Hello I've got a quick question for any one who might be in the same situation I find myself in now. I just recently replaced a chrome oil pan with a powder coated steel pan on my 47 flat head. I used Best Gasket, gaskets and Permatex Ultra Blue gasket maker. Problem is, I'm using a one piece front seal and I thought I filled up the front cup of the pan with enough sealant but perhaps I didn't and I have a leak. I'm wondering if perhaps anyone knows of a more suitable 'silicone' product that might offer better sealing for the front seal. I know the Ultra Blue is silicone based but my thinking is maybe once dry it's a little too stiff to offer any proper seal. Suggestions anyone? Thank you in advance.
Hello Norm J, plain old black silicone from a building/plumbing supply place (assuming whatever plain old black silicone may be as there are many types) has worked for me, but like with any of those sealants, you need enough of it and good clean surfaces, as in no chunks of old crap to still sticking somewhere (and maybe even proper torque sequence could also come into play). Although in saying that about clean surfaces, I did once leave one side with an ever so slight oil film so in theory I could could separate and reassemble the parts easily without damaging the 'silicone gasket', it didn't leak, but I never found out if I could separate it as I never pulled it apart again, ha, but at least one part of the silicone experiment had a known outcome for me. Could your new pan possibly be damaged before/during the powder coating, as in being dropped etc (I doubt the heat from the powder coating would be high enough to warp anything).
Two questions: Did you install the seal in the correct direction? If not it will leak... Is your one piece seal just a simple stamped metal seal and neoprene piece or is it enclosed in an aluminum housing that fills up the pan cavity? The latter are easier...
Flatheads seep ... period. My engine and trans were put together by a guy who knows more about flatheads than anyone I know. I mean he's seriously good! And when he finished, he said, "It'll seep ... they all do." He's right.
Hello to everyone who has responded...and thank you. The seal is the latter type and I do have 'The Right Stuff' gasket in a tube although I used it for a different purpose on another part of the engine. When I noticed it leaking I squirted out two lines of goop onto my work bench, one of the Permatex Blue and one of The Right Stuff. The Right Stuff seemed to be a little more flexible when dried than the other so perhaps that is what I will try this time. Should it leak again I will keep some lucky guy employed in the US cutting me another set of pan gaskets to try it for a third time. *S* Thank you again to everyone for your suggestions. Norm
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