VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Oil Pan Gasket Sealer Question

I have used Permatext Indian Head gasket sealer in the past to attached the gasket to the pan. Is there a better choice with the new technology today or is the "old school" choice still good?

First when the gasket is installed it is NOT attached to the pan. The gasket gets stuck on the block (I use grease) and the end corks go on last. The The tabs on the ends of the side gaskets go into the groves in the main bearing caps and the end corks but uo against the tabs.
I use grease (the factory used nothing) to hold the gaskets in place ....makes it easier to emove the gasket if the pan needs to be removed againg for some reason.

Hawkeye,

I have found a double benefit from silicone like "Ultra Blue", perfect sealing and easy removal (no scraping required) if disassembly is needed.

If you have an old cork gasket you may find it drastically shrunken, like a mummy. When I encountered that problem with a 40+ year old '36 valve cover gasket a little experimentation lead to the discovery that cooking it in hot water in a cookie sheet on the stove top swelled it right back to the correct size.

Ray W

I found that a good soak in water bring them back to size also. I would never use silicone. It has a tendency to fall off inside the motor and plug something up. The best thing is a little permatex #2.on the corners.

The soak in water trick works well for the shrunken cork gaskets.
When doing an overhead gasket fit I often use contact cement to hold the gasket to the upper surface with a dab of ultra blue or similar at any joint and not had any leak issues.
Tony

I am using all new gaskets. I tried to test fit the oil pan gaskets today and found the end cork strips are just a little too long and do not lay flat in the groove. Should I trim them or try to squeeze them in place by bolting the pan down?

I would not trim the gaskets. Put a small dab of sealant to hold the ends in place while you lift the pan under them and when everything is lined up the pan should push the gasket into proper place.
Tony

Use Permatex 2 on the ends and I always use Indian head everywhere else. Old school and old school messy but the best damn stuff. Both are Permatex products. The pan will compress the long cork end gaskets when you tighten it up. Some 1/4x20 long bolts with smooth shoulders can be used for guides to hold everything in place. Cut off the heads and put a slot in them with a hack saw. Two on each side, put the gasket up with the Indian head and slide the pan up over the guide bolts/pin. Put some of the regular pan screws in, then with the screw driver remove the guide pins, replace with the remaining pan screws. Makes it much easier.

The engine gasket set I purchased was Fel Pro FS 7276 B-2. I contacted Federal Mogul who owns Fel Pro and asked if they had a better fitting gasket set for the oil pan. They responded that the end corks ARE longer and should be trimmed. I guess this set of gaskets is a generic version. It fits several years and engines. So I have to e-mail them to see if they have an exact measurement to trim the end cork gakets to.

The seals are 9 9/32" long.

Chevgene, thank you.