SoonerBrad88

iTrader: (15)

I recently did a h/c swap on my car and went through it and replaced all of the gaskets, the oil pan being one of them. After i got everything back together and ran the car for a day or two I lifted it up and noticed some saturation around the bolt holes on the pan and on the bolt heads. It was a brand new GM gasket I put in. Is there any explanation for this what seems to be a leak?
Also I was thinking about taking them out one at a time and re-installing them with some thread sealant that I used to seal the intake rocker bolts. Does anyone have a better suggestion?

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

Putting sealant on the threads won't stop the gasket from leaking.

Who's gasket did you use?

SoonerBrad88

iTrader: (15)

Its ac delco gasket from GM

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

I'm thinking this:

If oil was leaking from somewhere else, where would it end up? On the oil pan & it's bolts.

It's odd that these gaskets leak like that, I'd look elsewhere.

SoonerBrad88

iTrader: (15)

I will take another look to be sure but it doesn't seem to be running down from anywhere. I will also try to get some pictures of it as well. Thanks for your input.

gMAG

iTrader: (1)

Is the oil on ALL of the bolts, or is it only on the rears?
A leak at the front will be sent rearward with the aid of wind at highway speeds.
The engine is on an incline...front higher than rear.
When the gasket was installed, did the installer place a dab of sealer at all four corners?
Try wiping everything off, take a drive, then let everything cool off. This will allow the oil to seep. You may be better able to see what is happening.

.boB

iTrader: (1)

Get a dye test kit. That works really well for tracking down small leaks.

J1D2warrior

iTrader: (2)

did you use a dab of sealant on the 4 corners where the oil pan meets the front and rear engine covers?

SoonerBrad88

iTrader: (15)

I did not put sealant on the back corners. It got a bead under the timing cover but not the rear cover. Could that be my problem?

SSCamaro99_3

iTrader: (1)

Also check for cracks. If everything is not put together in the proper sequence you can crack the pan across the bolt holes, ask me how I know.

J1D2warrior

iTrader: (2)

yep. where both the front and rear covers meet the oil pan needs to have sealant.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

That's correct.

After you've installed the front & rear covers so the edges at the oil pan rail are the same, you need to put some silicone on the corners at these spots. This goes on before the oil pan gasket.

SoonerBrad88

iTrader: (15)

That's probably my issue then. The front cover got sealant on the bottom of it but the rear cover didnt.