oil pan sealant
 

what does everyone use for the oil pan when not using a gasket

i busted my ass pulling the pan to seal a leak and putting it together without dropped the subframe and only a jack under the tranny

im just pissed cause it's still leaking. not as bad but leaking non the less

i used permatex #2 gasket sealant

i looked for that super blue shit but couldnt find it anywhere. i dont think what i got is silicone, though i wanted to use silicone

its black and non-hardening

it looks like rtv shit

I use Permatex The Right Stuff on all of my customers' engines. Hit the surfaces of both the bottom of the engine and the oil pan w/ a scraper, then a scuff-abrasive pad like scotchbrite (be it by hand or by air tool), then brake clean and paper towel off any remaining dirt. Apply this stuff. Beware -- it's very sticky and nasty, but will make an ultra-reliable gasket in very short order. It will not leak!

B

yea i did all of the above besides abrase the contact surfaces. i really dont wanna do all this again...maybe ill just push the engine up enough to undo the motor mounts and then unbolt the ban enough to squeeze some of that stuff in the crack.


ALSO..off topic. but when i put my secondary rail back in i couldnt really get the grommet to fit in there just right so i just set teh rail on the gromemts with the injectors going into their bores in the lim and bolted it down hoping the grommets would seal. could that cause a vacuum leak if the grommets didnt seal it all the way?

i sprayed carb cleaner down under the lim and sure enough it bogged, since i was slightly suspicious of a vac/boost leak.

i had to put the damn gromet on the injector and then put it in, it was like too big to fit into teh bore on the LIM. gay ass shit

ITs hard enough to do the job when assembling the engine on a stand, etc., much less trying to do it in the messy and tight environment of the car itself. I find I have about a 50% success rate with the FD oil pans done on the stand, and about 85% with the FC. When trying to do the job in the car, those percentages drop because its very difficult to keep the block mating surfaces free of draining oil.

Believe it or not, the best results I have gotten are when I use a paper gasket with a layer of sealant on each side. The best sealants I have found are permatex ultra black, and permatex right stuff.

Even so, with all surfaces being cleaned and scuffed, you dont always get a 100% seal. By it's design the mating surface of the rotary engine is not 100% flat, and it also flexes when you put the engine under load. This constant flexing and twisting will break any bond sooner or later. I have just come to accept that it is part of a rotary engine to have a small oilpan leak. Everytime you jack the car up to do an oilchange, wipe it off with a towel or spray it off with a pressurewasher and go on with life.

"The Right Stuff".

:-) neil

everytime i leave someones house theres a 2 foot puddle of oil on their driveway, if it wasnt for that i wouldnt even try to fix it

With exception of actual shops, I'd be willing to bet that I've attempted more oil pan jobs than anyone else. :) Many were failed attempts, but I've learned lots of tricks along the way and rarely have one fail now.

1. Drain the oil and let the car sit for several days. It gives the residual oil time to drain so it doesn't seep onto the gasket surface when it comes time to seal it back up. These things drain for a long time.

2. If the engine is out of the car, dimple the pan and block with a punch. I think there is a write-up either here or on nopistons.

3. Use an oil pan brace. Gotham sells one, I can't speak for the quality because I haven't used it; I had one made locally.

4. I've had good luck with permatex import RTV sealant. I haven't used "great stuff," but I have used the red high temp RTV and never had it work.

5. Make sure the surfaces are CLEAN! Before assembly, I clean both surfaces with brake cleaner and then go over everything again with acetone several times, using a clean rag each time.

6. I apply the sealant to both surfaces and install. Don't torque the bolts down all the way initially; make them snug, but don't squish ALL the sealant out. Let it sit for a day or so and finish torquing them. Make sure you install the motor mounts from the get go and snug them down too. Let the sealant sit for another day and you should be leak free.

Replacing some of the bolts with studs is also a good idea since the oil pan brace reduces the thread overlap.

This might seem like a bit much, but as the saying goes, do it right and do it once...coming from someone who has done it too many times to admit.

well maybe if i can get a hold of an engine hoist i'll re-attempt this procedure. i need new motor mounts anyway so one day i'll have to go under there again as it is

+1
I use The Right Stuff for Imports. Not sure if they still make it, but it works great.

No need for a hoist. A jack under the transmission works just fine.

that's what i did this first time but it was a pain in teh ass cause i didnt drop the subframe i just managed to get the pan out and it barely got around the damn jackstand under the tranny

Never said it was easy. :) A brace isn't a bad idea, neither is dimpling or using washers or getting a stud kit.

can comeone tell me more about this dimpling thing? is it just pushing the holes in the pan outwards toward the block ?

or is it going along the mating surface on the pan and poking it from the outside to get small pokies to hit the block

Post number 17 has some pictures
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...l+pan+dimpl%2A

Check this thread for some more tips:

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-gen-archives-73/easier-oil-pan-removal-305386/

sweet, both links were very helpful :) thanks

If your oil pan is really warped up, you will still get a leak. You might as well replace it with a new one. As for me,... I went ahead and bought a new oil pan gasket and OEM oil pan Gasket. On both side of the OEM gasket I spread on the Ultra Black Silicon gasket. Never have a leak since then.

nvm