how to make a flathead rear pan seal?

Randy

Randy

Well-known member
My oil pan gasket set did not come with the rear pan seal. I was looking at an old one and it appears to be about 1/4" thick cork. If I can find some 1/4" cork, can I just cut one out of that or is a better way?

Also, is there any kind of seal around the oil pump body where it goes up in the block? Something crumbled out of this one when I removed it and I can't tell if it used to be some kind of material or if it was just sludge.

Thanks.
 
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it is a "fine grain" cork seal and is sometimes very brittle because of age. some rebuilders will just use a heavy bead of silicon gasket maker, if you choose this way allow the silicon to take a set before installing pan. I use the black, as this is easier to hide than the blue or red
 
Thanks, is there any kind of seal around the oil pump body where it goes up in the block? Something crumbled out of this one when I removed it and I can't tell if it used to be some kind of material or if it was just sludge.
 
stay away from that sillicon crap order a new gasket set i have seen engens ruined from that sillicon stuff it swells up & gets inside the eng . those gaskets & seals are avable.
 
Randy

I usually save neoprene o-rings from used oil filters because they come in handy sometimes. I made a pan seal by cutting a flat-sided neoprene o-ring to fit the pan groove and then held it in place with a bit of contact cement while bolting the pan to the block. No leaks yet.

Jack E/NJ
 
I have a longer piece of the cork seal for the universal joint housing.
Looks like it would work. I can send it out tomorrow if you want it[free].
I don't think the oil pump has a gasket but maybe someone will confirm that.
Brian
 
BrianCT said:
I have a longer piece of the cork seal for the universal joint housing.
Looks like it would work. I can send it out tomorrow if you want it[free].
I don't think the oil pump has a gasket but maybe someone will confirm that.
Brian
Click to expand...

Hey Brian, Thanks for the offer and that's a good idea, but I did wind up making one today by cutting two pieces out of 1/8" cork and gluing them together to make a 1/4" thick gasket. Thanks again, Randy
 
I have done the same in the past, made my own ,its more like 5/16 thick ,just file of any sharp edges on the half (corners ) cut out in the pan so it doesn't cut into it
 
Silicone RTV is the work of the devil! ;)

Even the gas and oil resistant version is, well, garbage. It is only oil resistant and will jelly up and leak over time with exposure to petroleum based products such as oil (and quickly with gas).

Coat your gaskets with grease to fill any minor imperfections and allow the gaskets to give a little bit during assembly. I don't use that rtv if I can avoid it and really don't care that OEMs do these days (how long does a new car last anyway?).

The only valid use for RTV, imo, is a very, very, very sparing use with gaskets that seal nothing more than water. Even then, if I can do it with grease, I do. But sometimes the RTV will fill voids in corroded housings that grease won't. But please use sparingly - if you see it ooze out on the outside, it's doing the same on the inside and probably breaking off. Found silicone "balls" clogging radiators, oil pump pickups, and floating around in oil pans and lifter valleys. Seen it put on so thick on T5 topcovers (by OEM) that shift forks can't move to fully engage synchros.

It's evil stuff.
 
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