Oil pan gasket ???

[turkehunt]

Just pulled my oil pan and am cleaning & repainting it ! Oil pickup and screen is clean and very little sludge in the pan  ::)So that is good news !
What type sealer is best to use on the new cork gasket I got from Walcks ??
I got some black rtv sealant but have read some post saying not to use this with a cork gasket ??
Thanks in advance for the replys !

[Carls_jeep]

I don't see a problem using RTV on cork gaskets. You want to be sure the gasket surface on the pan is flat. Use a hammer and flat surface to flatten any areas that are high or low. Put a thin coat of sealer on the crankcase surface and on the pan surface and put the gasket on the pan if the engine is in the Jeep or on the block if the engine is out of the Jeep and upside down.

I think what most are concerned about using RTV or any other sealer is the gasket moving as you tighten it up. Most people tighten a cork gasket to much and it bulges out everywhere. You want to snug all the bolts evenly then go around the pan in a circle and turn the bolts 1/8 turn until the bolts are snugged up without the gasket bulging out anywhere.

Cork gives a lot and the idea of using a cork gasket is it conforms to the surfaces to fill gaps. If you over tighten the cork gasket it will lessen it's ability to seal. What I do is tighten a cork gasket evenly all around and then snug it just a little with no bulging. After a few hours the sealer will set up and you can give it another 1/8 turn or you can wait until you run the engine and get it hot. After it cools then snug the bolts.

What ever you do, don't over tighten the bolts and be sure the pan gasket surface is flat every where.

[Gunslinger]

I've had a lot of success with oil pan gaskets by throwing the cork gasket away and just useing the black or blue RTV, apply a liberal coating, circle the bolt holes and bolt it into place.  Let it cure and it won't leak.  Cork gaskets are famous for scooting out of the way as you tighten them up and adding RTV to that equation just makes it worse.  Using both seems redundant to me so I just use RTV, and on 6 restos its still holding up.  These old oil pans are really hard to get flat enough, especially with the rib in the center which is supposed to be the pressure point for the cork gasket.  My 2cents.

[Carls_jeep]

It all depends on how brutal you are when tightening the bolts. Just using a coating of RTV is a good solution for those with a heavy hand. It's interesting how loose the bolts can be and a cork gasket still seal, even without a sealant on the gasket.

[Quebec Jeep]

Do we need to torque the bolt to some specifications?

[Carls_jeep]

I don't torque cork gaskets, just tighten the bolts until the cork begins to show some squeezing and stop. Any more than that will squeeze the cork out from between the sealing area.

If you have issues with cork just use a paper gasket with RTV sealer.

[turkehunt]

Thanks for replys !

[SDSUPILOT]

I normally use some stuff from NAPA.  High tack gasket sealant is what its called.  You brush it on the gasket or the mating surface and let it sit for a couple minutes, then mount the pieces together.  It seems to do a good job of holding the cork gaskets in place.