Oil pan issues - SR

[Rittmeister]

OK, S13 SR20DET.

I've been running an Ebay ripoff Greddy oil pan for several years, no problems, except that the casting is thicker than it should be with the result that it doesn't hold as much as I think it should.

Two years ago I tried a Tomei pan, but for the life of me could not keep it from leaking at the flange. I installed it four times, no luck. Always applied RTV in the pattern and thickness dicated by the FSM, always torqued the bolts in the order dictated by the FSM. Returned it and went back to the Freddy.

Last week I took delivery of a Moroso pan, thinking that maybe the steel Tomei pan just couldn't conform enough to the mating surface of the engine. After all, the stock pan and the Freddy pan had never leaked, right?

Well, I just got done installing the Moroso pan for the second time, and it too leaks at the flange. Same damn thing. I even followed a slightly different regimen with the sealant that was recommended to me by 240SXmotoring (who sold me the pan), involving sealant on both the pan and the engine, and waiting 24 hours before filling with oil, and it still didn't work.

So here are my questions - first, is there some property of red RTV that makes it less sticky than gray? I know the FSM calls for gray, but I always figured that red is just the same stuff rated for a higher temp, and I've used it successfully on everything but the Tomei and the Moroso pans. It's sealing my water necks, valve cover, and I used it on the Freddy pan and the stock pan. But is gray stickier? Will gray RTV solve this issue?

And second - I know I know I know that RTV is the sealant of choice, but I also know that plenty of cars out there use some kind of gasket on the oil pan. Does any company make one for the RWD SR?

I am both fed up and out of time to screw with this any longer; I have too much other work to do on the car in the next week or so to lose another day (or more) messing with this. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Propaganda]

I had to install my Moroso twice on my S13 blacktop. The first time I let it dry for 24 hours and it leaked. I redid it the following day waiting an hour, but I used even more RTV.

I sort of followed the directions on the package of the RTV when I put it on the second time. I put some on the pan and placed the pan on the engine. I then proceeded to tighten the nuts until some of the RTV came out. Came back later and torqued it to 7Nm. No leaks.


I used Ultra Black RTV Maximum Oil Resistance if that matters

[Rittmeister]

Dragging this back up. I am still fighting with this Moroso pan. No matter what I do it still leaks, though I've managed to get the leak down to a pinhole.

1. I KNOW the pan is straight - it's a quality part anyway.
2. I KNOW the mating surface on the engine is OK.
3. I KNOW both parts were clean and free of old gasket material.
4. I've used two different types of RTV in several different ways - drying time, bead size, surrounding bolt holes, using two beads of sealer instead of one, putting sealer on both surfaces, etc.

This sumbitch is still leaking, a tiny bit. I would REALLY like to try a gasket if one is available, despite the fact Nissan doesn't call for one.

Does ANYONE know of a gasket for the lower oil pan on an S13 SR20DET engine, either here or in Japan?

Any help appreciated. I've been dealing with this since July and I'm sick of it.

[ricroc636]

i used the copper orange silicone works like a charm no leaks at all. i have the ebay freddy oil pan and when i had to install it was hitting something and not lining up perfectly so i had to take off the oil catch pan (the piece that surrounds the oil pickup) and trim a lil corner off so the freddy would sit properly and put the orange silicone on both surfaces and bolted down and it never leaks

[Drft_S14]

go to an automotive store and look for " the right stuff " its made by permatex and it works wonders, oh make sure u go around the bolt holes too !! good luck man

[LongGrain]

^^^^ right stuff is where its at

[Rittmeister]

Last time I sealed it (Thurs) I ran TWO beads around the flange - one on the inside, one to the outside - AND surrounded each bolt hole with a circle of RTV.

What makes The Right STuff better than gray RTV? Just trying to find out here.

[Not You]

You can make your own gasket if you want and then RTV on top of that. They sell that gasket material at AutoZone. Try that and then tighten your oil pan down snug, let it dry, and then snug it down some more. Sometimes with RTV you can get bubbles that dont come up until its got pressure.

[Not You]

Oh, and those cast oil pans look cool and stuff but if you hit somthing, instead of just denting like a normal oil pan, it shatters... Good choice on the Moroso!

[Drft_S14]

to tell u the truth i have no idea hahaha, weve been using it with all our jobs and it hasnt failed, well i mean Permatex made is so its good ish haha



Last time I sealed it (Thurs) I ran TWO beads around the flange - one on the inside, one to the outside - AND surrounded each bolt hole with a circle of RTV.

What makes The Right STuff better than gray RTV? Just trying to find out here.

[R3cK]

damn tomei pan with the plain surface also leaks on mine >.<
god damn. thinking about going back to a greddy

[TheRealSy90]

Funny, I've installed oem, greddy, freddy, tomei, P2M, all with one bead of grey RTV and torqued per the FSM. All of them never leaked lol.

[hanzbrady]

Funny, I've installed oem, greddy, freddy, tomei, P2M, all with one bead of grey RTV and torqued per the FSM. All of them never leaked lol.

I've used Ultra Grey and just always smeared the RTV flat along the surfaces so that I know it distributes evenly and also have never had an issue with any of the pans lol.

[jedi03]

plus one on smearing...sometimes it will roll off the surface if not done...have seen this happen several times, started using a lot of silicone with thick bead...smear and then allow it to squish out and use rag to get excess...seals fast! just did my killer b pan in my sti this way...no leaks! good luck!


edit also did sentra sr20de factory pan this way...no leaks either!

[brndck]

Toyota rtv is the best shit ive used, but its $$$

go make friends with a dealer tech.

[TheRealSy90]

Only issue with using too much is the stuff that squishes out INSIDE the pan you can't exactly wipe off. And you don't want it falling into your oil and clogging your pickup screen or worse oil galleries.