Write-Up: Oil Pan Gasket Replacement and Aluminum Oil Pan

Aluminum oil pan information begins on page 2.

Tools and misc. things you'll need:

1. 5 quarts of your favorite oil/and filter
2. Oil drain pan and oil filter wrench
3. 15mm wrench and some shop rags
4. 1/4 ratchet with suitable extension
5. 3/8 6 point socket for pan bolts,10mm 6 point socket for flywheel dust cover bolts, 8mm 6 point socket for oil pickup tube bolts (if you are removing)
6. 2 cans of brake parts cleaner,1 tube of RTV gasket maker (Black RTV will be fine)
7. Gasket scraper or razor blade if removing oil pick up tube

Step 1

Start by jacking up your car and setting it securely on jack stands. Drain out all oil and remove filter.

step 2

While you are waiting for the pan and filter housing to drip, start removing the 2 10mm bolts from the plastic flywheel dust shield, and then remove it.  Unplug the oil level sensor in the side of the pan.  Tighten the drain plug finger tight into the pan and start removing the pan bolts.  Lower the pan down easily because there is still some oil in the very bottom where the pickup lies.



Step 3

Dump the remaining oil into the drain pan.  Spray the inside of the oil pan with brake cleaner and wipe with rags until it is clean.  Clean the oil and gunk off the pan bolts at this time.

Step 4

Remove the old gasket and throw it away.  It may be stuck on there pretty good. As abbadon mentions, a long 90 degree pick can be used with success. You should be able to remove with out taking the pickup tube loose. Optional:  You can replace the pick up tube gasket at this time if you want.  Remove the 2 8mm bolts on the pickup tube to the block and change the gasket out.  

Step 5

Lay out new gasket flat side down.  Start applying a bead of the gasket maker around the inside of the gasket, then carefully flip over and do the same.  The gasket should rest on the windage tray bottom allowing you to keep the already applied sealer safe from smearing.

Step 6

Spray a rag with some brake cleaner and wipe off any contaminants or oil that remain on the block surface.  Carefully install the new gasket being careful not to smear the sealer and stick it up to the mating surface.  Hold there for a few seconds and it should stay.  Reinstall the pan and finger tighten a few bolts to get the pan to stay into place.  Once you have the pan held up to the block finish installing the rest of the bolts.  Tighten them all down lightly and then starting from the center bolt on each side of the pan snug each bolt from side to side, working your way to each end of the pan.  Final torque is ~10 ft/lbs.



Step 7

Plug your oil level sensor back in and make sure you drain plug is tight.  Re-install the flywheel dust cover and continue to inspect everything.  

Step 8

Install your new oil filter, take car off jack stands and fill the oil to the proper level.  Start the car and let it run for about 5-10 min while checking for leaks.  After about 100 miles, go back under and check the tightness of the pan bolts.  This should fix your leaky oil pan gasket! Good luck and remember to take your time, and make sure your parts are clean when you reinstall them.

I found this spec for the oil pan bolts "Oil Pan Bolt 14 Nm (125 inch lbs.)" Is that around 10 ft/lb?

125 in/lbs. divided by 12 = 10.42 ft/lbs

10 ft/lbs... no wonder these thnigs leak... and making the bolts tighter is not going to help.

if you're lucky you'll be albe to clean those bolts and holes so you can get some Loctitie Blue in there. (the removable loctite)

I bet the reason oil pans start leaking has much to do with temperature changes (heat/cool/heat/cool) and vibration. There must be some interesting real-worled engineering tradeoffs that constrain what materials are used for the oil pan, as well as its location.

Albertj

Does anyone what kind of rtv I should use if any?

Black RTV will be fine.

Thanks for the help!

they sell an oil pan gasket for our oil pans. once to you get the oil pan off you will see what im talking about. you can pick it up from oriley's, thats where i got my brother's from. make sure that you remove the oild sending unit pressure switch before installing the new gasket. you might have to remove the switch before removing the oil pan, i didnt have to.

'96reese wrote:

they sell an oil pan gasket for our oil pans. once to you get the oil pan off you will see what im talking about. you can pick it up from oriley's, thats where i got my brother's from. make sure that you remove the oild sending unit pressure switch before installing the new gasket. you might have to remove the switch before removing the oil pan, i didnt have to.

I already have the oil pan gasket. Thanks for the tips though.

I had my oil pan gasket changed when we had the trans out for rebuilding. I was worried that the rear main seal would need replacing but it was bone dry. I was told that these engines have a one piece seal that can be replaced after the flex plate is removed. My garage floor is now clean with no drips. Greg

98Riv - Did you ever do this. I just picked up a 95 Riv that I suspect is leaking from around the oil pan.

perbe wrote:

98Riv - Did you ever do this. I just picked up a 95 Riv that I suspect is leaking from around the oil pan.

Yeah I changed it a while back. The hardest part was getting the oil pan off the engine. The shop that changed it before had used a lot of black rtv, so it was pretty stuck.

98riv wrote:

Yeah I changed it a while back. The hardest part was getting the oil pan off the engine. The shop that changed it before had used a lot of black rtv, so it was pretty stuck.

Have you had any problems with leaks since replacing the gasket.?
The reason I ask is mine has been replaced twice in past year (by someone other than me) and I still have seeps/leak.

I'm going to do it myself this time and maybe change the whole oil pan with new, just in case this one is warped or something.

Rickw wrote:

98riv wrote:

Yeah I changed it a while back. The hardest part was getting the oil pan off the engine. The shop that changed it before had used a lot of black rtv, so it was pretty stuck.

Have you had any problems with leaks since replacing the gasket.?
The reason I ask is mine has been replaced twice in past year (by someone other than me) and I still have seeps/leak.

I'm going to do it myself this time and maybe change the whole oil pan with new, just in case this one is warped or something.

Yeah I did ( a few drops a day), I went back through and tightened everything again. I also wiped away any of the oil that was there to make sure that it wouldn't drip down. So far it hasn't leaked again (knock on wood). When you take the oil pan off, I would check it to make sure that it isn't warped or anything. I would also check where the gasket and the engine meet incase something was bad there. Clean everything off really well and use plenty of rtv and you should be good. Also make sure you go around and re-torque all of the bolts again incase they loosen up. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Permatex makes a spray sealant that is specifically developed for this type of low pressure leak. It might work...of course you would have to clean the area well first...use brake cleaner.
I can find the product later(working now) I dont think it is sold at parts stores anymore but if you google it you can get it at amazon.com

Bert

Thanks Bert, if you can come up with the Permatex P/N I can get/order some locally.

It says: Spray "n" seal leak repair. Its made by Permatex. Item# 82099.
I looked all over local and ended up ordering two cans on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-82099-Spray-Seal-Repair/dp/B0018PW15I

I first used it on a GN. The front of the oil pan had a slight leak. Cleaned it good with brake cleaner and let it dry well first.

Bert

there is a tsb for replacing the oil pan gasket and the oil pan because they warp. this is for the 95-96. i would replace the pan if it hasn't been done once in its life already. and gm specifically states to not use any kind of sealant on the new gasket whatsoever. just loctite and proper torque specs is all you need. just my two cents. on my lift it took me no more than 10 minutes to do the whole job.

Thanks Tom,
I''m planning on buying a new pan from GM along with a gasket, just because I haven't been able to get the leak stopped after 2 gasket changes.
It only makes sense that the pan is the culprit and I have a 98.
Regardless of what year the TSB was for I would recommend a pan replacement to anyone else who has had the same problem I have.
I've been waiting for some free lift time at a friends shop, should be soon.

from: https://rivperformance.editboard.com/series-ii-engine-transmission-f4/bad-news-looks-like-the-crank-and-bearings-are-next-t5950.htm

BillBoost37 wrote:

deekster_caddy wrote:

they switched to aluminum for the oil pan instead of plastic.

Maybe I read this wrong... laughed a bit though. The stock pan in his year is not plastic, it's steel.

So what did they do, Steel, then Plastic, then Aluminum? And I'm sure you know what years they used which material for the pans. I just know mine is plastic and there are some aluminum ones out there is all.

deekster_caddy wrote:

So what did they do, Steel, then Plastic, then Aluminum? And I'm sure you know what years they used which material for the pans. I just know mine is plastic and there are some aluminum ones out there is all.

I've got a 98 as well and mine is metal. Could have been replaced somewhere along the way, IDK.

My '98 is metal, steel I believe.

hmm, I'll have to look again. I was so sure it was made of plastic.

I've never seen an oil pan made of plastic. The gasket is plastic and the windage tray is part of the plastic gasket. Maybe you were seeing that?

The pan itself has always been steel to my knowledge, up until the 00 Bonnevilles got the aluminum pan and now the S3 GP's have aluminum.

The FSM even with the steel pan says you can use it to jack up on (with a block of wood) to change the belt. Anyone that has that pan is probably with me that it's a poor design to jack on and probably causes the plastic gasket to have leaks.

However the aluminum pan is structural. So much that GM used it for two of the three mount bolt locations in the Bonneville. The L26 GP I pulled the motor from used it entirely IIRC.

I'd like to replace my oil pan as it is physically deformed a bit from someone jacking on it in the past.
What year range is the Aluminum one from and will they fit without issues and do you have to order a gasket made specifically for the Alum. pan?