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MG MGB Technical - Oil Pan Gasket - FelPro, Beck Arnley, or NAPA?

I've been reading about poor quality oil pan gaskets. I'm about to change the one on my 76B during an oil change. The Moss catalog shows what I assume are the "paper" gaskets everybody talks about. I've checked Advance Auto and NAPA. Advance shows a FelPro for $10, a Beck Arnley for $9, and NAPA has their brand for $9.50. Since they are all double the price of the Moss catalog, I was wondering if the quality is better.

Have any of you had any experience with any gaskets other than the Moss?

Thank you!

John
J.D. English

Fel-Pro, the few dollars extra is worth it.
John

I agree, but FelPro has good gaskets, and better gaskets. Both of them make the Moss gaskets look poor. I use a little Permatex #2 gasket sealant on both sides for a guaranteed seal.
Jeff Schlemmer

I only had a paper gasket for the pan, and the quality was dubious, so I copied it onto cork. Worked great! I use FelPro / Payen for the top half of the engine though.

Dave
Dave Whitehead

J D
I'm not so sure that pan gaskets brands are that critical.
Preparing the pan is critical.

You will probably find that the bolt holes in the pan are indented in towards the block. You may also find the pan flange is not flat.

Carefully cleaning all the old gasket material off the block and the pan is critical. Check at the front main and the rear main to make sure they are installed correctly and there is minimal gap up or down from the rest of the block. Use silicon to put the cork pieces in place.

Put the pan upside down and make sure is it perfectly flat - adjust as necessary. Put the pan right side up use a small diameter round metal object and pound flat each bolt hole. A tapered round punch that will fit in the bolt hole works well also.

Finally use a small (1/8" wide) bead of Blue RTV Silicon gasket material, or equivalent, on top of the gasket - the side that touches the block.

Make sure each bolt has lock type washer and snug the bolts up tight, but not over tight. Tighten in stages sort of like you do on the head, so the pan doesn't distort. 10 lbs torque is more than enough.

You carefully do all this and if it leaks, it won't be from the pan.

Barry



Barry Parkinson

No gasket. Just Permatex Right-Stuff.
It even stopped the leaks in the side covers.
William Bourne

If you want a sealed engine always glue the gaskets you won't be undoing for a long time. I rebuilt my engine 25 years ago, have done 120K since them and the pan gasket still does not leak.
Richard Smith

This thread was discussed between 26/06/2005 and 28/06/2005

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