Cost for oil pan gasket replacement?? - Page 3

Ghost-Flame · #1 11-11-2011, 07:51 AM

Wow, I can't believe this. $1100+ to replace a pan gasket. I have a leaky gasket and was thinking about replacing. Looks like I'm going to keep a case of oil on hand at least for the time being.

Denis0331 · #2 01-05-2012, 04:30 PM

lets not keep this post going just jack up the car and take a look on what needs to be done...just because u never done it before doesn't mean there is no room for common sense..

...send pics when u have oil pan off..thnx

jac · #3 01-20-2012, 10:57 AM

Anyone know of a good and decently priced car shop in North Dallas?

I plan on tackling the replacement of the oil filter housing filter myself, but I also want to call around and see how much the oil pan gasket would be if it came to that...

Unfortunately, I do not have the proper tools to lift the engine off the car, so I won't be the one taking the oil pan off...

Thanks!!

StartX5 · #4 01-20-2012, 02:13 PM

Jac, is your X oil pan gasket leaking? if it's not why bother to replace?

Ghost-Flame · #5 01-20-2012, 02:49 PM

Jac
Like its been said take some time a look under the car at the oil pan mating surfaces and look up top under the manifold for pooling oil. Do you have car ramps? If not jack it up and put wood(not concrete blocks they can crumble under weight) blocks or a jack stand under that corner before you crawl under. Safety First!

jac · #6 01-20-2012, 04:35 PM

Sorry: yes there's all kinds of oil all over the oil pan area, including the area where the pan meets the engine. But, because of all of your comments, I am hopeful that the leak is not actually there but in the oil filter housing gasket instead... We'll see. I will report back once I have determined the source.

I dont lose a whole lot by replacing the oil filter housing gasket (other than a day of working on it: I take my sweet time doing these things) so I am gonna do that.

Thanks!

StartX5 · #7 01-20-2012, 04:46 PM

Jac, if you are able to remove the metal engine cover in the bottom, that's will helps you more in determining where is the oil leaking coming from. Once you removed the engine cover, using degreaser to spray all over the oil leak from top to bottom, let sitting there for 15-30 minutes, using air gun the blow/clean the oil and waiting until it dry. Turn engine on, drive it for couple of miles then checking to see where's the oil leak coming from.

jac · #8 01-20-2012, 06:00 PM

Right, I may try that. Another good idea someone else had on this forum was to use some kind of tint/coloring additive that you can add to the engine oil. Then you can follow the color. Googleing for one of those products now...

Ghost-Flame · #9 01-20-2012, 07:45 PM

Above is a picture of several months worth of leaking oil through the Oi filter Housing Gasket on my 6 cyl.This part lives under your intake/air filter duct work on the L 6. I think its in the same place on the 8 cyl.

This assembly is above the oil pan and yes the oil pan will be all oily on the side where the OFH is. everything below the rectangular milled gasket surface in the picture is pooled oil from the leaking gasket.

for me the easiest way to determine the source was to take the stiffing plate off and shine a flashlight up from underneath. in doing so I determined that the oil was leaking from 4 or 5 inches above the oil pan (the oil pan will be soaked with oil due to gravity) which rules out the oil pan because oil doesn't drip up. That would be my first order of business. I will bet you a pizza it's this

you can see in the picture the oil pan seam below it. after replacing the OFH gasket my leak went away and revealed an intact and not leaking oil pan gasket. It's been 3500 miles since I replaced and all oil loss has stopped.

Edit:
Jac-o, think about it. You already have a tracer element in the oil, it is called dirt and it has turned your oil black and is very easy to see using the highly sophisticated cornea and a newly developed portable light stick powered by the revolutionary dry cell electric storage device which supplies electrons to the filament that sends light when reflected off the mirrored device and through the lens to the surface of your work; thereby, exposing the source of your leak.

jac · #10 01-21-2012, 12:49 AM

All your posts, but specially the previous post, is why I LOVE this site...

@Ghost-Flame: That is one nice photo! Thanks! The photo and your post does give me hope that the culprit will be the oil housing filter gasket. I will tackle the filter gasket replacement in early February. I am replacing the master and slave cylinders on the clutch of my other car tomorrow so no time for this one.

BTW, I love the sense of humour! Thanks! You made me laugh quite a bit.