oil pan gasket installation 5.0 block

olddog · #1 (**permalink**) 05-05-2008, 07:42 PM

I bought the 1 piece rubber gasket with the metal bushings the bolts go through (allows tensioning the bolts without squishing the gasket).

Should I use silicon sealant anywhere? Any tips and advice welcomed.

I pulled the pan to re-weld where a pin hole in a weld had been repared with JB-weld. After pulling the pan the JB-weld repair had held and the slow leak was in the front where the rounded area in the center is at. The old pan gasket was cork and the rounded areas were a rubber seal. There was silicone sealant where the rubber seal and cork met. It looked to have been assemble correctly to me. That's why I went for the better gasket. I would like to do this once, so that's why I ask for some advice here.

Thanks

Tim Brewer · #2 (**permalink**) 05-05-2008, 07:53 PM

I would still use a high temp silicone, especialy in the corners. Just don't go overboard with it.

bobcowan · #3 (**permalink**) 05-05-2008, 09:36 PM

These can sometimes be a bear to get them them to seal correctly. I really had to work at it. Here's my tips:

- Clean the surfaces really well. I use a small screwdriver to get all the old silicone out of the crevacises in the front cover and the rear cap.

When you look at the gasket, you'll see a nub at each corner that fits in the holes in the front cover and rear cap - the ones you have to dig the silicone out of. Cut about 1mm off the end, and round off the corners.

Put a dab of silicone in each corner, and a light smear everywhere else. Do the same on the pan. Don't go overboard. Too much will spooge into the pan, and clog the pick up. I always use Permatex Black Magic.

Let the silicone set up for about 10 minutes. Then it will act like glue and hold the gasket in place while you get the pan up there.

Get two 1/4" x 1.5" bolts. Cut the heads off. Cut a screwdriver slot in the end. Use them as mounting studs to guide the pan into place without making a mess with the goo.

olddog · #4 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 08:50 PM

I decided to put a windage tray in, while the pan is off. First one I ever put on. It is a Ford performance parts product. I have had it in and out a dozen times now, as nothing seems to fit. It was wider than the oil pan, hit the oil pump, rubbed the pickup tube, and the bolt holes wouldn't line up. Ok now I fixed all this and it fits nicely.

The bolts are 5/16 - 24 grade 5. I torqued them to 20 ft-lb. The first bolt tightened up, the second bolt stripped out. I tapped the metal filings out of the threads in the main bolt and bought grade 8 bolts.

Now I am very gun shy. I thinking of using lock tight and 15 ft-lb torque. What should I torque these too?

Rick Parker · #5 (**permalink**) 05-09-2008, 09:42 PM

15-18 lbs with red locktite and flat small diameter AN washer, no split lock washers.

sllib · #6 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 05:43 AM

Buy a ARP stud kit from Summit. It's worth the money.
Bill Stradtner

olddog · #7 (**permalink**) 05-10-2008, 08:10 PM

Thanks Rick I torqued them to 16 with the red lock tight.

Sllib good idea, but I already had it back together before I read this.

After thinking about it over night, I think that the bolt holes were so far off that when I tightened the 2nd bolt, the windage tray hole was rubbing the treads off the bolt, as I turned it in. I had to file quite a bit out of the holes to get them lined up.

You would think that, since Ford designed the engine 40 years ago and have been selling windage trays all these years, they could at least get the bolt hole centers right.