oil pan gasket

Liviu · Post by **Liviu** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:57 am

when installing a new CORK oil pan gasket is it necessary to use the black silicon( if that's what is called ) or not ?
Thanks

Bob_C · Post by **Bob_C** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 4:03 pm

You want to use at least some sort of gasket sealant to give it a fighting chance. Oil pans are notoriously leaky on these brutes.

OKCM38CDN · Post by **OKCM38CDN** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 6:01 pm

I would use Permatex #2... would help prevent leaks.

Post by **wesk** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:41 pm

I'm a little older than the Silicon crowd. Cork gaskets do a good job without any help as long as the contact surfaces are clean and flat. When working with a stamped steel pan you must insure that each bolt hole inner edge is higher than the strip of metal between it and the adjacent bolt hole. Each time a bolt is tightened down on a stamped steel cover or pan the whole in the cover or pan is depressed further inward towards the gasket. This will eventually cause the bolt to reach max tightness before it has been able to moved that strip of metal tight enough against the gasket. The trick is to place the ball side of a small ballpean hammer tight against the gasket side of the hole in the pan. Then strike the back of the ball pean hammer with a dead blow or similar hammer. This pushes the hole back away from the gasket so when you tighten the bolt it presses the strip of metal between it and the adjacent holes tightly against the gasket. I try to support the edge on each side of each hole with a piece of wood when doing this.

Silicon actually makes the contact surface too slippery and the gasket will very quickly try to ooze out from under the edge of the pan. If you just absolutely have a phobia that cork might not hold it's own then if you must use something use Permatex #2.