• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

240 Oil Pan Too Tight and Leaking

Rusty_ratchet

Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2015
Location
Southwest
1985 Volvo 240

A few months ago my oil pan gasket was leaking. I paid a mechanic come over to the house and replace it, and I helped where I could. The gasket is a Volvo gasket. The mechanic used RTV on the oil pan and part of the block. It was leak free until last week. I put UV dye in the oil and confirmed that it is the oil pan gasket that is leaking (checked rear cam seal, oil pressure sender, head, etc). I checked the torque of the oil pan bolts and they are too tight, close to 20 lb-ft using a torque wrench accurate for that range (spec is 8 lb-ft). My concern is that the pan was deformed by the bolts being too tight. I assume the only solution is to redo the job and flatten the pan. Is there another way? Is there something else I should be looking at or for?
 
I had what looked to be an oil pan gasket leak on my '82 244 Turbo, only to discover the oil pressure sensor wasn't tightened enough, causing oil to leak past its threads and down the side of the block onto the top of the oil pan gasket.
 
I had what looked to be an oil pan gasket leak on my '82 244 Turbo, only to discover the oil pressure sensor wasn't tightened enough, causing oil to leak past its threads and down the side of the block onto the top of the oil pan gasket.

I looked for the UV dye at the oil pressure sender and didn't see any. It's coming from the passengers side of the oil pan, and doesn't appear to be coming from above the pan.
 
It's common for the pan bolts to be over tightened in an attempt to slow an oil leak. The solution is to tap the pan down at the bolt holes. I use a ball peen hammer with the ball end in the pan bolt hole and the pan rail supported on a steel bench. Then use another hammer on the flat face of the ball peen (always wear eye protection and gloves) to tap the metal down. 2 good smacks on each hole usually does it.

Note: Use good quality hammers. I have a piece of metal in my left hand from doing this with an inferior hammer. The doctors tried for several hours to locate and remove it, but they couldn't.
 
It's common for the pan bolts to be over tightened in an attempt to slow an oil leak. The solution is to tap the pan down at the bolt holes. I use a ball peen hammer with the ball end in the pan bolt hole and the pan rail supported on a steel bench. Then use another hammer on the flat face of the ball peen (always wear eye protection and gloves) to tap the metal down. 2 good smacks on each hole usually does it.

Note: Use good quality hammers. I have a piece of metal in my left hand from doing this with an inferior hammer. The doctors tried for several hours to locate and remove it, but they couldn't.

Thanks! I'll do this when I put on the new gasket.

Do you have any tips for removing RTV? I've heard that ammonia or gasoline do a good job.
 
Last edited:
Note: Use good quality hammers. I have a piece of metal in my left hand from doing this with an inferior hammer. The doctors tried for several hours to locate and remove it, but they couldn't.

I had to go to the er after a hammer chunk flew into my arm and cut an artery ...... $1700 for literally being there for 30 min. Some super glue, band aid and a shot..... I felt like a chump going ..... but blood was squirting out like a squirt gun


I’m just lucky it didn’t hit my eye. Pretty sure I had protection


As far as stuff being stuck in skin. I had 1/2 inch piece of stick in my finger for 2-3 years... didn’t even bleed when it went in so I thought nothing of it. Few years later wife felt something stiff under my skin and got it out
 
I had to go to the er after a hammer chunk flew into my arm and cut an artery ...... $1700 for literally being there for 30 min. Some super glue, band aid and a shot..... I felt like a chump going ..... but blood was squirting out like a squirt gun


I?m just lucky it didn?t hit my eye. Pretty sure I had protection


As far as stuff being stuck in skin. I had 1/2 inch piece of stick in my finger for 2-3 years... didn?t even bleed when it went in so I thought nothing of it. Few years later wife felt something stiff under my skin and got it out

Brings back memories. Cut my fore arm on a broken windshield. Yep blood will squirt. 34 stitches and a nice lump still in me arm.
 
Thanks! I'll do this when I put on the new gasket.

Do you have any tips for removing RTV? I've heard that ammonia or gasoline do a good job.
If gasoline removed cured rtv easy, why would we use it to seal engines??
Permatex gasket remover will remove anything.
Also, no need to take pan to machine shop. It is sheet metal. Body shop is a better idea, or as posted above, do it yourself.
 
Note: Use good quality hammers. I have a piece of metal in my left hand from doing this with an inferior hammer. The doctors tried for several hours to locate and remove it, but they couldn't.
Just make sure only one of the steel things is hardened. If you hit hard on hard, chips happen. Hammers are hardened so find or make a punch from something unhardened. I would find a carridge bolt and hold it with vise grips upside down. Put the round head on the bolt hole and hit it. Much less chance of injury.
The other way is to use a soft hammer like a dead blow or a brass hammer for the top hammer.
 
Back
Top