Reinstalling oil pan

B

Bob Leonard

Junior Member
I have a 1931 Deluxe Roadster and I dropped the oil pan to clean it out. I bought a new gasket kit for the reinstall.

The oil pan gasket fits correctly, but the other two appear to be too long. Do they need to be trimmed? If so, what is the correct length? If not, how do I make them fit?

Or am I doing something entirely wrong to start with. It's been decades since I have done any mechanical work on the engine so I'm a bit rusty, to say the least.

One other thing. I am missing the screw that goes into the block where you hold the oil pump while installing the pan. Can someone please tell me the name of that part and who might sell one (or what size screw will replace it)?

Thanks.
 
Bob Leonard said:
I have a 1931 Deluxe Roadster and I dropped the oil pan to clean it out. I bought a new gasket kit for the reinstall.

The oil pan gasket fits correctly, but the other two appear to be too long. Do they need to be trimmed? If so, what is the correct length? If not, how do I make them fit?

Or am I doing something entirely wrong to start with. It's been decades since I have done any mechanical work on the engine so I'm a bit rusty, to say the least.

One other thing. I am missing the screw that goes into the block where you hold the oil pump while installing the pan. Can someone please tell me the name of that part and who might sell one (or what size screw will replace it)?

Thanks.
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Bob - The cork gasket for the rear may well be too long. I preform them by getting them wet with water and then allowing to dry a couple of days squished between two plastic containers (the ones my wife buys yogurt in are just the right size). Push the gasket into the rear main cap (it’s a tight fit), work it around, and carefully trim off excess with a razor blade or knife. You want it just a bit too long so the oil pan compresses it into place when you draw down the bolts. You may need to substitute longer bolts at first. Some folks like to use gasket sealer in the main cap channel to hold the cork in but I don’t, it’s a pain to clean out later.

The rope gasket for the front should be soaked in clean oil for a couple of days before installing. Push it into its channel in the pan. It will be a bit long but will smush into place as you tighten. The oil helps it move in its channel as well as prelubricates. I put a swipe of RTV on the each end just before I tighten down, that helps seal it. It will be a tight fit around the pulley initially but will work itself in. Again, longer bolts initially are your friend. I find 5/16-18 x 1-1/4” work well.

The gizmo for holding the oil pump in during assembly is called an “oil pump retainer” and is available from most of the usual suppliers, see for example from Snyder’s https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/product.htm?pid=978837&cat=41753. Do not be tempted to substitute a bolt, the threads are different and you will strip them. Remove this gizmo after installation, it takes a 1/8-NPT plug.

Good luck. Don’t forget to rotate the crankshaft so it’s flat (all four pistons at half travel) to make installing the pan from the bottom easier.
 
I use Indian Head shellac to hold the rear cork gasket in place during installation. Some soak the rope gaskets in oil but I don't as the new ones don't seem to absorb oil. Instead I put a very thin smear of Right Stuff rtv sealant in the groove in the oil pan before inserting the rope seal. Then I put a smear of grease on the rope gasket where the pulley rides. A bit of Right stuff on the ends of the rope gasket and at the ends of the cork seal just before installation of the pan. Once it is together do not rotate the crank shaft for 24 hours so as not to smear any sealant that may be touching the crank shaft at the rope seal.

Here is a good article on installing the pan.
https://sacramentocapitolas.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/leakless-pan-gasket-article.pdf
 
Thanks, JayJay. This is helpful. After I read this, I saw a listing in a catalog that said the rear cork gasket was too long and needed to be trimmed. My grandson, who is helping with this project, is coming over on Sunday, and we hope to get everything running. I appreciate your response.
 
1crosscut:

Thanks for your post and the article. I've already printed it out and will go over it several times before I install the oil pan. It looks very detailed and it seems to have a lot of photos to guide me.

This post generated two great replies. This is a great site.

Bob
 
oil pan gasket front rope seal application. Nice article 1crosscut!
 

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I take (2) 1-1/2" long 5/16" shoulder bolts and cut the heads off. Install one on each side of the block bolt pattern near the midpoint. Apply a thin film of RTV on the pan mounting surface, place the gasket onto the pan, then apply a thin film of RTV onto the surface of the gasket. Apply some RTV into the groove at the rear of the pan. Raise the pan up and engage it with the (2) shoulder bolts which will provide exact alignment of the pan with the bolck. Install a couple of longer 5/16 bolts to temporarily hold the pan and aid in getting it in position to allow installing the regular 5/16 bolts.
 
Gary WA:

Thanks for responding. It looks like something that I want to read, but when I clicked on it, another page appeared that said that the page was no longer on the website. Do you have a better link?

Thanks, Bob
 
CT JACK:

Thanks for the tips. I'll implement them. My grandson is working with me on the repair and he is not available for a couple of weeks so it will be a bit until I get to try this, but I am taking all comments and articles into consideration.

I did a complete teardown and restore on a junked, rusted-out 1928 A pickup trust around 1966 (yes, I'm pretty old), but I don't remember many details. I'm now working on a 1931 Deluxe Roadster that someone before me restored and that I have had since about 1968. One issue that I have with this repair is that some of the information I am getting is contradictory. For example. the Mechanic's Handbook (Volume 1) tells me to tighten the oil pan bolts to 20 foot-pounds while the article listed above says that 5 to 6 pounds is enough. I'll probably split the difference, but I am getting that in a lot of advice. I'm just thankful that there are so many people willing to give advice and help people like me; it's up to me to sort it out. Your help, and that of others, is very much appreciated.

Bob
 
Most good sets have two of the rear main cap gaskets but they are of different width. Only one will fit the groove you have. They all generally need to be trimmed to fit so they will mate with the two rail gaskets. If the engine is in the car, I always suggest that a person purchase the plastic alignment and retention studs made by Felpro to hold the pan and gasket in alignment during reinstallation.
https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/product.htm?pid=978874&cat=41753

If the engine is on a stand then it is much easier to install the pan. Torque on the pan bolts depends on the type of gasket used. Some sell the paper type and some have cork or cork composition. I use cork composition so I torque them up to about 70 inch pounds and see how much compression I have. Cork will compress till it splits if torqued too tight. I just make sure it bulges out a little bit then stop. In foot pounds this would be around 5 to 6 ft/lbs. Paper won't split so they can be torqued up tighter. Even 20 ft/lbs might be more than needed.
 
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I also use the plastic felpro alignment pins, they work great by holding the pan up while you get everything aligned.
 
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