Cheap Aluminum Oil Pan

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cngodfather

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I recently purchased an inexpensive cast aluminum oil pan for my 1991 5.7 gmc engine block with the passenger side dipstick and one-piece rear main seal. The gasket is a one piece blue fel-pro gasket. Last night I did a quick test fit and it looks like it fits pretty well except for the radius for the rear seal area looks like it is a little different. It looks kind of tight top to bottom. The sides where the pan meets the block looks like there may be a slight gap.

While brainstorming, my possible solutions are:
1.. weld new aluminum to thicken the side and reshape the hole.
2. torque to spec with added silicone to the sides
3. add filler solid gasket material and silicone to the sides.

It was from ebay and for the cost, I will not be returning it. It looks really good except for the one fitment issue.

If you have experienced this same situation, or have a better idea, I have open ears!
 

McBroom

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Got any pics or measurements of the misfit places? Let us take a look at it.

Blue Mule
 
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do you really want a fitment issue on a rear main seal ?, its not a part you can change out easily, the smart thing is right part the first time, how many times do you want to pull the transmission
 

Supercharged111

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No need to pull trans to drop oil pan. Front diff, yes. What brand oil pan is this? If it's Chinesium then it'll probably always leak. I had a Ching Chong stamped steel pan on my 289 in my Crown Victoria and it poured the first time I filled the engine with oil. I was lucky enough to slather the outside with silicone and it stopped leaking after that, so you may be able to get away with that too but the trans did come off for that.
 

Matt Conner

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No need to pull trans to drop oil pan. Front diff, yes. What brand oil pan is this? If it's Chinesium then it'll probably always leak. I had a Ching Chong stamped steel pan on my 289 in my Crown Victoria and it poured the first time I filled the engine with oil. I was lucky enough to slather the outside with silicone and it stopped leaking after that, so you may be able to get away with that too but the trans did come off for that.
I think he meant the rear main seal, you have to pull the trans to replace the rear main unless it’s a two piece seal
 

TechNova

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The one piece gaskets are known to leak anyway, go with the regular Fel Pro pan gaskets.
 
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