Maybe the trouble is, these pans have been grossly over torqued so many times the screw holes are all pulled up. Putting a good long straight edge on the rail shows this. Maybe the cork material of today isn't as firm as it once was? This is the only leak demon I have yet to conquer except for about 7 or 8 months, then it begins to show signs of weeping again. Retorquing  helps but for a shorter period until the raised holes are touching the engine block. At this point, no more compression can be added to the gasket between the bolt holes. It's not just the area at the rear main seal either. Maybe my pan is in worst shape than most? Every where else on my engine has been dry for years except the weeping oil pan. I'm going to try hammering out the raised up holes or devise a screw press like I use for extracting suspension bushings to level the pulled up holes. . Was disappointed to learn the "Best" gasket is just cork. NPD sells cork pan gaskets for $10.  So, level the pan rail and make a gasket from a sheet of silicone material?  If a gasket becomes too thick, there will be trouble fitting the oil pickup tube in the oil pump. 

64F100 57FAIRLANE500

My search for a neoprene pan gasket came up empty.  I’m puzzled that the same system that has worked so well with my valve covers (RTV/grease) isn’t also common for the pan (?), thus halving the surfaces that could leak, and allowing easy removal/gasket reuse.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

I think 2721955Meteor has a reinforcement kit for the Y-block oil pan.He posted it, but it didn't generate much interest. At least one member said it either wouldn't work or it's not necessary. Anything that will help our Y-blocks to leak less is an improvement. 

Evidently filling in the pan rail groves didn't help much either.  I have been kicking around the idea of purchasing the rigid piece that surrounds the rear of the pan  or fabricating my own. Have you folks tried this? The provider of this rigid clamping aid has advertised on this site in the past. Did it help? Maybe if one was made to surround the entire pan would be the asswer  Modern pan rails are flat and make use of a steel reinforced silicone gasket with inserts in the bolt holes to limit the amount of crush.  Unfortunately, that technology, or any part of it, has not spilled over to our engines yet.  

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Ted can chime in most certainly, but it is my understanding that the channels in the oil pan rail are there to keep things rigid along the rail and to keep it from flexing between bolt holes. 

I am thankful for Ted's 2 cents on the cork gasket for the oil pan - I thought it was my "user error" that had caused my gasket to leak a little at the rear. Now I know otherwise. I do like to use some of mama's thread to keep the gasket in place, but she is always good about that and knows I will put the spool back when I am done. 



Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Ted,
I’m curious re: the recesses/grooves in the oil pan’s rail.  I assume they are there to provide some traction, and hinder gadget displacement when tightening (?), though they seem rather deeper than needed.  The pan that I have has had the grooves on one side filled previously with what looks like black RTV (old/crumbly now), and wonder if I should bother to clean them out before installation (?).
Could you shed any light on the issue?

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Thanks Ted, that explains why the gasket is cork as opposed to the usual black fiber combination. I may have the opportunity to arrange fabrication  for a 1 piece steel rail with holes that completely covers the entire under side of the pan flange, attempt to straighten out the gasket surface of the pan, hunt for a quality gasket and put the pan weeping oil issue to bed for good.   There is a rubber gasket now on epay but I've seen rubber gaskets react to modern motor oil. Hopefully the switch back to the black fiber material doesn't take too long. 

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Black fiber or cork on the oil pan gasket you received?

With the pandemic, Best Gasket could not source the black fiber material and switched to cork for both the oil pan and valley cover gaskets.  The holes (aka punch-outs) are really hard to spot on the oil pan gaskets using the cork material versus the black fiber material.  I am currently waiting on the gasket material to be switched back to the black fiber material before placing a ‘stocking’ order of those gaskets.  Have had some oil leakage issues with the cork oil pan gaskets in the rear seal area which has required some RTV in the rear oil seal retainer bolt holes.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I was wrong about the "Best" pan gasket. My son visited us today and was able to see the outline of the punchings with his much younger eyes. He also bent the gasket further than I dared and one punching popped out. I have bought these gaskets in the past where I had to push out the material at the holes but missed seeing them in this case. The throwout bearing was definitely defective though. Sorry for the false alarm with the pan gasket.

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I have an idea the pandemic caused a lot of changing of the guards and will take some time to get the wheels oiled and turning again. Sent back the bearing, now waiting for another one and will deal with the gasket tomorrow. Frustrating but "we'll fix it."

64F100 57FAIRLANE500