MAC Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 I purchased an oil pan gasket to replace the leaking gasket without removing the engine. The gasket is made of soft rubber that expands once it comes in contact with oil. As long as I can drop the oil pan a couple of inches I should be able to insert the new gasket in the oil pan groove two-thirds of the way around. From what I saw when I attempted to repair the leaking several weeks ago, it looks like the pan will drop 2 inches. The problem is that the left end of the pan is recessed around the transaxle so I may have to maneuver the gasket into the groove or close enough so when I torque the pan it will seat. At this point, I'm willing to give it a shot. I know a service station that may be willing to rent a lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve6 Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Have you considered how you are going to clean up the old gasket that is there? Might be pointless if you cant get it good and clean. Seems pretty tight to do the job proper. Also keep in mind if its one piece, you have to get UNDER the oil pump to get it all the way around..... (just my 3 cents) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Great points. I sure wish it were easier to change these pan gaskets. I'd like to change mine (I have a drip-a-night leak that I believe is the pan gasket), but it's just so dadgum tight in there. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franey Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I WOULD be interested to hear how you got the bolts out you cant even see due to the tansmission and transaxle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Great points. I sure wish it were easier to change these pan gaskets. I'd like to change mine (I have a drip-a-night leak that I believe is the pan gasket), but it's just so dadgum tight in there. Could be old plug gasket too. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Could be old plug gasket too. You mean the oil drain bolt? It could be, but I did specifically replace that about a year ago in case that was the problem. I bought a bran' new one from the dealer, with the rubber seal. The new bolts are magnetic-tipped also. No, I know the leak is coming from above. Mostly on the rear side of the oil pan, there are a few oil pan bolts that are saturated with oil. I've gone through and cinched them all down, but they were all tight. Must be either the oil pan seal or something above it. It's not really a problem, just an embarassing nuisance sometimes. You know which is "my" parking spot at work. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted December 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Have you considered how you are going to clean up the old gasket that is there? Might be pointless if you cant get it good and clean. Seems pretty tight to do the job proper. Also keep in mind if its one piece, you have to get UNDER the oil pump to get it all the way around..... (just my 3 cents) Yes, it is going to be tight. I would have to cut the gasket in a strategic location since the oil pipe will be in the way. As far as bolts, all are visible; however, three of them (which are located at the left rear of the pan) are difficult to reach due to limited space between the pan and transaxle. One is a 13mm bolt that appears to be both an exhaust pipe flange support bolt and oil pan bolt together, while the other two are 10mm oil pan bolts. Obviously, before I can attempt anything I must make sure I can first remove these bolts. As far as cleaning the surfaces, I will use brake cleaner which does a good job of removing grease/oil and dries quickly. I WOULD be interested to hear how you got the bolts out you cant even see due to the tansmission and transaxle In Lowes I saw a ratchet made by Robi that has a flexible extension. It looks to be thin enough to fit between the pan and transaxle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Also keep in mind if its one piece, you have to get UNDER the oil pump to get it all the way around..... (just my 3 cents) You might be able to cut the gasket so that you don't have to get it under the oil pump. Then once you get the gasket around the pan, use some super glue to join gasket together again. I would cut the gasket at a location that would be easy to glue together once the gasket is in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I think cutting the new gasket to get it installed will result in a leak - possibly worse than the existing leak... You might be successful patching i with a suitable grade of RTV but who knows if it would hold. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 "In Lowes I saw a ratchet made by Robi that has a flexible extension. It looks to be thin enough to fit between the pan and transaxle." Try the 1/4" ratchet and long extension we talked about earlier if the flexible 3/8" ext doesn't work. I have a Snap-On that's pretty skinny, I imagine Craftsman makes one as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 I think cutting the new gasket to get it installed will result in a leak - possibly worse than the existing leak... You might be successful patching i with a suitable grade of RTV but who knows if it would hold. I've made custom size o-rings myself joining with super glue and have had excellent results. When you cut the rubber gasket, you need a sharp razor blade to make a very clean cut. Another trick is to cut the gasket at a 45 degree angle to give more glue surface area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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