I want to cry...

[VTEC_Inside]

I changed my oil pan using a new OEM gasket this week.

Needless to say it was a fairly simple arguous process. The most annoying part was getting the gasket to stay put.

I noticed there was still oil leaking from the car today. Slid underneath to see that the gasket had split and was busting out in two spots on the back side.

Needless to say, Im a tad heartbroken considering the amount of work involved in changing the f'in thing. Oh and the fact that the new OEM gasket was $50CAD.

I just dug up and cleaned up the old gasket. I'm going to go gangbusters on it tommorow and do it again. Replacing the oil is getting annoying too since I don't have anything really clean to dump it into.

[ZackieDarko]

I don't know if you can do this on an oil pan but I see people using that liquid gasket stuff all the time on the car tv shows like over haulen and such. They use it on the intake mani's and stuff seems to work great. Maybe it could work for that too?

[AccordEpicenter]

not on the oil pan. My guess is that you didnt tighten it down correctly, thats why the gasket is fubar. Ive done it before too. What you need to do is tighten it from the middle and work your way to each end, tightening each side.

[VTEC_Inside]

Well the old gasket appears to be fine. It is a pretty thick rubber piece.

I will of course lay a thin layer of RTV on it again as well. The difference will be that this time I will silicone it to the block first to ensure that it is where it belongs when I put the pan on.

When I first did it, I put it on the pan and tried to lift it all as one, but it kept getting pulled off on the baffle as I rotated the pan to clear the drive shaft.

I forgot about the exhaust gasket, but I'm pretty sure I can reuse the new one I just put on there.

The ONLY bright side in this is that having done it once, it will go much quicker this time.

[89AccordLX2dr]

Dude, when you try again, use gasket maker (blue stuff) on both sides of the gasket, then you can stick it up to the block without it flopping down while you raise the pan, plus it guarantees no leaks! And don't overtighten the bolts and nuts, or it'll morph out the sides like what happened the first time. I think it's like 10 ft lbs! AND if you do use the gasket maker, don't start the car for atleast 2 or 3 hours or it will get sucked into the oil passages and block them up. :D

[VTEC_Inside]

not on the oil pan. My guess is that you didnt tighten it down correctly, thats why the gasket is fubar. Ive done it before too. What you need to do is tighten it from the middle and work your way to each end, tightening each side.

That was my guess. I figured I screwed up somewhere.

I will do as you suggested starting from the middle tommorow. Should I torque the middle and move outwards, or get them all lightly snug and then do it?

[VTEC_Inside]

Dude, when you try again, use gasket maker (blue stuff) on both sides of the gasket, then you can stick it up to the block without it flopping down while you raise the pan, plus it guarantees no leaks! And don't overtighten the bolts and nuts, or it'll morph out the sides like what happened the first time. I think it's like 10 ft lbs! AND if you do use the gasket maker, don't start the car for atleast 2 or 3 hours or it will get sucked into the oil passages and block them up. :D

I've got copper high temp RTV sealant intended for just such use. I wasn't going to coat the entire block side of the gasket, but I guess it can't hurt.

Any suggestions as to how much I should use where the service manual actually tells you to use it (ie the corners on the pan side).?

I did use a torque wrench and stopped at 7lb/ft. I don't think torque was my problem. I believe I f'd the gasket up at some point by dragging it against the baffle and/or torquing out of sequence.

In any event I will be much more careful tommorow. When I finished last time I was extremely aggrivated and I had smashed my left hand up pretty good.

[88Accord-DX]

Don't tighten the oil pan bolts up to torque value at first. Snug them up evenly with slight snug. Then go from corner to corner back & forth in criss-cross pattern from middle to outside, outside to middle. Back & forth.

[89AccordLX2dr]

When I did mine a few years ago, I coated the entire gasket with it, basically dampening the gasket with a thin coat using my hands (wearing latex gloves). I tried to keep the inside of the gasket pretty clean so not too much is forced inward when the pan is tightened -as in the part that will actually be inside the engine-the inner oval I guess you could say. Then gobbed it up to the block aligning it best as possible, then quickly get the pan up before the gasket starts falling down, lightly pushing up making sure the gasket looks good and isin't bunched up anywhere.

