oil pan gasket ??

[tbias]

guys im about to install a new oil pump during my h/c/i swap. i read on how to ls1 that the oil pan need to be lowerd a 1/2" in or so to get the pickup tube back in place. my question is do i need to replace the oil pan gasket? it dosent really say to on how to ls1. thanks for any imput

[side2000]

you're in there, pickup tube will be off, you'll kick yourself in the ass if you don't replace it and it leaks. i've dropped 'em w/o replacin, but they can get kinda crispy from heat and time.

[tbias]

thats kinda what i thought. whats it made of ? what brand would you buy gm?

[side2000]

nah get a felpro rubber one. THAT one can be used a ton of times.

[tbias]

who sells felpro ?

[Danger731]

napa

[Justin93]

napa

dare i even say this, even autozone sells felpro IF you dont have a local napa!

[INMY01TA]

Doesn't the K member need to be dropped to change the pan gasket?

[tbias]

i hope not ! i wished i would have dropped it out to do this knuckle busting h/c/i swap in the 1st place! if ive come this far and have to yank her loose from the bottom anyway im gonna be pissed.

[side2000]

you should be able to sneak it in/out wiithout pullin it off. i havnt worked around a factory k member for a while, but here are a couple tricks for workin around it: jack motor up is #1, and loosening the 6 k member bolts (but not removing k member, just letting it hang on bolts) is another. it may not seem like much but when ya need that extra inch or two that's how ya get it.

[Wesman]

The stock gasket is riveted onto the pan, and its made of a hard plastic like material.

So its going to be very difficult to get the old one off when you can barely lower the pan more than about 1/2".

If the stock gasket looks good (no cracks, deterioration, leaks) then I'd say just clean it with a rag and some brake clean, put Ultra Black RTV in the corners, and bolt it back up.

You can't get it out to change the gasket without dropping the k-member or lifting the motor significantly. I had my transmission and flywheel completely off and the motor jacked up with one of the motor mount bolts out, and it still wasn't even close. The issue is the sump goes deep into the baffles in the bottom of the pan, so it has to be dropped down a lot before you can remove the sump or pan.

[tbias]

so only on the corners with the rtv ?

[side2000]

you wanna put a nice glob on the corners where it meets the timing cover 'n the rear seal housing. they are all a "floating" design that gets bolted together vs conventinoal pans that are bolted to block only. the "floating" design is more infamous for leaking where they all meet. that's why you put the rtv in the corners.

[tbias]

i c. thanks again. im not real sure what id do with out all the helpfull info off this site.

[side2000]

you'd read more books. . . .

[tbias]

u may be right. but how much fun is that

[chevyss1234]

I switched oil pumps and dropped the oil pan down and didn't replace the gasket. I haven't had any problems so far except for last time i changed my oil, there i guess sort of a "damp spot" near where the oil filter was and i wonder if it's the gasket.... the oil level didn't drop at all so it wasn't a substantial amount that leaked i guess. but if i did it again i still wouldn't change the gasket.... i just gotta find out about that damp spot haha

[tbias]

i hear ya . im gonna try to do it without swaping it out. if she leaks ill take it to the gm garage to be replaced(if they are still open)