[DeTomaso] Oil pan gasket recommendation?
JDeRyke at aol.com
JDeRyke at aol.com
Thu Oct 2 17:30:38 EDT 2008
There are no trick gaskets, just more costly gaskets. A few things to check
first:
First, be sure the head drainback ports are really open (2 per head). A
single plugged or partly-plugged drain in one head will quickly flood a rocker
cover, overwhelm any known breather system and make a mess, IF you run at high
rpms. Around town you'll likely never notice. One drain on each head is
straight through and the other is dog-legged & likely plugged since overhaul-shop
vapor degreasers don't clear these. The doglegged one needs a common hardware
store doorspring forced thru it to verify it's open. Both can be cleared w/the
engine assembled & in a Pantera.
Second, blow-by from un-good ring seal is what generates crankcase pressure.
Most of the time, this results in oil blowing by the dipstick & front & rear
main seals, not the pan gaskets. If thats what it is, no amount of goo or
gaskets will stop the 'leak'; it will need a re-ring.
Third, if it really IS a pan gasket leak, they most always come from loose
bolts. Simple fix is to re-torque to specs- which is not very much! Too tight
either breaks the no-grade bolts or if you use gr-8 bolts and overtorque them,
it bends the pan lip or pinches the gasket in two. Both cause more leaks than
loose bolts.
Finally, I've seen mechanics that should know better install a PCV
upside-down in the stock rocker grommet. If this is done, the PCV will suck oil at LOW
rpms and abate mosquitoes (and neighbors!) in your area. Be VERY sure the
installation is correct.
FWIW, I always use plain Fel-Pro pan gaskets, and studs for the oil pan
fasteners. The studs help prevent a section of gasket from sliding out of place
between the time its put on the pan or block and the time the pan bolts are
inserted. I also glue the pan gasket to the pan lip, wait 12 hours to install, and
I use no adhesives on the block. FWIW- J Deryke
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