If you have a lift or a friend or both, installing an oil pan or transmission pan can be a simple business. But for those of us who do it on our own, on our back under the car, it can be a frustrating, even painful, job. Here’s a procedure that will make it easier.
Start with an exceptional gasket. A cheap cork gasket can certainly work, but it is fragile and limp, two things I don’t like when I’m bent like a pretzel, working in cramped quarters and have a limited view. I use a Moroso Perm-Align gasket made of silicone bonded to a rigid steel frame. Other folks make similar gaskets. These units will outlast your pan, your engine or tranny, and probably you, too. Tie the gasket to the pan in 3 or 4 places with string:
Then install 2 studs (bolts with the heads cut off) into the engine or tranny:
Guide the pan onto the studs and hand install the pan bolts, removing the string and the studs as you go. Tighten the bolts. Note that sealant or cement is not needed. Remember to add and check fluid and you are ready to go cruise.
Start with an exceptional gasket. A cheap cork gasket can certainly work, but it is fragile and limp, two things I don’t like when I’m bent like a pretzel, working in cramped quarters and have a limited view. I use a Moroso Perm-Align gasket made of silicone bonded to a rigid steel frame. Other folks make similar gaskets. These units will outlast your pan, your engine or tranny, and probably you, too. Tie the gasket to the pan in 3 or 4 places with string:
Then install 2 studs (bolts with the heads cut off) into the engine or tranny:
Guide the pan onto the studs and hand install the pan bolts, removing the string and the studs as you go. Tighten the bolts. Note that sealant or cement is not needed. Remember to add and check fluid and you are ready to go cruise.
