I hate oil leaks – I’m convinced that they are from the devil himself and about as hard to overcome!

I’m a huge Milodon fan and have used a combination of their pans, pumps, studs, and one piece gaskets for multiple builds and have had phenomenal success in regard to no leaks. But these have been new builds on an engine stand in very clean conditions. Once things are in the car – well – not so easy.

To your particular case, this may be helpful – it’s a “real life” story from a Camaro with a 327, but same situation, i.e., leaking like a bugger and really frustrating me and the fellow who owned the car (not to mention his wife’s displeasure with the oil puddles in the driveway!). This all took place on a concrete driveway (outside of course) with the car on ramps! Pan was an aftermarket cast aluminum that looked really good as far as the fit and finish. We stripped the old nasty gasket and scuffed the block with 100 wet-dry paper, then wiped with solvent (acetone as I recall – I was a bit “buzzed” afterwards – but maybe it was the Budweiser’s?).. Next we laid out a bead of black RTV and spread it well into all the junction points, let it get tacky and pressed the cork gaskets and rubber in place – holding them with masking tape and let it sit for a couple hours (more Bud at this point as I recall..) We roughed the sealing edges of the pan with 100 paper as well, cleaned well with solvent and dried real well before putting a nice fat bead of RTV all the way around and immediately placed the pan and bolted it snug – not murder tight, but enough to goosh the RTV out the sides. I know there are torque values for pans, but we used the “calibrated wrist” with a ¼” drive ratchet. Let it sit all night before firing up and that bad boy never leaked another drop.

I don’t know if we were lucky or if the RTV on both sides of the assembly in all the right spots working with the cork did the trick. I do know that the ¼” drive helps as it’s really easy to ruin cork with a 3/8” or heaven forbid a ½” drive. I know that clean is good - maybe it was because we we’re on our backs working slow with a drop light in the driveway, but it all sealed up without leaks.

Hope this helps, Lynn – good luck on this one,
Glenn