# Torque Specs on oil pan bolts



## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

I've had a very minor, slow leak on my oil pan sealant for a couple months. Which my initial thought was, i thought was a tear in the gasket. But after searching around, it appears there is no actual gasket for the oil pan. Just a sealant tube of goop to run along the top edges of the pan. And for $20, im getting off a lot cheaper than I had thought. 

With all that said, does anyone have the correct torque-specs for the (i believe) Torx bolts holding the pan in place? Are they re-usuable or will I need new ones?


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## Dronks (Jun 7, 2011)

7 foot pounds according to Bentley. Get an inch pound torque wrench, it'll be a lot more accurate. 

Sounds like you're just putting a new bead on your existing pan. When you remove it be very careful not to bend it. It bends easy, be careful. 

EDIT: Using a copper blade to scrape the old gasket material from the mating surfaces will reduce/eliminate gouging the surfaces.


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

awesome man. thanks for the info!


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## Dronks (Jun 7, 2011)

No problem


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## marc4golf (Jun 21, 2012)

what kind of sealant did you use? i have to do my gasket real soon since its leaking. just seeing if what u used was good and if its still working well


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

its a liquid paste sealant. I actually never used the sealant for my motor. But my wife was fortunate enough to rip her oil pan last year, and it came as apart of the oil pan kit from Urotuning (i think). It's held up just fine through a few oil changes, thus far.


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## Reflex 2.5 (Dec 15, 2012)

Grey RTV silicone sealant is what's usually recommended. Look for this version: http://www.permatex.com/products-2/...the-right-stuff--1-minute-gasket--grey-detail about as quick as you lay the bead, the pan's ready to install, torque, and refill.


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## TheFreeMan (May 25, 2014)

Ancient thread, I know...

I picked up a gasket from RockAuto in addition to the new oil pan. Do I simply use the gasket or do I need to use the RTV gasket maker, or both?

Last time I did any gaskets, I was a kid holding stuff for dad... I just don't remember...


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## nekkidlad (Oct 4, 2013)

Personally I would suggest just use sealant it’s easier. You’ll want to use gasket OR sealant. Make sure both the pan and the block are clean and dry when applying gasket or sealer. Use something to clean both surfaces that’s not steel to prevent any damage to the pan and or block, as mentioned above on one of the posts, a copper scraper will work. A razor will work too, but be super careful not to scrape or gauge the surfaces, it may give you another leak.

If using a gasket, anywhere there’s a section where more than two surfaces meet on the block(after cleaning you’ll see), you’ll want to put a dab of sealant for extra safety(just use about a pea sized amount).


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## TheFreeMan (May 25, 2014)

Thanks. I guess I'll get some sealant and a razor sharp copper scraper. 

On the bright side, I don't have any leaks. The down side is that my oil pan is starting to rust through. The factory finish is flaking off and there's _plenty_ of rust visible. Next oil change in just a couple thousand miles - working from home these days, that may be 6 months...


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## nekkidlad (Oct 4, 2013)

TheFreeMan said:


> Thanks. I guess I'll get some sealant and a razor sharp copper scraper. <img src="http://www.vwvortex.com/Anthony/Smilies/wink.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Wink" class="inlineimg" />
> 
> On the bright side, I don't have any leaks. The down side is that my oil pan is starting to rust through. The factory finish is flaking off and there's _plenty_ of rust visible. Next oil change in just a couple thousand miles - working from home these days, that may be 6 months...


If you’re seeing rust, I’d suggest buying a new pan, even if you don’t end up needing it, you can always return it if you don’t need it. Better to have one on hand til you assess the true condition of yours.

Years ago I was doing a oil pan gasket on a customer car when I still worked at a shop. While cleaning up the rust and dirt from the pan, I found 3 holes in it that were literally plugged by rust and dirt clots. When I cleaned it ended up becoming Swiss cheese. Luckily we had one in the parts dept, and it was only like a $40 add to the job.

If/when you get yours off, I recommend cleaning it up very well with brake cleaner or some other kind of good degreaser and a steel brush, specially on those rusty spots. If it was me I’d make sure it’s clean and dry, then hit it with at least some new paint. Or better yet, some kind of rust reformer to keep it looking nice and keep any new rust from coming back asoon.


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## Timbert (Jul 22, 2017)

Sometimes the pans like this are cheap enough to replace rather than bother scraping the gasket off. I always use a steel brush and never had a problem, and a regular razor carefully. I only keep the black high temp ATV around and use that, just always done it that way.

The bolts are reusable but have some blue lock-tite stuff on them that's a pain to brush off. In a shop environment when time is money, you can imagine why those get replaced rather than cleaning 14 or 16 of them one by one.


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