Oil pan question

[Leroyg]

dropped oil pan to replace gasket and paint pan. While cleaning I noticed PO had filled area between skid plate and oil pan with some kind of silicone. As I cleaned off area I noticed oil between the plate and pan so my questions are what is the best fix? Do I go back to silicone and if I do anybody reccommend something I can pick up at a local auto parts?
Leroy

 

[IDave]

My guess is that the oil got there or was there from when the oil was drained, not from an actual oil pan leak. Oil is a good thing to have in there, under those circumstances, compared to say, water and rust.

I would check the pan for leaks (acetone is good), clean it up and squirt some more oil in there!

 

[Trollhole]

I've seen some like that. It's a good place for mud to hide. If there was a leak you should be able to look on the inside of the pan and see a crack. Some pans leak from where the plate was welded due to stress from being pounded on the rocks.

 

[2damslow]

Theres some stuff in a black cheez-whiz looking can called "Right stuff" it's like RTV but ten times tougher. I really like that stuff. I think the only thing more durable would be to weld it.
If it were me, I would just clean it and 'stuff it.

 

[rsbcruiser]

Oh too funny. I am just starting an f engine rebuild. Before you put that oil pan back on the block check it for shape. If it has been smacked good you might need to do some bending and banging on the thing. Set it back on the block without the gasket. Check all around for an equal clearance for the gasket and check that all of the pan bolt holes line up. Bend and torture the thing back into shape before you try to put it back on with the gasket. When I redid mine I wirebrushed between the plate and the pan. squirted a bunch of paint in there. If the welds have busted loose you should be able to look inside the pan at the welds, look for cracks around the welds. Maybe brazing will fix if cracked.

 

[65swb45]

1. Clean out all the silicone.
2. Pour some acetone inside the oil pan and see if it leaks out onto the skidplate anywhere.
3. If it does, patch the pan FROM THE INSIDE. If not, or after patching, stick it on AS-IS. Do NOT create a new place for moisture to be trapped; landcruisers already have enough of those.

Best

Mark A.

 

[aksnowryder]

I had to do some bending to mine to get her back to shape. Once I did though, I painted her up and shot as much paint into that space as I could get in there. The big problem with mine, was near the rear seal. The bend in the metal kept popping the gasket out of it's place. I kept working it and before long she fit great. As others have said, just do a good inspection then repair if cracked. I think if mine had been cracked I would have welded it. Silicone is a good invention but in my mind it is still temporary, welding it you know it is done right. My 2cents.

 

[FJ-40Original]

I had that on my last FJ customers rig... Your pan has a hole in it... That skid plate is practically useless in my opinion... They collect dirt and gravel and that wears a hole in the pan... That's why the tard put in sillicone/rtv whatever...

Do what I did...

Weld the crap out of it