Oil Pan Gasket Replacement

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dodgedart1968

dodgedart1968

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I plan to replace my '68 Dart 225 oil pan gasket. The service manual states that the steering center link must be removed to remove the oil pan. Are these cars equipped with rubber oil pan gaskets, and if so, is it possible to replace the gasket without completely removing the oil pan?
 
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Rubber end seals, cork side rails. You could, but I wouldn't, too much debris from cleaning to keep out/retrieve of/from pan. See the related oil leak thread here in this forum.....may consider yanking the engine for all the harder it is....
 
The car has only 80,000 miles on it. The engine is healthy, but leaks from the pan. I'll just bite the bullet and replace the gasket as per the service manual. Probably a good time the replace the motor mounts, since they have to be disconnected to lift the engine.
 
See my recent thread. Can be ***** of a job but doable. Check behind trans dust cover for oil. Rear main needs to be too if it's back there.
 
My car has been parked in my garage for nine days. It has not leaked from any location. I took a close up look today and found that the grease on the oil pan and transmission pan is not wet. It appears to merely be the accumulation of 80K miles and 53 years of service. I also checked the center arm joints. The seals were in poor condition, but there was plenty of fresh grease present, and they don't have any play, so no need to drop the center arm. I cleaned all of the surfaces and I'm going to cancel my plans to replace the oil pan gasket.
Thanks for the info and advice.
 
I just got done putting the engine and transmission back in mine after repairing an oil pan leak. To hell with working upside down under a car and possibly not getting it right. My God, these cars are ancient technology and very easy to get the engines out of. I had the engine and transmission out in less then 45 minutes with hand tools and I was goofin off.
 
dodgedart1968 said:
My car has been parked in my garage for nine days. It has not leaked from any location. I took a close up look today and found that the grease on the oil pan and transmission pan is not wet. It appears to merely be the accumulation of 80K miles and 53 years of service. I also checked the center arm joints. The seals were in poor condition, but there was plenty of fresh grease present, and they don't have any play, so no need to drop the center arm. I cleaned all of the surfaces and I'm going to cancel my plans to replace the oil pan gasket.
Thanks for the info and advice.
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Well good. Maybe it's not as bad as you thought!
 
RustyRatRod said:
I just got done putting the engine and transmission back in mine after repairing an oil pan leak. To hell with working upside down under a car and possibly not getting it right. My God, these cars are ancient technology and very easy to get the engines out of. I had the engine and transmission out in less then 45 minutes with hand tools and I was goofin off.
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I couldn't agree with you more. I'd much prefer to take the engine out and replace all of the seals. Unfortunately, I decided a couple of years ago that, after fifty years, I had had enough of car restoration, and I sold my heavy equipment (mid-height lift, engine hoist, engine stand, etc). Recently however, I couldn't stand not having my hands on a deserving old car, so I bought a '68 Dart for a couple of hundred dollars. It had been sitting in a front yard five minutes from my house for months, with a for-sale sign and looking very decrepit. Much to my surprise, the car turned out to be a low-mileage example with nothing more serious wrong with it than an couple of quarter panel rust holes. So here I am, seventy years old, and laying on my back under a '68 Dodge. Deja vu all over again!
 
dodgedart1968 said:
I couldn't agree with you more. I'd much prefer to take the engine out and replace all of the seals. Unfortunately, I decided a couple of years ago that, after fifty years, I had had enough of car restoration, and I sold my heavy equipment (mid-height lift, engine hoist, engine stand, etc). Recently however, I couldn't stand not having my hands on a deserving old car, so I bought a '68 Dart for a couple of hundred dollars. It had been sitting in a front yard five minutes from my house for months, with a for-sale sign and looking very decrepit. Much to my surprise, the car turned out to be a low-mileage example with nothing more serious wrong with it than an couple of quarter panel rust holes. So here I am, seventy years old, and laying on my back under a '68 Dodge. Deja vu all over again!
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At 70, I'm sure You've come to really appreciate GOOD surprises, congrats!
 
Killer6 said:
At 70, I'm sure You've come to really appreciate GOOD surprises, congrats!
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It's interesting that you wrote that. I've only had this car for a couple of weeks, and I've found that I'm enjoying this restoration much more than any of my previous efforts. I started this with no expectations other than enjoying puttering with a junky car. I haven't "worked" on it, instead I've just taken my time and enjoyed the experience. Life's a funny thing.
 
dodgedart1968 said:
I couldn't agree with you more. I'd much prefer to take the engine out and replace all of the seals. Unfortunately, I decided a couple of years ago that, after fifty years, I had had enough of car restoration, and I sold my heavy equipment (mid-height lift, engine hoist, engine stand, etc). Recently however, I couldn't stand not having my hands on a deserving old car, so I bought a '68 Dart for a couple of hundred dollars. It had been sitting in a front yard five minutes from my house for months, with a for-sale sign and looking very decrepit. Much to my surprise, the car turned out to be a low-mileage example with nothing more serious wrong with it than an couple of quarter panel rust holes. So here I am, seventy years old, and laying on my back under a '68 Dodge. Deja vu all over again!
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Well, keep movin, brother! It'll make you last longer. Harbor Freight sells engine hoists cheap. lol
 
dodgedart1968 said:
It's interesting that you wrote that. I've only had this car for a couple of weeks, and I've found that I'm enjoying this restoration much more than any of my previous efforts. I started this with no expectations other than enjoying puttering with a junky car. I haven't "worked" on it, instead I've just taken my time and enjoyed the experience. Life's a funny thing.
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It's the slant 6, trust in me when I say. lol
 
RustyRatRod said:
It's the slant 6, trust in me when I say. lol
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I realized the other night...

My first car was a 1961 Dodge Dart - slant six.
My first new car was a 1973 Duster - slant six.
My first truck was a 1975 Dodge D100 - slant six.
My current project car is a 1968 Dodge Dart - slant six.

Starting to look like a pattern.
 
dodgedart1968 said:
I realized the other night...

My first car was a 1961 Dodge Dart - slant six.
My first new car was a 1973 Duster - slant six.
My first truck was a 1975 Dodge D100 - slant six.
My current project car is a 1968 Dodge Dart - slant six.

Starting to look like a pattern.
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I have to say yet another time that I am having the absolute most fun with Vixen than I have with any other car I've owned. I've had over 400. Most with at the very least warmed up V8s. A lot WAY more than warmed up. There's just something about the slant 6.
 
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