oil pan gasket

[bbqsauce]

I searched and searched and found no answers, Please Help! 1991 Ford Festiva GL, 2 dr, 3spd auto. I recently replaced my oil pan gasket and for the first 2 days no leaks, now I've got leaks again on the front and back seals! Since the pan itself has no grooves to center the gasket I had to use a bunch of gasket seal to hold the gasket to the block in order to make sure it at least came close to going in the correct area. Are there any other secrets to getting this done right the first time. I have already tightened the bolts as far as they would go w/o stripping them. Any suggestions would be apprecitted. Thank you all!!

[nattyphysicist]

Hi,

When I did mine, I had the same problems. In the end, I'm pretty sure I just got lucky. The gasket tack stuff that I bought didn't really hold the gasket very well.

Since it sound like you're going to redo the job, I would suggest cleaning everything thoroughly. Wipe the mating surfaces and then wipe them with a solvent to degrease them. Wash your gasket with dish soap and dry it. Basically, make sure you get back to your original starting point.

Then use RTV black sealant to glue your gasket to the pan. That stuff is thick enough to hold the gasket in place and it will adhere well as long as everything is dry. Bolt it up and wait a bit before you add oil and run the engine. Follow the direction on the RTV package.

The reason I'm suggesting using this RTV sealant, is that's what you get when you order an oil pan gasket for a BP motor. You get the thicker end pieces in rubber and two tubes of RTV.

[Dave G]

Re: oil pan gasket

I have already tightened the bolts as far as they would go w/o stripping them.

That's probably part of the problem. Oil pan bolts should not be tightened very much - otherwise you'll distort the sealing surface. When you take the thing back off, examine the rim and if it's squashed in at the bolt holes, carefully hammer it back flat again (with block of wood backing it up).

[DontFearTheReaper]

Torque specs for the oil pan bolts is like 98 inch pounds. I did mine to 8 foot pounds (did not have inch pound torque wrench.)

ALSO you need to put a heavy bead of silicone at all four "cracks" where the oil pump is and the rear seal.

[bbqsauce]

extra bracket?

When I pulled the pan I had 4 extra pcs of metal that are used to enforce/distribute the pressure more evenly along the side of the pan. This got me to thinking that if I made a set to fit the front and rear of the pan but made them just a micro shorter? than the pan then the bolts woould pull that bracket up against the pan and hopefully push the seal up even tighter to the motor. I would rather not pull the whole pan again so I'm going to try this first. I'll let everyone know the results and if it works I'll post the specs of the brackets I make.

Thanks for all the help Guys. Festivas run Forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mattswabb]

Did you use sealant? The shop manual shows where to apply the RTV. No need fabricate reinforcement pieces. The pans don't leak when the job is done properly.

[bbqsauce]

No manual

All I have is a haynes and it is not a good source of info. Wher might I find a good manual, I don't care what shape it is in.

[mattswabb]

Look on ebay for a shop manual.

Apply the sealant on each side of the front and rear main in the corners where the gasket would have a hard time sealing. Also there is a seam on each side on the gasket surface near the front of the block where the oil pump and block join. Apply sealant there.

[bbqsauce]

new problem due to old one.

Ok, I've got all my materials to redo the gasket but due to the oil leakage, my passenger side swaybar bushing that is part of the lower control arm now slides about 2 inches up and down the swaybar. Do I replace just the bushing or the whole arm itself. If I do one I'll do both. And how much of work am I looking at, I'd like to get it done by monday.

[DontFearTheReaper]

Hey BBQ if your rubber bushings are sliding up your sway bar you have other problems also. Your sway bar is suppose to have a big washer type plate fixed to the sway bar that holds your bushings in. If the plate is missing you have nothing to keep the bushing in place. Replacing the bushings does require you to loosen the lower control arm off of the chassie or taking the sway bar loose from the chassie.

As far as replacing the bushings verses replacing the whole control arm would depend on if your ball joint is still tight. If tight just the bushing, if loose the control arm with ball joint. Good luck...

[bbqsauce]

3rd time

I hope this one is the charm. Replaced both sway bar bushings and it solved that. I've got the black rtv and all surfaces are clean, back under my Festy I go!
Thanks for all the assist, Guys!!!!!