Transmission pan gasket effective?

[ACME SS]

Thanks for reading this. I've got a 904 that drools worse than a teething toddler. I've been fixing leaks from the top down (shift shaft seal, neutral safety switch electrical terminal leaks, cooling line fittings) and that brings me to the pan gasket. I have zero desire to replace the pan with an aluminum one. I also do not wish to glue the pan on with silicone sealant. I may be wrong but I feel that these pans would work fine with paper gaskets if they only had long hardened pan washers to distribute the compression from the bolts. I can't recall if Ford or GM or perhaps both use those on their oil pans?
I'm curious specifically if anyone has tried one of these steel and silicone gaskets and if you had luck with it fixing a leak with a traditional OEM pan? Jerry

 

[74 360 dart sport]

Thanks for reading this. I've got a 904 that drools worse than a teething toddler. I've been fixing leaks from the top down (shift shaft seal, neutral safety switch electrical terminal leaks, cooling line fittings) and that brings me to the pan gasket. I have zero desire to replace the pan with an aluminum one. I also do not wish to glue the pan on with silicone sealant. I may be wrong but I feel that these pans would work fine with paper gaskets if they only had long hardened pan washers to distribute the compression from the bolts. I can't recall if Ford or GM or perhaps both use those on their oil pans?
I'm curious specifically if anyone has tried one of these steel and silicone gaskets and if you had luck with it fixing a leak with a traditional OEM pan? Jerry
View attachment 1715916124

Take the pan and put pan rail on a solid surface then take a ball pen hammer and hit each bolt hole from the side that holds the gasket this pushes the hole back out so when you put a new gasket on it has pressure back on the gasket not a crown this will fix your pan leak

 

[toolmanmike]

Take the pan and put pan rail on a solid surface then take a ball pen hammer and hit each bolt hole from the side that holds the gasket this pushes the hole back out so when you put a new gasket on it has pressure back on the gasket not a crown this will fix your pan leak

Exactly. The gasket above is a good one but if your original pan is wonky it still probably won't seal.

 

[moparmat2000]

I bought a deep steel pan with a drain plug from a jeep supply place. Was $50 came with neoprene gasket, extender plate for the filter and a new filter. Best of both worlds. New heavy gage steel construction, holds extra quart, and has a drain plug.

 

[pishta]

Are you sure its the pan gasket? The kickdown pivot pin is exposed at the tailshaft mount, I had a leaker there once and of course all leaks drip down to the pan rail. That gasket looks good, noted for my build.

 

[RustyRatRod]

You can also make some load distributors similar to those found on valve covers for each bolt or pair of bolts. That would certainly help distribute the load. Of course I would straighten the holes out as outlined above first.

 

[ACME SS]

Take the pan and put pan rail on a solid surface then take a ball pen hammer and hit each bolt hole from the side that holds the gasket this pushes the hole back out so when you put a new gasket on it has pressure back on the gasket not a crown this will fix your pan leak

Thats a great idea! I'll do that. yeah 51 years and they get distorted

 

[ACME SS]

Are you sure its the pan gasket? The kickdown pivot pin is exposed at the tailshaft mount, I had a leaker there once and of course all leaks drip down to the pan rail. That gasket looks good, noted for my build.

Yep already fixed all that as i mentioned in the original post. It is tough to diagnose but I have a little camera that works with wifi to my phone and I can put it up in hard to see places.

 

[burdar]

I just purchased a reusable 904/A500/42rh/42re gasket from the dealer this weekend. Supposed to be the bee's knees.

 

[ACME SS]

You can also make some load distributors similar to those found on valve covers for each bolt or pair of bolts. That would certainly help distribute the load. Of course I would straighten the holes out as outlined above first.

YES! That was where I saw those! I was trying to remember what pan had them but it is valve covers. I think flattening the holes back and these combined would be perfect. The pan is the least of all the leaks I had. The worse was the shifter seal and then the neutral safety switch which I had swapped for another defective one last fall (chinese junk! first the virus, then these switches).

 

[CudaFactHackJob]

The only gasket I use is the fiber one by Duraprene or Farpak. About $3.50. I don't use a ball peen hammer because they knock down too small of an area. I have a claw hammer that I ground slightly convex that I use. I have never seen a hammer that would work on pans or valve covers. I knock down a substantial area. I don't just make it level; I hammer it past level about 1/16". At least 1/4" from the hole too. So when the bolts are tightened, they spread the pressure out between the bolts. These tuff fiber gaskets won't split with tons of torque on them. You could probably strip the case threads out before you could split one of these.