5.0 Oil Pan Questions

tekatlarge · Post by **tekatlarge** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:55 pm

Anyone got any experience with pan gaskets on the 5.0?

Acording to the TSB's there is a replacement gasket for the 5.0 that I think is a rigid type gasket. It mentions that the gasket is a 1 piece with rigid rails..

Has anyone seen this new gasket or had any exp with it. What gasket in your opinion is the best for the pan...

Thanks,

mccutcheon4 · Post by **mccutcheon4** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:26 pm

I have had 221s, 260s, 289s, 302s & 351s and have never had any problems getting the pans to seal up, even with the cheapest gaskets.
I tore a 1988 5.0 apart a few months back and it had a one piece gastkets you described. I had never seen one before that. The typical old four piece lash up, works fine on these motors. I have even replaced the front cover gasket by itself with out pulling the entire pan and they still seal up easy.

I am new to the 2.8s, there seems to be some kind of VOODOO involved in trying to get them sealed up.

Good luck, Mcutcheon4

Michael99 · Post by **Michael99** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:14 am

On the 2.8 you gotta use black rtv sealent on the oil pan to get it to seal up. I used it on the top and bottom of the gasket and so far after a year I have no oil leaks. You also got to do the same with the valve cover gaskets or the valve covers will leak as if no gasket is there. From what I have seen and found the 2.8's only have two piece gaskets even though I would of loved a 1 piece.

DBrown · Post by **DBrown** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:24 am

I havent had any problems with the 4 pece gaskets on 5.0's. just put a little RTV in the corners where the pieces go together and you will be fine.

also if you are installing the gasket with the motor in then use some grease to hold the gasket where you need it untill you get it all together it saves some frustration

mccutcheon4 · Post by **mccutcheon4** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:45 pm

DBrown, Back when I was doing Chevs V8s, I used to have a tough time getting the ends of the intakes to seal up, the rubber gaskets that are between the block and each end of the intake, would squeeze out when the intake was being installed .

A friend, knew one of the writers/editors of "How to hot rod your big block Chev" and he asked the writer/editor, how he dealt with the leak prone end gaskets. His suggestion was, to try using weather strip adhesive or contact cement to locate them with. We tried it, and it was great ! no more leaky intake problems. It was a trick that worked very well. That was roughly 35 years ago, RTV and silicone sealers were not readily available yet.

Anyway, just though I would toss that one out there.

tekatlarge · Post by **tekatlarge** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:28 am

Thats some good info to know guys thanks for the info.

Just for grins I called and talked to my contact at ford.
Acording to him the new Gasket is indeed rigid on the side rails and ruberized on the ends. This is a 1 piece gasket. They also offer the stock 3 piece. When he checked on usage of this part it was almost non existant and of course they did not have one so you can see they don't use them much.

I then went to the local Napa store and they show they sell both a soft 1 piece and a cork 3 piece gasket and usage is about equal on both types.

I bit the bullet and bought the ruberized flexible 1 piece.

Side note: I have never been a big fan of silicone or RTV as a sealent on an Engine. I learned my engine building by some of the best "Old Fashioned" engine builders. One engine builder that I worked with a lot said something like this. "If it is gonna seal, it will seal just like the factory factory does with sparing drops of RTV". He always said if the factory doesn't use a bunch of gasket sealer then why should you!! Good thing to remember. Now a days you see the factory using RTV to cover up bad engineering. I have taken too many engines apart anf found every color of silicone RTV squished out inside. Well if the factory uses a little bit in the corners it is safe to use a very small amount....I just hate to see an engine that is held together with Silicone RTV and no gaskets..

Ok long wind is over. class dismissed Muh hahaha

mccutcheon4 · Post by **mccutcheon4** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:41 am

Tekatlarge, I completely agree. RTV or silicone does work well in some cases though, like in the corners of intakes, the corners of pan gaskets and so on. I have found that it actually will make gaskets squeeze out, if not left to partially set up before tightening up the item being installed. I also found big globs of it in an oil pump pick up screen once. That's scary ! I prefer High-Tack, it sets fast and doesn't alter the thickness of a gasket. I am new to the 2.8 though, and have yet to do a set of valve covers. Most of the posts here seem to swear by the use of RTV on those covers. I guess I will find out soon.
Mccutcheon4

Michael99 · Post by **Michael99** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:47 am

I agree that rtv sealent is overused sometimes but sometimes you just have to use the stuff to seal up some parts. On the 2.8 and the valve covers you better use it or you will be going through a lot of trouble to redo the job. I dont know why the 2.8 has such a hard time sealing around those covers but ohh the aggrevation lol. My truck doesnt have a computer system, sensors, ac or any of that junk so the time spent on sealing them depends on how fast I can take the bolts off. I was to where I used a drill with a socket adapter to zip the bolts out. But my first attempt was using the cork gaskets and they leaked shortly after driving the truck. So I said ok and tightened the covers down more and they still leaked. So I said the hell with it and bought rubber ones and that helped a little more but it still leaked even after making the bolts really tight. I was angry enough I kicked the door on my truck and left a nice size dent in it lol. But I finally got some black rtv sealent and applied it to the top and bottom of the valve covers and tightened the bolts down tight to the heads and I have never had a drop leak since then and that has been about a year now.