Oil leak

[Mrturner1]

Hello guys, I just installed a new oil pan gasket after I overfilled the engine with 30 weight and blew some out of the crank seal and valve cover. While installing a new cam I broke the oil pan gasket by prying the pan down to try and slide the one peice timing cover back in....PITA. Long story short, I got a new permadry pan gasket and after installing it, there's a small leak in the back of the engine. It never leaked from here before the new gasket went on, any ideas?

[Rickysnickers]

Could be a rear main seal, or a valve cover gasket. Did you replace the VC gaskets? Do you have an auto or manual trans? I have an auto and there's an inspection cover over the bottom part of the trans. There's a hole (it's supposed to be there) in that cover. There's oil that leaks out of it. So, if you have a similar setup to mine, check your inspection cover and see if there's oil coming from it.

[snipescastle2]

Felpro makes a one piece oil pan gasket that has stiffener's imbedded in the rails to prevent the gasket from bulging out from over torque. (Not saying that's what has happened here) but this would help prevent any leaks from the mating edges of those multi part gaskets. I still put a dab of RTV in each of the four corners of the pan before I torqued it down, and so far no leaks to speak of.
Did you by chance clean the corners out with brake cleaner or other solvent before installing the new gasket? If not, could have left a path for oil to seep out.
Just an idea.....HTH,
Ben

[Mrturner1]

This started only after I changed the gasket to a FelPro one peice, so I'm wondering if I didn't clean it good enough

[Rickysnickers]

Could be. I have the same oil pan gasket as you are using and I have no leaks from that gasket.

[leftybass209]

Leaks are usually caused by the last thing you replaced. In this case, your pan gasket.

The Felpro 1 piece is a great gasket, stopped some leaks I had. However, there are thick, and thin front and rear gaskets, and Felpro has a 1 piece gasket for both of them, are you sure you put the right one on?

[snipescastle2]

I guess I'm old school and have always put a dab of RTV next to the main cap and pan area,as well as around the timing cover to pan rail area. Maybe over kill, but always worked for me.
Ben

[Mrturner1]

It's the right gasket, I think it because I didn't clean the rear crank journal or whatever it is that the oil pan gasket arches over in the back.

[Mrturner1]

Okay so I got under it and took the larger pan bolt out, then I switched to a smaller socket and went for the first smaller bolt in the corner where it's leaking and it wasn't tight at all. If all other bolts were tight could this still have caused my leak? Or should I drop the pan, clean, and install again?

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

snap, I just posted a thread on topic. Think I'll delete it add it here, though yours sounds more like an install issue or just a bad gasket.

If memory serves me, not long after the rebuild in 1993 I developed a leak. Don't know much about blocks, but it's likely the rear main. I've used Durablend 10/40 & 20/50 for as long as I remember, and really, my engine was real happy with it. Especially the 20/50.

By advise of some board members I now use Mobile 1 5/30......Leaks have reduced to near nothing. Anyway, I've read of oil issues like this. Case in point.


EDIT: Reading your last post, just tighten everything up even, I don't imagine a lot of torque, but I haven't replaced a pan in decades. Slowly tighten it down, and cross patterns like the heads on my Pearls (HA!). If it doesn't leak then I believe you're good to go. If it does lesson learned and you do it all over again.

[dazza]

Any luck mrturner? Just curious. Like I mentioned in your other post, I just finished mine... except I still have a leak! Must be the rear main but at least I know exactly what I need to do to get that pan dropped... pull the crossmember.
Did you replace the rear main seal when you had it open?

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by dazza

Any luck mrturner? Just curious. Like I mentioned in your other post, I just finished mine... except I still have a leak! Must be the rear main but at least I know exactly what I need to do to get that pan dropped... pull the crossmember.
Did you replace the rear main seal when you had it open?

I tightened up that pan bolt that was just hand tight and then let the truck idle for about 10 minutes but I haven't got to take it out driving yet, I'm at a dealership trying not to get bent over on a Tacoma for my wife. I'll drive it later this evening and have pics and an update for ya!

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by dazza

Any luck mrturner? Just curious. Like I mentioned in your other post, I just finished mine... except I still have a leak! Must be the rear main but at least I know exactly what I need to do to get that pan dropped... pull the crossmember.
Did you replace the rear main seal when you had it open?

Hey there Dazza,

I took the truck for a drive after tightening that pan bolt down and gave it a good 30 minutes of cruising with an occasional WOT run through all 3 gears (so fun with the new parts and exhaust lol) and I crawled under after the motor cooled a little and it was bone dry man. It looks like that bolt being loose was the problem. Where did you say yours was leaking? And when did you change the gasket. I don't know if I already said this but I use a one-peice FelPro pan gasket. It's pretty thick, blue in color and has new pan bolts included. Much better than paper or cardboard gaskets if you ask me.

By the way, I didn't drop my crossmember when I changed the pan gasket, I didn't even unbolt the motor mounts I just dropped the pan down a few inches and let if rest on the crossmember, slid the gasket in from the driver side over to the passenger side, put a dab or red RTV in each of the four corners (as per your instructions when I first rebuilt this thing a year or so ago lol) and bolted the pan back up.

[dazza]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

I'm at a dealership trying not to get bent over on a Tacoma for my wife.

ahhhh, so that's where you get all the time to work on your truck! lol Get bent over for the wife! haha Solutions. I love 'em!

On the leak note... all said and done, I roll mine to SF and back, check it the next morning and have a drip on dust cover. Now I don't consider it a leak unless it's made it to the garage floor but went ahead and checked pan bolts. Bigger end bolts were snugged good, although ALL the smaller ones need some good tightening! Put a few miles on it yesterday and all looks good. Wait, not all...

The damn timing chain cover seal is leaking again! The strange thing is, I've got fresh oil in there and what is leaking is almost black. I'm thinking maybe it's just excess grease that was used to lube the crank during install, although I didn't use much.

damnit... that one is a pita to swap, just takes time really. The good part is, I don't currently have a wife or gf so I don't need to see my neighborhood car dealer!!