Thread: oil pan gasket leak

This was a GM screwup, I just found out. Their solution was to gob RTV on both sides of a new gasket and call it "fixed". I'm not inclined to do that but I wonder if the Felpro aftermarket replacement works any better than the OE part?

I bought this 1997 GTP new. Back rocker cover leaked and I fixed that. I've power washed the underside clean. Oil hangs from the screw heads in the middle along both sides of the pan but not on the screws at the left/right ends. So I'm pretty sure the pan leaks. I need to remove the plastic piece hiding the flywheel and wash that to get a better idea about the main leaking.

Oil hanging from the oil pan bolts is the same thing mine did when the pan gasket was leaking. I replaced the steel pan with the aluminum one use RTV to seal it up, works nice. Although you may get by with just RTV or a new gasket if your pan is not rusted like mine was.

My pan isn't rusted but if there's a better design that resolves the leak altogether then I'd be inclinded to make the swap. I think the problem will be getting the aluminum pan off in the salvage yard. I'm not sure it'll be worth the effort.

The reason I went with the alum. pan was because my steel pan was rusting, and the gasket was leaking. The cost of a new metal pan and gasket was about the same for the aluminum one, and also I did not want to fight reinstalling the motor mount bracket. Also, The aluminum pan with the RTV is much better at sealing than the gasket.

Since my old pan doesn't appear to be rusting, I'll stick with it and gob the RTV. Thanks for info.