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I got under the car and really started looking around. I pulled the lower torque converter cover and it was dry in there. I think it would be a mess in there with oil being slung all over the place. I think the oil that was coming out the weep hole in the cover seeped in from either the oil pan gasket or valve cover gaskets. It didn't seem there was enough oil on the block running down to create the slick under the car but there must have been. I'm in the process of installing new valve cover and engine oil pan gaskets. Here are some pictures of what I saw under there. I'm so glad I don't have to mess with the rear main seal. I did find a "sneaky pete" on ebay for $25.00 in case I needed to replace the rear main seal. Thanks everybody for your input. Brian

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That has the Olds oil pump conversion.

Begin oil pan bolt installation tightening with the corner bolts (nearest the main caps) of oil pan FIRST. Not real tite but start with the corners first. Then tighten toward the centre alternating from side to side. Tighten all bolts a little bit at a time. Not all at once. But keep the tightening precedure/sequence STARTING with the CORNER bolts.

Also make sure previous overtightening hasn't distorted and raised the area around the holes so the gasket can't seal well between them. That's been a frequent cause of subtle leaks on Packard engine and trans pans.

Keith, I respectively disagree with your oil pan bolt tightening sequence. I have always started at the middle and worked out. Is this incorrect? Please enlighten. Thanks.

(o[]o)

ok. u forced me to dig out the SM. See p 20 upper left corner of engine section. BTW, tightening corner bolts of SHEET METAL stampings is common practice regardless of make model or year. Sheet meatl stampings are not precision parts like milled or machined castings or carved billets of metal. SO rigid corners tend to control the rest of the seating of the stamping.

Same applies to valve covers, valley covers etc. I'll leave it up to anyone else to see if the manual indicates corner tightening for valve covers and valley covers etc.

Keith, thanks. I've always worked from the center out on oil pans, and have been doing it incorrectly all these years. It's all about getting accurate information posted here.

(o[]o)

Thanks for the advice about the tightening sequence of the oil pan bolts. I too have been doing it wrong all these years.
I was getting ready to install the oil pan today and had to stop to get some instruction/advice. The oil pan gasket is in 4 parts, 2 paper sides and 2 cork ends that fit in channels at each end of the block. The paper gaskets have tabs that fit into the channels the cork goes in. Is the installation sequence to first stick the side gaskets to the block with the tabs in the channels then install the cork ends flush against the paper? Or, should the cork ends be flush against the block and I trim off the tabs on the paper side gaskets? Also, would you recommend putting a thin layer of RTV gasket maker on both sides of all the gaskets?

QUote:
"Is the installation sequence to first stick the side gaskets to the block with the tabs in the channels then install the cork ends flush against the paper? "

Apparently no. See upper left corner of page 20 of the engine section of service manual.

For reasons i won;t go into at this point i followed the SM recommendation to tie the side gaskets to the oil pan. But i used RTV sealer (JUDICOUSLY APPLIED) between the pan and the gasket. Permatexed (gasket cement) smeared on the SIDE bare cast iron block surface. RTV on the curved end main cap strips.

THe RTV acts as a release agent should the pan ever need to be removed ata later date. The gasket cement keeps the gaskets in place on the block. I've reused the same gasket on mine at least a dozen to 2 dozen times over the last 8 to 10 years. Doesn't leak a drop.

HOWEVER, u mention "paper" side gaskets. Are they not cork???

Apon closer inspection, the side gaskets are cork, just not the natural cork color like the end pieces thats why I assumed they weren't cork. I should know better than to assume (ass-u-me) anything. I read the SM pg 20 about installing the pan but it doesn't mention anything about the tabs on the side gaskets. I think I will just trim off the tabs on the side gaskets so they fit flush against the end pieces. I will also go get some gasket cement for the block side and RTV for the pan side.

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