Oil pan Gasket???

[Glennster]

 My 340 oil pan is leaking at the right rear corner. Are there some gaskets that are better than others???
Can someone give me a quick how to on this?  I suspect it's pretty easy, but if there are some pitfalls that I can avoid due to your experience, I'd love to know about it.
THANK YOU!!!

[the_engineers]

This sucks to do with the motor in the car.  Are you sure it's not the rear main?

Short version:  Disconnect the steering center link and battery.  Remove the starter and transmission splash shield.  Drain the oil.  Unbolt the pan and carefully lower it.  Individual results around the motor mount will vary.

Clean off the old gasket.  Pound any distrotion around the bolt holes flat.  Install the new gasket with nice bead of silicone on the pan.  Once the gasket is in place, add a bead around it, drag it under the car and re-install.

I'm sure I missed something that others can add.

[ShelbyDogg]

Silicone sealer wet tries to squeeze your gasket out. You might want to get some high-tack, quick dry stuff and glue the gasket to the pan, face down on the bench. Now when you put it up there, all the holes will align.   Try to put it on wet and you'll need 5 hands.

[Glennster]

I'm '' kind of '' sure it's not the main...... I have the car on a lift, when the motor is at idle, I can see a drop of oil come out every 5 seconds. It looks like it's coming out between the far right rear oil pan bolt and the bolt just in front of that. Just below and to the rear of the oil filter.
  I think if it were the main, the oil would drip more toward the center rear of the pan.....

I wish I had someone else there at the time, I could have revved it a bit to see more leakage.

The pan is coming off, THANKS for the info Gentlemen! ! !

[dodge freak 2]

I chicken out and let a shop with a hoist do mine, lol. I got all the parts, even a new mildon oil pan and their oil pan studs. Guy at the shop said studs are the best way to go. He like Fel Pro prem dry and used Ulta Blue silicone all around. Said the rubber moon seals need silcone and you never mix high tack and silicone--best to use just one type of sealer all around.

I replaced the oil pump while the pan was down. Be sure the rails are oil free-use brake cleaner-not carb cleaner, carb cleaner is not oil free.

Car is in storage now but the limited time I had it oil pan was bone dry.

[Aussie Challenger]

  You always need to be careful where the rail gasket joins the half moon going over the main bearing caps. I use Hylomar spray on the gasket on the rails with a very small dob of silastic where the the 2 gaskets meet.   
  As said above make sure that the sump rails haven't domed up, tap flat if needed, don't over tighten sump bolts.   

[Glennster]

I suspect the leak is where the gaskets join, that seems like the weak link in the chain.  A buddy of mine who's a big GM guy says there's a one piece gasket that they have available for GM's. I think he said it's rubber or silicone???
 
I see where Mancini Racing has a one piece '' MILODON '' gasket, it says the won't rip or tear.......I just need it to stop the leak!!!

[the_engineers]

One piece gaskets are great.  I had one from SCE on a motor.

[Topcat]

I prefer to use new oil pan bolts. There's a nylon spot on the threads that prevents the bolts from back off and beginning a new leak later on. Maybe not necessary but cheap insurance.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mopar-A-B-E-Body-Cuda-273-318-340-360-OEM-Oil-Pan-Bolts_W0QQitemZ350088467681QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item5182e614e1

[Glennster]

Nobody makes a 1 piece oil pan gasket for the 340, that makes me very sad...... BUMMER! ! ! !

[Chryco Psycho]

I believe the only 1 piece gasket is for the Magnum pan which is different in the corners

[Glennster]

That's what I've been told......

[the_engineers]

Seems like a few people have success by filling in the corners with silicone.  SCE keeps saying the one they used to have is coming back, they just don't know when.

[73EStroker]

Said it before ............... there is a very expensive sealer out there called "The Right Stuff". Reason it is expensive ........... because it works and cures all your sealing problems. Never hardens and the tube is reusable months later by just loading into the caulking gun and squeezing. In Canada = $24 for a half tube.

[CHL2T]

I'm sure you have checked, but in case you haven't, are the bolts tight?
(Here I go again with the fix on the cheap) The pan on the 440 in the cuda cuda was leaking and I was planning on doing the gasket and when I started to loosen the bolts, I found most of them loose to the point of almost being able to back them out by hand.
I figured, nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I just tightened the bolts back up and PRESTO no leaks
Now If I could only seal up the 833 I would be stoked, but the seals are bad