New design oil pan gasket?

[charlie1]

My trusted Buick dealer telle me their is a new and improved Oil pan gasket for the 3800 gm motor. Made by Fel Pro and costs about $50.00 list price.
Anyone had any experience or heard about this item?
Thanks
Chas

[Shelby]

Fel Pro does makes some great gaskets for this engine. They do work better than others and are a little more money.

Be careful that you DON'T OVER TORQUE TTHE BOLTS .

[tjenkins]

What is the proper torque on these bolts?

--Tom

[tjenkins]

Looked in the manual - 124 foot pounds. Now, how many 'fingers' is that on the torque wrench?

Seems kinda high to me.

--Tom

(just confirmed - its "pounds inch"... above still applies - how many fingers?)

Perhaps you mean inch pounds?
chas

[Shelby]

Use a torgue wrench the specs are in the papers that comes with the gaskets.

[padgett]

14 lb-ft or about the same as a spark plug. How many fingers depends on how long the rachet is ( I generally use a shorty here). The idea is tight enough to compress the gasket without deforming the oil pan. Have a ball peen hammer I use to undeform such while the pan is off.

The secret to no leaks is not playing godzilla with the bolts but careful surface preparation. Personally do not use Permatex or RTV unless necessary, just like to coat the gasket with a film of oil & bolts with anti-seize. Have a friend who insists on installing gaskets dry but we differ there.

My three secrets to assembilng/ R&R engines are
- rigorous cleanliness, $5 "box of rags" is just part of the job
- assortment of sizes of ziploc baggies and labels
- do not start until have everything needed to finish (but there are always surprises).

Just as an example of the first, when ever I get a crank back from polishing (do not believe in turning unless a replacement is unobtainable), I clean out every oil passage with pipe cleaners & solvent. Would be surprised how much gunk I find waiting to wipe out bearings on first crank.

Of course being an amateur and not a professional, have time to do it that way. Having an assortment of spare vehicles/engines/transmissions helps also.

[grm]

general motors has three trans filters, the best is a three layer ( 2 rubber with metal in the center ). part # 8678681 GASKET, OI $ 45.32 shop manual calls for 10 ft lbs for the trans pan bolts. thanks grm

[charlie1]

I had my Buick dealer install one of these FelPro gaskets installed on my OIL PAN last December.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND it well worth the money.
it is BONE DRY under my car.
GO FOR IT !
Charlie