Moss Motors, Ltd

I have another question.

I have pulled the motor and I know that the oil pan gasket is bad.  I am guessing it is much easier to replace while the engine is out, but I have limited time.  Is this gasket ok to silicone, or should I order the right part and install it while the engine is in the car?  Also, how easy is that gasket to replace while the engine is in the car?

 

Thank you!

Matt.

---

If it's got an engine, I want to play with it.

First, where is it leaking?  The rear I'll bet.  Probably the front too.

It most likely IS bad (most of them are), but you may be surprised to find that replacing it will not stop it from leaking oil but it may slow it down.

Read here to find out why. 

As to how easy it is to replace a pan gasket, it can be done from under the car, but a lift works better due to the restricted ground clearance.  It is a messy job. You cannot seal the rear bearing cap to the block with the engine backplate attached (see the link) and it is likely to be the source of most of the leak at the rear.

The gasket is a 4 piece affair consisting of 2 cork strips for the caps and 2 paper or cork pieces for the sides.  It will eventually seep oil no matter what you do because of what it is made of.  I have replaced my cap pieces with ultra silicone, but the sides still seep over time.  If you use silicone for the cap pieces, use "The Right Stuff" since its drying time is much quicker.  Ultra black or blue may take days to set firm.

If I were you, I would just suck it in and wait for a new gasket, since its a hassle working under any car .

If you decide to tackle the rear main cap, I used Yamabond 4 and it works.  It is a metal to metal sealant used in the motorcycle industry to join case halves and works well. Good for reinforcing paper gaskets too,  Any Yamaha dealer should stock it.  Just make sure you don't over do it and get some squeezed onto the bearing surface

Hope this helps

---

-Michael

How do you dry Yamahabond? do you just let it sit there when you have covered your Oil Pan? and how long before it dries up?

Usually just a minute, long enough to get the parts ready to assemble.   Some new gaskets come with a bead of it already applied, so time is not ultra critical. Just a thin film is what you want, do not gob it on.  When I apply it, I let the stuff flow out of the tube in a thin stream and allow it to lay on the gasket surface in a bead about 1/8" wide once it has flowed out level.  Practice first.  A fresh tube will flow really fast and may have solvent at the top of the tube. Squeeze that out first.

the stuff will start to skin almost immediately since it has a solvent carrier, but once set, does not dissolve easily. You can clean fresh residue with brake cleaner.  It sticks to a clean dry surface best.

There will be some small amount of squeeze out so try not to apply any of it within 1/8" of the main bearing.

---

-Michael