LA oil pan gasket install advise

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MObarracuda

MObarracuda

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I'm about to put my stroked 340 back together. It will be my 2nd career motor assembled in my 48 years. The mopar book I purchased as a refresher and guide does a good job of covering the difference between the magnum and LA engines. But the book shows only the magnum one piece oil pan gasket example.

What procedure do you guys/gals follow with the paper/composite LA (4) piece design to avoid leaks. Do you install it dry and only apply sealant at the corners or do you apply sealant to both sides of the gasket and the corners?

I want to know what procedure you have had success with in the past.

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Clean surfaces is a given. I use Indian Head shellac on the cork, both sides. I use Permatex black RTV (max oil resistance) on the rubber end gaskets on both sides, and a little more on all 4 corners. Don't over kill it with the RTV. Never had a leak, ever....
 
I use Permatex on both sides of the gasket. Then at end at the corners a small bead of rtv.
 
^^The problem is, the photos are a MAGNUM which is substantially DIFFERENT^^
 
67Dart273 said:
^^The problem is, the photos are a MAGNUM which is substantially DIFFERENT^^
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That's why I was asking for help. The book shows all the differences between the Magnum and the LA except for the gasket install.
 
MObarracuda said:
That's why I was asking for help. The book shows all the differences between the Magnum and the LA except for the gasket install.
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I just did an LA pan gasket 2 days ago, I should have made a video..... It's really not at all that hard. I think my instructions are pretty straight forward and easy to follow. I've yet to have one leak
 
318willrun said:
I just did an LA pan gasket 2 days ago, I should have made a video..... It's really not at all that hard. I think my instructions are pretty straight forward and easy to follow. I've yet to have one leak
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I do them almost exactly like you do, and never have leaks.
I won't use cork though, because no matter what we do the cork compresses and ends up seeping eventually.
As a matter of fact I won't use cork anywhere if I can get away from it.
I like the black paper gaskets with a little sealer on both sides for the rails.
 
Make sure your pan rails are flat. Had trouble getting mine to seal and it turned out the rails were warped. I used the concrete floor and pounded them flat with a rubber mallet.
 
66fyssh said:
Make sure your pan rails are flat. Had trouble getting mine to seal and it turned out the rails were warped. I used the concrete floor and pounded them flat with a rubber mallet.
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That makes a difference alright.:D
I like to dimple the bolt holes away from the rail a little as well, so the pan rail comes up against the gasket before the area around the bolts and then tighten them a little at a time while working back and forth across the pan just like you would torque heads or an intake.
A little anal probably, but results tell the tale.
 
TrailBeast said:
That makes a difference alright.:D
I like to dimple the bolt holes away from the rail a little as well, so the pan rail comes up against the gasket before the area around the bolts and then tighten them a little at a time while working back and forth across the pan just like you would torque heads or an intake.
A little anal probably, but results tell the tale.
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Good advise...I will follow your lead
 
I put cork on mine about 500 miles ago.

If you look, you'll see a somewhat mis-matched indentation on the lip of the pan where the end seals go.

I put a good size blob of permatex right there, a dab where the seal and rail gaskets overlap, and a dab where the timing cover to block gap is.

No leaks so far.

I did double torque the bolts after the initial sequence tightening- at about 100 miles I added a partial snugging turn.
 
YY1 said:
I put cork on mine about 500 miles ago.

If you look, you'll see a somewhat mis-matched indentation on the lip of the pan where the end seals go.

I put a good size blob of permatex right there, a dab where the seal and rail gaskets overlap, and a dab where the timing cover to block gap is.

No leaks so far.

I did double torque the bolts after the initial sequence tightening- at about 100 miles I added a partial snugging turn.
Click to expand...

I do that second snug as well with cork when I don't have a choice of another material.
And yes, those end gaps where sections meet need a dab like you do.
I would much rather trim a little sealer off if needed for looks than clean up oil.:D
Excellent advice YY1.
 
OK, it's coming back to me now...

I didn't use cork, they were black fiber.

...and this is IMPORTANT-

They were about 1/8" TOO LONG on one end.

If I had installed them that way, they would have bunched up right at the critical place where the seal overlaps the rail gasket.

I trimmed (chopped, actually) them with a single edge razor blade until they fit right.

Also some of the bolt holes were not centered with the pan rail holes.

I had to elongate them with a rat tail file.
 
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