Oil Pan Gasket

An oil leak, if not checked on time or ignored, can drain substantial oil that was essential for the smooth functioning of the car engine, and, in fact, could cause internal damage to the engine. If you've been noticing successively a puddle of oil where you park your car, it's time you get your vehicle checked or check yourself for an oil leak. So what exactly causes an oil leak in a car? There could be two reasons behind an oil leak. One could be that the oil pan is broken or damaged, in case of which replacing oil pan is what that resolves the problem, while the other reason could be an oil pan gasket leak due to a damaged or broken oil gasket,

An oil pan is that part of the engine that pools or holds the oil running through the engine to function correctly. It is located under the engine and, depending on the size of the engine, the capacity of the oil pan in holding the oil can range between 3 and 10 quarts of oil. Oil pan gasket is something that seals the oil pan at the lower section of the engine block. Mostly, when an oil leak is detected in a car, it requires an oil pan replacement or it could be resolved by replacing the old gasket, depending on the source and cause of the leak. Many a time, repair involves replacing the entire unit altogether, as in most cases the gaskets are either broken or are cracked causing the leak. Replacement may seem to be an elaborate job but carrying it out correctly and carefully would ensure that you wouldn't have to spend a hundred dollars or so as the replacement cost to an auto mechanic.

Oil Pan Gasket Replacement

Although oil pan replacement procedures may vary slightly depending on the type of the car or vehicle, the basic principle remains the same and so the following procedure may be of a considerable help if you don't wish to go to a mechanic who could quote an unreasonable amount for the same. To start with, you'd need a jack, jack stands, new oil pan gasket, sockets, new oil, ratchet, flat head screwdriver and some rags.

• Park the car on a flat surface, for car safety you may want to place a piece of wood or a brick behind the rear tires. Now first jack the front of the car and then lower it onto the stands. Before you crawl into the made up space under the car, ensure that the space is sufficient enough to carry out the process easily. It is also important to let the car cool off, if it was running a while ago.
• Once you've fixed and positioned the car to carry out the remaining procedure safely, start draining the oil into a drain pan. Now depending on the type of the car, the oil pan may be attached with different car parts or accessories such as the air-conditioning bracket, the exhaust nuts or bolts and other brackets. All these will need to be removed to reach the oil pan. If the exhaust nuts or bolts are rusted (most likely they will be) then it is advisable to spray some penetrating oil on them and then let it soak in it for about five to ten minutes.
• The next step is the removal of the exhaust pipe that is placed under the oil pan. Also remove the hoses attached to the oil pan in order to get access to the oil pan. Once that's done, remove the bolts that hold the oil pan using the sockets. Even when you have all the bolts off the oil pan, the chances are that the oil pan won't fall of its own and therefore you'd have to use a soft hammer to tap the side of the oil pan gently for it to come off. You could also use the flat screwdriver and remove it gently. Whatever tool you use to remove the oil pan, do it carefully as the oil pan is made of thin aluminum and hitting it hard could form a dent on it, and also because, despite the leakage, the pan may contain some oil.
• Check for any possible dents on the oil pan and ensuring that there aren't any, scrape of the old oil pan gasket from the oil pan. Clean the engine block and the oil pan and using the rags, wipe it thoroughly before installing the new oil pan gasket.
• Finally, install the new gasket using all those nuts and bolts that were previously removed, also attach the accessory brackets etc., that were removed, refill the crankcase with oil and then start the engine to inspect for any oil leak.

Although may seem like an easy procedure, it's better if you go through your owner's manual or the service manual that gives you a clear overview on the engine and the other parts.