Oil Pan Gasket

[Ncostello]

On my 91. 5 with 200K miles...



What is the OEM pan gasket material? Or how long should they last? Do they swell or harden? I wasn't sure if they were rubber or cork. Reason I ask is that I have some crud on the bottom end and didn't know if the blowby caused this or the pan gasket is seeping. OR both.



Thanks!!

 

[dpuckett]

Clean it all off, then tighten up the pan bolts. If it is like the rest of the engine, the gasket if rubber, might have steel center, and lifespan depends on a myriad of factors.



Daniel

 

[Shadrach]

The gasket is not rubber nor does it have a steel insert. The p/n has changed up several times over the years. It is made of a material similair to the air intake gasket, fuel pump mounting gasket and others. The current Cummins p/n ( 3959092 ) is "pink" in color. Shadrach

 

[Ncostello]

Well if the pan gasket ends up needing replaced... is it a completely flat surface? IE: Can I drop the pan enough to clean, then apply a bead of Cummins Triple Bond RTV and reinstall... all without lifting the engine up enough to remove the pan completely?



Hopefully it doesn't need replacement. Perhaps re-tightened.

 

[bgilbert]

The oil pan will accumulate oil/crud from leaky valve cover gaskets, front cover area and power steering area. I would power wash the bottom of the engine/truck real good before fooling with the oil pan gasket. Maybe after getting all the old crud off, go and retorque all the bolts you can get to. I imagine it's 18ftlbs.

 

[Texas Ted]

Be sure it is the pan gasket. I had evidence on mine too but after careful examination it turned out to be from the front cover. Ted