Oil Pan Gasket Replacement Outline

[jjsamc]

In case it helps anybody... Here are my step-by-step notes for replacing gasket on leaking oil pan recently. The old gasket was rock-hard.

• Drain oil and remove oil filter. Jack up front of car and place securely on jack stands.
• Remove two 14mm nuts at rubber motor mount located on cross member under car.
• Remove seven 14mm bolts holding cross member (4 bolts in front and 3 bolts at rear).
• Remove 3 nuts at exhaust pipe flange attaching to exhaust manifold.
• Remove bottom two 12mm nuts at the pipe support bracket and use bungee cord to hold the exhaust pipe to the side.
• Remove pipe support bracket (top two 12mm bolts).
• Remove motor mount bracket (three 12mm bolts).
• Remove two 10mm bolts from transmission dust shield. Remove transmission to engine bracket (four 14mm bolts of different lengths) and slide out the dust shield.
• Loosen the two hose clamps on the rubber tube between oil pan and breather chamber box.
• Remove eighteen nuts and bolts from oil pan. (May have to hit the pan with rubber hammer or kick it carefully with your foot to remove it).
• If you want to replace the O-ring on the oil pickup tube, remove the two nuts and one bolt (10mm. Use 6-point socket or they may strip). Pull out the pickup tube and replace O-ring. Install pick up tube and torque to 12Nm.
• Clean away carefully old gasket from the oil pan and engine block gasket surfaces. A 5-in-1 painter’s tool and toothbrush work great for this to get to all the corners.
• Wipe down the oil pan and engine gasket surface with Acetone.
• Put some sealant at four places where the oil pan gasket surface starts to curve down. Place new gasket on oil pan and carefully place the oil pan to the engine and attach with a few nuts finger tight. (Before you try this, you may want to practice a few times moving the pan into position and the best way to hold it and connecting it to the engine).
• Tighten down the eighteen nuts and bolts on the oil pan using the correct tightening sequence (I found it in Haynes manual). Torque to 14Nm or by feel to not over tighten.
• Attach the rubber tube and clamps that goes between oil pan and breather chamber box. (I used some ¾” silicone heater hose to replace the 34 year-old hardened tube).
• Install new oil filter
• Install dust shield (two 10mm bolts).
• Install transmission to engine bracket (four 14mm bolts of different lengths).
• Install bottom motor mount bracket (three 12mm bolts).
• Install exhaust pipe hanging bracket with top two 12mm bolts.
• Connect exhaust pipe to bottom of hanging bracket (2 nuts) and the pipe flange to the exhaust manifold (three nuts).
• Place the rubber mount (two nuts) on the cross member and attach the cross member to the car (seven bolts).
• Remember to screw the oil drain bolt back on and add oil.

[Oldblueaccord]

The new tube for he breather to oil pan is a good idea. Wrestling the old stiff one on makes the oil pan job miserable otherwise.

I use sewing thread to hold the gasket to the pan threw a few bolts holes. Remove the thread as you add in the bolts.

[Sandwich]

Great thread that I used as a step by step for the oil pan.

A few notes from my experience:

My pan was really stuck on, ended up using some gasket remover spray to break down the material as mallet couldn't do it.
You can also shove a screwdriver in the drain hole to yank off. Be warned you will ruin the threads (fine if buying new pan) and also can bend the oil pickup tube.
My oil pickup screen had a fair bit of gunk in it, won't hurt to check and remove this.
I used a new pan from RockAuto, I do NOT recommend the 'ATP' one, had to get an angle grinder (https://www.3geez.com/forum/3geez-accords/148336-mystery-oil-leak-2.html) to make it fit...
My new gasket didn't like to sit on the pan, so I ziptied it to the block through the 4 centre-most threads. With a small dab of hondabond on each corner it sat in place for me to manoeuvre the pan into position, worked well.
I used hondabond on both sides of the gasket.
Watch the driveshaft clip on the CV boot, this scratched a bit of paint off my new pan which I had to replace to prevent future rust.
A new PCV return hose is a good idea, I used 22mm (7/8 in) diameter fuel hose, this was tight but worked. I think 23mm is OE but not a standard size. Make sure it can cope with oil, normal coolant hose will deteriorate over time.
Good idea to buy new nuts & bolts. Use a torque wrench and do not over-tighten, less is more, if it leaks you can always tighten up but if you over tighten you have to re do the job as you'll screw the gasket. There's 18 nuts & bolts, so not too dangerous to be on the under side.
Dont forget to buy new exhaust crush gaskets, and pick out the old ones. I found the best way to remove the 30+ year old original crush gaskets was with a pointed, hard implement (scriber) and a mallet, as there were a few thin layers of gasket still fused on.
A vacuum cleaner easily sucked out debris from the crush gasket that fell into the exhaust pipe, good idea to remove this as I don't imagine its best for the cat.

[Dr_Snooz]

Good points all. Thank you!