oil pan gasket

[sdelage]

i have a 1977 280z,and i have had the nissan dealership here in tucson az change the rear main seal (the seal do not leak any more) but the oil pan gasket since then has not stop leaking. Now they told me that the reason is that there was two oil pan support bracket missing wich i have now purshaced from one of the member,there are willing to redo the job and this time use the support for the pan but they are telling me that it is going to be better not to use a oil pan gasket this time and just use silicone.Should i agree on that and if one of the member as used silicone instead of the gasket what was the result.thank you for helping me

Regards

serge

[sblake01]

I've always used an oil pan gasket......

[sdelage]

Thank you for your response,so gasket with silicone or just gasket?? how about a Fel Pro gasket a litle bit thicker those two support bracket are a must to use i think they are #35 and #36 on the parts manual ??.thanks for responding

serge

[Pomorza]

I did my oil pan gasket a few months back when I did the front cover. I used a gasket and some ultra copper silicon just for good measure. I don't know what the heck those guys are talking about. If the gasket is there and the pan is torqued down correctly it should not leak period. What dealership did you go to?

Jan

[sblake01]

I'm sure everyone has their way of doing it but I put Permatex Hi Tack on the pan side of the gasket. Then I'd tighten the bolts, starting with the center two and then criss cross tightening them to about 8 ft. lbs. Always worked for me. I aways used Fel Pro gaskets for everything except the head gasket.

[Zed Head]

I would get a second opinion from another shop. They don't seem very competent.

A gasket plus silicone would be better than no gasket, just silicone. Their recommendation doesn't make sense.

Plus they should have seen the deformation when they put the pan back on and suggested something then. They let you drive away with a deformed lip on the oil pan, that anyone with experience would know would probably leak. And, as a dealer, they should have easy access to any drawings showing the missing parts. They should fix it the right way, for free, but based on what you've said, that seems unlikely.

Edit - I just saw your post over on Hybridz and the responses. Apparently Nissan has their own silicone gasket material that works well. Maybe that's what you dealer is suggesting, and maybe it will work. They still should have got it right the first time. Oil pan sealing is pretty basic stuff for a professional shop.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Zed Head

[olzed]

I would be cautious using silicone where it has to be applied thick to effect a seal, as on an out of true oil pan. It can extrude in to the motor, and there is the risk of it getting sucked into the oil galleries.

I had this on a Massey Ferguson tractor engine a few years back.

Use a gasket.

Brian.

[sdelage]

Thank you to all of you for your response Monday is the day i am taking the car to the dealer,will keep you posted.

regards

serge