Oil Pan Gasket Leak (1 Viewer)

[Fourrunner]

Read tons of threads on the installation of a new gasket and tried to do it this last weekend. Finally got the old pan off, but in the process kinda bent the side in. (Had to use a hydraulic jack to force it off). Got it straightened out. Anyway, got it bolted down, and it still leaks, now from the edges where before it was from the ends. What the heck did I do wrong? Used gasket sealant like most advise. Torqued the bolts to what I thought was about 84 in-lbs, but what if I overtighted them? Would this be my issue? What if I over torqued the bolts? Do I need a new gasket/oil pan?

 

[HawkDriver]

Every time I replace a tin's gasket I always flatten out the area around the bolt holes with a hammer and make them flush or less. I could go into more detail but you get the picture?

 

[HawkDriver]

If you have overtightened them it will squish the gasket out excessively around the bolt. It should look similar to the rest of the gasket not all sandwiched out.

 

[Fourrunner]

It looks pretty consistant along the edges. When I got it bolted on and cured overnight, I crawled under it and let it run for 10-15 minutes and watched the gasket get wet with oil, then I found a puddle of oil underneath the truck today. Any other ideas?

 

[HawkDriver]

Were you able to isolate one particular point where it was leaking from? I mean other than a crack in the pan on the bolt area or a bad seal that's really all there is to it. Clean real well and look real close. Just make sure it's not running down from another seal above that area, like the front main seal or valve cover.

 

[swank60]

How did you tighten it down? Did you use the "opposite bolt" pattern - the way you tighten the lugs on your wheels? If not, then the torque isn't evenly distributed, and that could cause a problem.

The bent oil pan may not be helping, either. Next time you find yourself in that situation, grab a rubber mallet or a wooden block and hammer to get the job done. Are you leaking near the bend?

Also, did you use a one piece gasket, or the four piece? And did you hit the bolts with loctite before you put them in?

 

[Fourrunner]

I had it really clean and like I mentioned before, watched basically the entire side get "wet" with oil. No particular spot where it was leaking, pretty much everywhere along the side.

 

[Fourrunner]

To tighten, I used the opposite bolt pattern method, starting in the middle of the pan, alternating sides and moving toward the ends.

The bend was actually toward the bottom of the pan, as it sits in the vehicle. Not even close to the gasket surface. Just wondering if I warped the pan and didn't notice it. I used a one piece OEM gasket.

 

[Slow N Steady]

I did mine not too long ago. Here are some thoughts on it:
a) Drop the pan and gasket
b) Clean! Clean! Clean.
- Ensure ALL of the old gasket material is removed. Especially at the ends of the motor. When I removed mine (after 18 years of service) it was hard as a rock and virtually impossible to remove. Had to use a hammer and chisel approach. When done, make sure all surfaces as completely clean and shiny. Use a polishing wheel if possible / necessary.
c) Use a new Toyota Gasket
d) Follow the FSM's procedure and apply gasket sealer to the corners per spec
e) Torque as the others have suggested
f) Check to make sure the leaks you are seeing aren't coming from other sources - rear main seal, oil cooler, etc.

Good Luck!