Oil pan gasket-RTV it or bolt it in plain?

[89Jeep_guy]

Hi I am doing an oil pump on my 98 5.9L Grand Cherokee and had a question. Does the oil pan gasket require RTV sealant or should it be left alone? My manual does not really say and I want to make sure before reassembly. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

[89xj4.7]

what kind of gasket? rubber or something else?

[88fadedglory]

Originally Posted by 89Jeep_guy

Hi I am doing an oil pump on my 98 5.9L Grand Cherokee and had a question. Does the oil pan gasket require RTV sealant or should it be left alone? My manual does not really say and I want to make sure before reassembly. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

First, make sure the bolt holes in the pan aren't deformed. The lower side of the lips should be flat and not crushed. If there's crushing, place the lip on a block of wood (pan upright) and use a small hammer to gently tap the deformation flat (a block of wood prevents the metal from stretching)

Watch the rubber end gaskets and make sure they don't get messed up while sliding the pan in place. A touch of RTV on the joints between where the rubber and cork gaskets meet is a good precaution.

Secure the cork gasket to the pan with short lengths of sewing thread tied thru the bolt holes (RTV isn't really needed here) and torque all screws carefully (trust me, the 5.9, aka 360 pan will distort and leak if over-tightened). The threads will probably break when the bolts go in but they won't cause a leak like a thicker string might. 4 pound mono fish line works also.

[89Jeep_guy]

Thanks 88fadedglory, I think you answered my question. Thanks a bunch.

[88fadedglory]

Originally Posted by 89Jeep_guy

Thanks 88fadedglory, I think you answered my question. Thanks a bunch.

Glad to help.

[muddeprived]

I don't think it would really matter if you use it or not. My tj's oil pan was changed by the PO and it had a gasket plus rtv. My xj's oil pan only had a gasket. I would think the rtv+gasket is a better seal BUT is a hassle when it comes to replacing the seal later on or dropping the pan for issues.

[88fadedglory]

Originally Posted by muddeprived

I don't think it would really matter if you use it or not. My tj's oil pan was changed by the PO and it had a gasket plus rtv. My xj's oil pan only had a gasket. I would think the rtv+gasket is a better seal BUT is a hassle when it comes to replacing the seal later on or dropping the pan for issues.

Without RTV: loosen the bolts, tap the pan gently and it'll pop loose. At most you'll need a small screwdriver to pry with.


With RTV: at best: loosen the bolts and use a pry bar to get it loose, develop new vocabulary of profanities while working your way all the way around the pan and busting knuckles every few seconds.

At worst: Join the military, get nuke werapons qualified, "borrow" a low yeild device, attach to pan, detonate from a hundred miles away, figure on finishing the job maybe 25 years from now when the radiation level drops.

(Ok, maybe not this bad, but it's what I felt like doing on a 318 pan about 15 years ago)

[muddeprived]

Originally Posted by 88fadedglory

Without RTV: loosen the bolts, tap the pan gently and it'll pop loose. At most you'll need a small screwdriver to pry with.


With RTV: at best: loosen the bolts and use a pry bar to get it loose, develop new vocabulary of profanities while working your way all the way around the pan and busting knuckles every few seconds.

At worst: Join the military, get nuke werapons qualified, "borrow" a low yeild device, attach to pan, detonate from a hundred miles away, figure on finishing the job maybe 25 years from now when the radiation level drops.

(Ok, maybe not this bad, but it's what I felt like doing on a 318 pan about 15 years ago)

I was thinking of wrapping my tree saver around the oil pan and then winching it off.......

[88fadedglory]

Originally Posted by muddeprived

I was thinking of wrapping my tree saver around the oil pan and then winching it off.......

Then ya better hope it was RTV and not hard setting Permatex.

Pulled an oil pan off a Continental four out of a 1950's Yale-Towne forklift once that someone had used that stuff on.

It was a good thing I had a spare pan laying around as the original got messed up pretty bad. It took a air scraper to get the crud off.