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

The second time I installed my oil pan gasket, I tied the gasket to the oil pan through the bolt holes. Once its in position, simply thread on the nuts to hold the pan up and cut away the thread. Worked quite well for me. I actually had the same problem with the gasket splitting, but mine split because I overtorqued it in an attempt to stop an oil leak. Unfortunately, the oil leak seems to be coming from the main seal and not the oil pan gasket (what are the chances of me screwing up two gasket installations with proper torquing and sealant application?). Just my $.02

[VTEC_Inside]

Well, I'm done again.

Too chicken shit to torque the bolts at all. I snugged the bolts and a little by hand with a nut driver. I coated both sides of the gasket with sealant.

It was about an hour and a half before I filled it with oil again. Started it up and no leaks. Took it for a short drive, no leaks. Its sitting over night now so the RTV will have plenty of time to setup 100%.

At least I know right now that the gasket it still in one piece. If I develop a leak I'll snug them a bit more.

Oh and I somehow managed to damage the threads on one of the exhaust manifold studs. Flippin' bolt was spinning in place. Now that was kinda scarey. A little Dremel action and it was all good. I replaced all 3 bolts with new ones and put a little anti-seize on them.

[89AccordLX2dr]

Oh yea, those exhaust studs gave me a royal pain the ass. I broke 1, rounded off the other nut, first one came out good. I had to take it to a shop to get the other two out.. it took the guy a good half hour welding a nut on the stud and rewelding it back on everytime it broke off (6 times he said), heating it and pissing around.. I would of never gotten them out on my own! Original studs from 89, they were rotted in there good! Think like 10 bucks to replace the two studs.

[lostforawhile]

Well the old gasket appears to be fine. It is a pretty thick rubber piece.

I will of course lay a thin layer of RTV on it again as well. The difference will be that this time I will silicone it to the block first to ensure that it is where it belongs when I put the pan on.

When I first did it, I put it on the pan and tried to lift it all as one, but it kept getting pulled off on the baffle as I rotated the pan to clear the drive shaft.

I forgot about the exhaust gasket, but I'm pretty sure I can reuse the new one I just put on there.

The ONLY bright side in this is that having done it once, it will go much quicker this time.
use a gasket tack material which is like a glue,to attach it to the pan first,you need to really clean the surface of the pan well,then it glues the gasket to the pan,use some cheap bolts from the hardware store to make sure the holes line up while it sets up. I think I used permatex gasket tack,it's not rtv,it's for fixing a gasket in place while you install it. I also used some rtv on the round ends,just like the valve cover gasket. in the corners. it's much eaisier to attach the gasket to the pan off the car and let it set,then to try and attach it to the block.

[lostforawhile]

OK after digging through my old dried out tubes of sealer,I believe it's eithier versachem #1 or permatex super high tack gasket sealer. eithier one needs to be glued on to the pan,and it needs to sit up for a few hours before installing. it's not to seal the gasket,but just to hold it in place. and it only goes between the gasket and the pan,not between the block and the gasket. this is the modern version of Indian head gasket glue.

[VTEC_Inside]

I used permatex copper shit. Its just tacky enough to hold it.

I used a very thin layer to stick it to the block the 2nd time around. I had too much trouble with it comming off the pan the first time.

24hrs later, the only leak I have is 1 or 2 drops from the drain plug on account of the fact that I've re-used the crush washer like 3 times now.

[89AccordLX2dr]

Nothin' a little 'Permatex' won't fix :lol:

Edit: Come to think of it, my drain plug has a hard rubber seal .. never had any leaks from that sucker

[VTEC_Inside]

I actually budged the drain plug loose a little and then snugged it back up again and I've been leak free now since the 17th. Not one drop under the car now even after a couple days. Yay me! lol...

Now, if I could just solve my damn power loss issue.

[Oldblueaccord]

Kinda late but two things i can add is that Hondabond stuff is very tacky and very expensive but it works.

The other is use sewing thread and tie the gasket to the pan I did like all the holes. Thin thread doesnt effect the screw threads.

wp