Replacing oilpan gasket

[taikaki]

Hi

Hi I am thinking to replace oilpan gasket.

Can I just slide in to under engine and replace gasket ?

or do I need to lift up engine little bit ?

Thanks

[clayton 260z]

You will need to lift the motor slightly.

Best thing for no leaks, get good gasket put small bead of gasket silicone on both sides of gasket tighten slightly let set overnight and then torque to spec.

Worked great for me.

[beandip]

Just be careful not to over tighten the bolts. If you deform the thin lip of the pan you will have a leak. This is a common mistake. Also DO NOT disturb the inside of the engine. You may have a compulsion to wipe things down. Not a good idea because you could dislodge stuff that can damage bearings and or clog oil passages. I would thoroughly clean the pan while you have it off thou. If you use gasket silicone be sure to make it a vary thin coating. The stuff tends to squeeze out to the sides and if it comes loose inside the engine can cause major trouble. Gary:rambo:

[Nissanman]

Do you have a weepy gasket now?

If so, have you tried re-tightening all the fasteners to fix it?

It may just be enough to repair the leak.

Have a close look at the edge of the sump gasket and do a judgement as to whether it would stand a bit more compression.

If you do decide to drop the sump and replace it, make sure you drain the engine oil first:finger:

An alternative to raising the engine is dropping the x-member.

Then you just need to support the engine at its' normal height with a skyhook and it won't stretch any of the life support systems.

Loosen the x-member to body mounts and you can lower the whole front end on a trolley jack.

Steering linkage and engine mounts will need to be disconnected.

Just a thought:)

[d240zx2]

Taikaki, I didn't have to elevate the engine in my '70 at all. It was tight, no question, but the gasket swap went pretty smoothly. Please adhere to other suggestions here about wiping down and cleaning out the pan, sealer, etc.

Regards,

[MikeW]

Taikaki, I didn't have to elevate the engine in my '70 at all. It was tight, no question, but the gasket swap went pretty smoothly.

I'm glad to hear you say that. I know for a fact that I replaced my oil pan gasket once without having to move the engine. I questioned that requirement once before but didn't get a confirmation.

[240ZMan]

I would suggest you get a Felpro gasket. It's rubber impregnated cork vs. just plain cork. Also easy to get from any of the major parts houses.

Also, while you have the pan off, make sure the gasket surfaces are all still flat. If there is a high or low spot it's going to be hard to avoid a leak.

Lastly, when you torque the bolts, go easy! IIRC, the torque spec is less than 10 ft-lbs. It's really easy to exceed that which distorts the gasket. It's tempting to tighten it a lot, because tighter always means a better seal, right ? :stupid: