oil pan gasket comparison

Posted by Bob E. On 2019/12/7 18:33:41
I dropped my oil pan to try to stop leaks I have at front and at back. (plus checking on journal bearing wear, more on that in a later post). Looks like it leaks (front and back) where the cork end strips meet with the flat side gaskets. Tried some black RTV during assembly at those locations, but get persistent drip.

Thought I would need to replace the gasket so ordered 2 new ones. For my future reference (and maybe it helps someone else), here is a comparison of three oil pan gaskets.

I had 1 from when I ordered a complete engine gasket kit from Max a couple of years ago. It is really thin and seemed too thin so I just ordered another one. You can see the part number of the new, thicker one ends in "s".

I also ordered a Best 24040 gasket from another vendor. It is the compressed, fiber paper variety as compared to the cork type from Max. Here is a picture of the 3 stacked up for comparison. The newest Max one is the thickest (on top), old Max one in the middle, and Best on the bottom (gray)

When I installed the existing gasket, I used Permatex High tack gasket sealant on the block side and nothing on the pan side. The pan came off easily and the gaskets (2 sides, and front and back thick cork) stayed in place on the block.
There is no evidence of any oil leaking on the side gaskets, just where the side gasket & tabs meet the end pieces (and remnants of black RTV). I'm thinking of just leaving the gaskets in place, cleaning out the old RTV, and adding a few more dabs at the corners (and re-checking the pan bolt hole areas for any deformation).

That's about what I did last time and it didn't work great so I don't know why I think I will get a different outcome this time. But it seems like that should work maybe I let the RTV dry too long before assembly. I've looked through many posts on this site and there is variation as to what to do with those side tabs etc.

Hoping I'll get a better result this time since the cork is already in place. I'm planning on adding RTV dabs at the 4 corners, getting the pan bolts just barely snug, letting RTV set for a tad, then torquing to spec.

we will see...

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