Oil Pan Gasket

Changing oil pan gaskets can be quite a pain. That is why it is important to make sure that there are not all their problems causing an oil leak on your engine. What seems to be and oil pan gasket leak could actually be a PCV System malfunction, so you’ll want to make sure that the PCV valve operates correctly and is not clogged before tearing your engine apart. The general instructions for changing an oil pan gasket are fairly straightforward on almost every vehicle. You have to raise the vehicle in the air and supported safely, drain the oil from the pan, un-mount the engine and raise it a little bit (on some vehicles), remove the bolts holding the pan, remove the pan, clean all gasket mating surfaces, then stick the new gasket to the engine or oil pan (with some sealer), and replace everything.

The tools for this kind of job can vary widely since not all engines are designed the same. You might have to remove the exhaust system or even the entire engine to change the oil pan gasket on some vehicles. However for the most part, this job usually involves moving the engine, so you will need the tools to do that. This is things like a jack and jack stands, or ramps and wheel blocks, a basic SAE or metric mechanic’s tool set (depending on the vehicle), and a way to lift the engine (jack or engine hoist).

So once you have ruled out any kind of PCV system malfunction, you can jack the vehicle up or whatever you need to do to be able to safely work under it. Once the vehicle is high enough, it is time to drain the old oil into a container and dispose of it properly. Do NOT re-use this old oil, as it will collect dirt and dust while it is sitting there waiting to be poured back into the engine. Something to keep in mind when removing an oil pan without a drain in it is to remove all the bolts from 3 sides of the pan, and then start slowly loosening the remaining bolts, to control the amount of fluid that is dumped out of the pan and into what you are draining it into.

 Now you can see what needs to be done to get the oil pan out of there. If you cannot access some of the bolts, then you will need t raise the engine. Also keep in mind that you need to have enough room, about twice the size of the oil pan itself, to get it out of there. So removing the motor mount bolts and raising the engine might be necessary. If you have to do this, just make sure that there is plenty of clearance to raise the engine without breaking anything on the top of it.

Now the engine is raised high enough to get the pan out and you can get your ratchet set and unbolt the oil pan. This is fairly straightforward, and if you cannot figure out which way to turn the bolts, then you have already come too far to back out now! Anyways, once the pan is out and separated from the engine, you need to clean the surfaces. This means getting them smooth and not slippery. Putting the gasket back on the engine is not that hard, if you are the one who took it apart. So let’s get to it. You need some RTV silicone to stick the gasket to the oil pan (which makes things way easier), make sure all bolt holes are lined up, and stick the gasket to the oil pan. Once you do this, it is a good time to take a short break to eat or something while the silicone dries. Then you can come back fresh minded and energetic to finish the job. There is nothing to putting it back together, just remember to not over tighten the bolts, or you will have a brand new bad oil pan gasket, and you will have to repeat the job because of tearing the one you just installed. Usually finger tight on all bolts, and re-check them, then tighten each bolt another ¼ turn, in a special order. This order involves starting in the middle of the bolts, and making an X-pattern working your way to the outer bolts. Then check it again, to make sure that the first bolts (middle ones in the ‘order’) are just as tight, but not tighter than, the bolts on the outer edges.

Now you have the basic knowledge needed to change the oil pan on almost any vehicle. Good Luck!