pans and use nothing else on it, I've reused the same gasket several times and have had NO leaks with it. Not too mention I don't have to waste a lot of time cleaning silicone or cork off the the sealing surfaces everytime I pull the pan.

[longhorn70gmc]

Originally Posted by krue

I use rubber gaskets on tranny pans and use nothing else on it, I've reused the same gasket several times and have had NO leaks with it. Not too mention I don't have to waste a lot of time cleaning silicone or cork off the the sealing surfaces everytime I pull the pan.

Krue is right!!!! I also learned this lesson the hard way. I used Rubber with no Silicon and I was good to go.
Respectfully
Billy

[krue]

Originally Posted by longhorn70gmc

Krue is right!!!!

I don't see that very often.

[brak]

as well but willl add...

Do not overtighten or you will get leaks for sure.

[krue]

I usually use a 1/4' ratchet held in the palm of my hand and tighten them snug with it. Any tighter and you'll distort the pan enough to leak.

[Mudder]

Good info. They can be a pain if you don't follow these guys tips.

[Morgsie]

Nothing wrong with cork. Take bearing grease (the green stuff will do, synthetic works better if you can afford it) and apply it to the cork gasket. Also put grease where the gasket sits on the tranny pan. Why do this? Grease slows the cork down from drying out and getting crusty. Also prevents the gasket from moving around during installation. Works really good. I took the oil pan off my 305 recently (little under 2 years since I did it) and it came out in one piece. Never use silicon. Two bolts stripped on my dad's jeep and I had to heli-coil them because some assclown used silicon on the tranny pan. Not to mention I almost warped the pan trying to get it unstuck.

[72step]

Thanks, what about using locktite on the pan bolts, or do these not have a tendency to come loose? Also is there a certain pattern for tightening the bolts?

[WorkinLonghorn]

No sealer.And there's no pattern really because you hopefully won't be tightening enough to distort the pan.
I used to manage a trans shop and we would ALWAYS tell the customer to bring it back in a week or two so we could re-torque the bolts. Otherwise many customers would come back *****ing and moaning about how we did a lousy job and they see a leak! This is with a cork gasket.check them in a week,but DO NOT just cinch them up real tight either the 1st time,or when re-torquing or you will bend the pan and then you might get a leak. We used to routinely pound out the pans(to make the sealing surface flat again) from other people over torquing them.-Brian

[krue]

I don't use locktite, haven't had any problems. As for a torque sequence I always use a star pattern (unless it calls for a specific sequence such as head bolts). Snug all the bolts finger tight (NEVER EVER TIGHTEN A BOLT W/O HAVING THEM ALL STARTED), then start on one corner, go to the opposite corner, then one of the other corners, then it's opposite. Then split the difference between the corners in the same general pattern, do this until they are all tight. Then check them all one last time. This is the way I tighten everything to make sure the gaskets are evenly compressed and everything is good and tight. If you don't check them all one last time I guarantee the first ones you tightened will not be as tight as you thought they were.

[krue]

PS I'm not an auto mechanic, I do most of my wrenching in industrial situations, so that's why I do things the way I do them.