[countryboyshane]

So I was picking up some stuff from Ralph @ V2 yesterday and we got on the topic of the oil pan. I mentioned that I picked up a new oil pan gasket and had the gPan3 ready to install this weekend and he mentioned the Elise doesn't use one. This contradicts every engine I have worked on in the past.

I bought a Felpro gasket for a 2ZZ-GE engine at AutoZone. Any reason this would not fit and function correctly? I'm not the biggest fan of "gasket in a can". If need be, I'll have to just suck it up.

 

[jds62f]

i'd suggest you read the instructions that came with the gpan (or search for some gpan install threads). All these cars use a liquid gasket.

 

[Ziker]

I work for a very large dealership and work on all kinds of late model cars (10 years and newer). I cannot recall the last time I saw an oil pan gasket on a imported vehicle. Almost everything calls for RTV and I love it. Aside from the clean off of the old, Its easy and works great. I will say that I am exteremely liberal with the ammount I use but I figure a little extra to prevent a little leak.

 

[countryboyshane]

OK. Just thought I would ask since it didn't gel with what I've seen on some stuff in the past.

 

[<@¿@>]

If the engine was designed without an oil pan gasket and you put one in, the distance from your oil pickup will increase...this is the biggest reason for NOT putting one in.

 

[Vulcan Grey]

Use Hondabond, works great!

 

[Deja Vu]

Use Hondabond, works great!

+1

 

[addertooth]

Get an oil pan removal tool (it looks like a really beefy putty knife/scraper with a mild bend). It makes the job a few dozen times easier.

 

[Westrock]

I have one of those felpro's on right now. I can't say that it leaks bad, but it does seep after a while. Mine has a thin coat of oil all the way around. I tightened it initially, and then came back again and tightened a little more.

BOE put my engine together and they used the RTV type stuff and I had oil dripping from the pan, it was pretty bad. So I didn't want to go that route again. I used a Razer blade to scrape it off.

 

[countryboyshane]

Based on what I've been told, it's best to let the block drain without the pan for more than a few days and that the sealing surface must be perfectly clean before RTV application. The tightening sequence and stage at which you let the RTV set up, and then tighten again also seem to be crucial.

 

[jds62f]

those are pretty much the exact instructions I've received. Drain oil, let sit for a few days, then take off the pan and clean everything up real nice, scrape off old gasket, etc.

Once you're absolutely clean, apply new liquid gasket according to instructions.

 

[countryboyshane]

Get an oil pan removal tool (it looks like a really beefy putty knife/scraper with a mild bend). It makes the job a few dozen times easier.

Ummmm yea tried to pry it loose with normal tools today. Failure. Here we come again Amazon.

 

[tomrev]

I think it's pretty tough to get the stocker off without bending/trashing it. Save the block surface, and don't worry about saving the old pan.

 

[Westrock]

Use a large flat head screwdriver, a couple if you have them. Once you break a decent amount, the pan will peel off pretty easily.

 

[jds62f]

if you get one of those pan pryer tools get one that is completely flat on top. The one I got from amazon had some button head screws on top and ended up being completely worthless because of them.

 

[Westrock]

What about applying the bead to the oil pan and then letting it completely dry? Then it's like a rubber gasket.

 

[strategery]

Ummmm yea tried to pry it loose with normal tools today. Failure. Here we come again Amazon.

The oil pan removal tool wasn't enough for me. I had to heat up oil pan lip to get it off. Once I heated it up with a butane torch, it came right off. I had to remove the pan because it was leaking.. It looked like the RTV wasn't put on very well and was very thin in the area that it was leaking from. Scrapping it off was such a pain that I went with the Fel-Po gasket instead of RTV. Several track days later, and no leaks. This was all with the Gpan3 oil pan.