5.3l oil pan bolt torque settings?? Haynes?? not too clear

[j cAT]

when they / if they removed/installed the transmission had they used the oil pan as a jack support this could be distorted...when you droped the oil pan you checked for this ?

[djhappy115]

Working on an 04 tahoe 5.3. Customer says the tech at walmart told her she needed an Oil pan gasket at her last oil change. Did the gasket and a couple weeks later I get a call saying that it's leaking oil and she has no oil left. I check it out and it's coming out pretty heavy from the back of the pan and over the filter. I'm without a torque wrench at this point and just going by feel trying to tighten up the bolts. On the last bolt (the corner by the filter) I hear "Tunk!" and the corner of the pan is broken. RTV the heck out of that corner and the seam of the pan to try and buy time while I find a new pan. $300 from Advanced, $100 from local junkyard, $50 on ebay (we have a winner!) get the new pan and pick up the Tahoe friday night. Put the new pan on and this time I have torque wrenches. Finger tighten all bolts (Especially the two bell housing bolts to snug it up on the bell housing so it is flush (with max .010 variance)) then 18ft for the mounting bolts, 106in for the two long bolts (13 and 14 in the torque sequence), then 37ft for the two bell housing bolts. As I'm torquing down the corner that broke the last time I hear "Tunk!". Broke again! RTV again, fill with oil and viola! Leaking worse than before. Pouring out. Now it's Sunday and I'm at wits end. Get some quick steel and repair the corner of the original pan. Get a new felpro gasket. I'm thinking it's got to be the rear main seal at this point. So do all the other mechanics I've consulted with. In the need to try and buy time I take the pan off again (third time's the charm). As I'm cleaning the block again I look at the Oil filter ports. Hmmmm. I wonder if those rubber rings need to come out. With screwdriver I try taking out the rubber. As I get the first ring out the whole piece drops from the block. The part of the gasket that seals those ports are only attached to the rest of the gasket by rubber!!! It had stuck to the block, Ripped the rubber, and stayed behind while the rest of the gasket came off!! It looked like it was supposed to be part of the block. RTV the heck out of the new gasket to make sure and put the old repaired pan back on. NO MORE LEAKS!! Moral- Even veterans aren't immune to rookie mistakes. Always make sure the the old gasket is clear lol.

[EastTX76]

So I changed the rear main because I thought it was leaking. Turns out it was the crankshaft sensor's o-ring that was leaking. It will leak and run down the side of the rearmain housing.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by EastTX76

So I changed the rear main because I thought it was leaking. Turns out it was the crankshaft sensor's o-ring that was leaking. It will leak and run down the side of the rearmain housing.

sometimes you think your saving some time and guess it is the problem with out proper investigating , then you make more problems. pan leaks most times are not from the pan/gasket.. leaks from above and esp. the front of the block can LOOK like the pan gaskets. a good cleaning /washing with some mineral spirits and then using dye you will see the exact cause/leak location. but it takes some extra time /effort.