dropping oil pan

[busycoupe]

Ok, I've the pan gaskets and a rear main seal ready to go. I'm going to try to stem at least one of the oil leaks under my car. Now, my question is do I need to take of the center link on the steering, or can I drop the pan without removing the centerlink? There is a couple of inches clearance, but I'm not sure that it will be enough. I have a '48 D24 coupe.

[randroid]

busycoupe,

I didn't need to drop anything on my '48 P-15 and hopefully your Dodge won't be too much different.

-Randy

[james curl]

Centerlink? You talking about the right side tie rod? To my knowledge Dodge did not go to a front cross member mounted centerlink until they went to the Hemi. They used a side draglink to the centerlink like the early 50s chevys did. That got the steering box off the inside of the frame and up on top with a vertical pitman arm to clear the exhaust manifold.

[grey beard]

If you have an early engine, you can only replace the lower half of the rear main seal. If you have the later style, you can roll the top half of the neoprene rear main seal in - likely need to relax all the main bearing cap screws to get clearance to get it in place. This is also a good time to make sure the front main seal in the timing cover isn't also leaking - a new pan gasket won't help that leak one bit.

When your pan is off and completely cleaned up in the gasket surface areas, put down a layer of gasket sealer - not silicone goop - and lay your two pan gasket side pieces on top of the sealer, then drop your cleaned pan bolts througfh the gasket holes to get the gasket exactly in position. Now let it dry like this for a day.

When the gasket is completely dry, glue your two rectangular end pieces in place, centering them so an equal amount sticks out each end. DO NOT cut these ends off. You will want to do this, but don't do it. Let it dry for anoher day.

When all the gasiet sealer is dry, carefully put the pan in place and hold it there till you have some bolts started in place. Now get all the rest of the bolts started. After they're all started, begin to tighten them carefully and equally.

You don't want any tight pan bolts - you want a tight oil pan. There's a difference. I suggest you go aound these bolts four or five times, snugging each one the same amount, so they each feel equally tight. Keep at it until they are all good and snug.

It is the easiest thing in the world to crank down on one pan bolt and pinch the pan gasket into two pieces. When you do this, the noise you didn't hear was a new oil leak on your new pan gasket. That is what you want to avoid at all costs.

AND, if you have one lying around, it's a good idea to put a big old speaker magnet inside the pan, on the bottom, away from the oil sump pick-up tube. It'll keep any stray wear metal pieces out of suspension in the oil, and away from moving engine parts, where they can't hurt anything. JMHO

[Don Coatney]

When the gasket is completely dry, glue your two rectangular end pieces in place, centering them so an equal amount sticks out each end. DO NOT cut these ends off.

I disagree with gluing the end pieces in place. I greased my end pieces (both sides) and let them float to find the sweet spot. I have no leaks. I have removed my oil pan twice and used the same gaskets when I replaced it. I also used gasket cement on only one side of the side pieces where the bolts go through. I greased the other side after the gasket cement had cured.

[greg g]

when i tighten the oil pan bolts, I start in the ceter and work out in an X pattern tightening progressively in three or 4 go rounds.

[busycoupe]

Thank you to everyone. I will hopefully take it apart Sunday or Monday. I'll let you know what I find.

Dave