Basically, should I change it? I've got a small leak and it looks like it's coming from there. I need to change the oil anyway, so I figured I would knock that out as well to be safe. In the aircraft work, we do a lot of preventative maintenance, so to me it seems like a good idea, though it looks like a tight fit squeezing the pan out around the exhaust.


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An oil pan gasket change falls more under corrective maintenance instead of preventative. There's threads on the board on how to change the gasket out with the engine in the car. You didn't mention where the location on the pan gasket the leak is on....but it won't matter that much if it's indeed the pan gasket and not the rear seal.

I prefer to just yank the whole engine out myself.

 

Just because it looks like its leaking from the oil pan doesn't mean that it is. Check the rear of the intake manifold and the valve cover gaskets for leaks. Oil can run down from those areas and look like it is coming from the pan and they are a lot easier to replace than the oil pan gasket.

 

I'm not quite ready to yank out an engine, honestly. The leak looks like it's coming from the side and not the rear, if that's any help. And it's small, maybe a drop or two a night.

It looks like the pan will come right out with a bit of wiggling, is that the case? If not, I may just watch it and wait until I finally decide to redo the exhaust, since that looks to be the only thing on the way.


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The motor will have to be lifted for the pan to clear the connecting rods. It's not too difficult with a lift, but you're still working under a dripping mess trying to get old gasket off and a good seal. I'd prefer to pull.

Either way, in or out, I'd go ahead and replace the rear main and timing chain cover gasket while you're there. An 84 is almost certainly leaking a little at the rear seal, unless it's been changed before.

 

Yes...what he said.

But if it's leaking out the side??...sounds silly, but it could be your valve covers or something a lot simpler. Did you try tightening all the bolts another 1/4 turn or so on the pan?

 

I found the receipts from the rebuild, and both the valve cover and intake got new gaskets in 2010, but it doesn't look like the oil pan got a new gasket. No other gaskets got done then.


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Got a bolt in this hole?