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I pulled off the oil pan so I can replace the gasket, clean it up and paint it with high temp 1200 degrees paint. First off, none of the nuts on the pan were tight. I am shocked the nuts didn't vibrate off. Then, when I pulled the pan off there is some kind of so called protective coating around the pan. Odd color.
Then I see welds!! Patches of metal. What the heck were they thinking?? I just bought an oil pan for 35 bucks! It was probably cheaper to buy the pan than to weld patches. I've never seen this before. LMAO! I just wanted to share this. I'm sure some of you would get a kick out of this.. LOL
The car isn't modified, except for the CAI. Everything else on the car is oem and original. It looks as if they put some type of protecting film all around it. Both sides of the pan have weld patches. I've never seen a pan this decayed. It's as if the protecting film developed rust and there's rust inside the pan!
Quick question.. Do I need RTV along with the gasket, or is the gasket enough for the pan? The PO used RTV along with the gasket and I've seen a couple videos where the also use RTV. I personally don't want to use RTV but, if I have to, I will. I just don't know if it's required.
The D17A2 (EX engine) oil pan gasket is just RTV. That probably explains why you saw videos of RTV being used
THE D17A1 (DX/LX engine) oil pan is a physical gasket. As far as I know, no RTV on that one, but I had an EX so never paid attention to the DX/LX instructions. If you can find a service manual, refer to that
I'm curious about something. I'm putting on the oil pan and as I tighten the screws, they keep going and going and going. They aren't stripped but, I'm not sure how far I go. Do I keep going until it actually can't go anymore, then torque? I feel as if the gasket will get crushed to a point where it will leak. I noticed the raised tabs on the pan lip where the gasket resides and I see the holes on the gasket that match the raised tabs. Does the raised tabs sit with the block to prevent crushing the gasket? I have all the nuts snugged but, it seems I can keep going. I can see the pan raise into the outer lip to where you don't see the gasket anymore. So, it looks to be seated flush with the block but, do I continue to tighten until the screws actually stop, then apply 8 ft lbs of torque?
Those raised tabs are actually spacers from the previous factory style gasket to keep you from over crushing the gasket and bending the pan at the bolt holes. Ideally you would have popped those off and cleaned up the residual gasket underneath.
Yes you were supposed to use a dab of grey RTV at the corners.
I have seen more than one “backyard” repair when a daily driver hit something like a ladder in the road and they needed to be back on the road the next morning.
