Oil pan silicone advice.... ?

[JohnT24]

I'm just about ready...
Engine has been sitting upright/tilted back... engine side is super clean... wiped with acetone...

Got my New Ford oil pan and 1-tube of Ford silicone sealant...

Any tips before I lay down the silicone bead and tighten the bolts?

I know ford has specs on how thick of a bead to run on the side/ends... but I can't seem to find it.

I know, it's pretty much common sense ... I've replaced oil pans in the past...
I guess I'm a little apprehensive since it's such a task to get the engine out.

thanks.

 

[Patrick Feeley]

I didn't see a spec, but these are from the old "7.3L PSD Coffee Table Books". Cheers!

 

[ghohouston]

Don't put the silicone on and immediately torque the bolts down. Apply it, let it sit for 15-20 minutes and let it tack up, then set the pan on, and hand tighten all the bolts. I let mine cure that way for a few hours, and then tightened the bolts down.

 

[JohnT24]

Awesome, thank you Patrick.

I was wondering about the bolt holes because the stock bolts DID have some silicone on them.

Antifoam ….. hmmm, I will have to get a bottle of that.

I did find the ford spec,
Its 1/8” bead on rails and 1/4” on ends/ corners.

 

[JohnT24]

Don't put the silicone on and immediately torque the bolts down. Apply it, let it sit for 15-20 minutes and let it tack up, then set the pan on, and hand tighten all the bolts. I let mine cure that way for a few hours, and then tightened the bolts down.

Yeah I’ve read a couple different opinions on that.

Some also say to put the pan immediately
Compress the silicone slightly
Then give it a waiting period before completely torquing the bolts.

 

[JohnT24]

I’ve got it dry fitted right now
Looks good but I might give one of the corners a tap because I see a slight gap there.

Here’s a stupid question,

Seems like it would be easier to apply the silicone to the pan

Instead of applying silicone to the block.

Do you think this would make any difference?

I could put some extra in the corners on the block
But do the rest of it on the pan.

Thoughts?

 

[Racer71]

You can apply to either one, by putting on the block you lessen the chances of bumping it while installing. We personally use Right Stuff for any sealing duties, it’s literally bomb proof.

 

[JohnT24]

Thanks
I’ve made a couple dowels also
To help line it up

 

[Powerstroke Cowboy]

Yeah I’ve read a couple different opinions on that.

Some also say to put the pan immediately
Compress the silicone slightly
Then give it a waiting period before completely torquing the bolts.

That's how I do it. I dont like the thought of letting the sealant skin over before applying it to the second surface.

 

[JohnT24]

It was interesting to see the amount of silicone from the factory.

NOT An excessive amount
Although there was some silicone squeezed out both inside and outside of the oil pan.

Nothing that squeezed inside the oil pan ever left.
So I assume Ford uses that method also…..
letting the silicone cure properly.

You can also see the extra on the inner corners.

I never had a problem with the oil pan leaking, it was that poorly designed dipstick tube adapter that started leaking.

I nursed it for several years with JB Weld and everything else.

But when the exhaust manifolds went I decided to pull the engine and also do a little bodywork.

Along with this stock pan I have decided to use the strictly diesel dipstick tube adapter.

It’s a little pricey but if the O-ring(s) ever fail..
They are easily replaced since they are on the outside not the inside.

 

[DEEZUZ]

I go so far as to take a razor blade, then a wire brush in the crevices between the rear/front cover. Brake clean and air blow that part SUPER clean. Make sure you apply pressure with the rtv tip here to push sealant down in those crevices. Run the bead thick and thicker at all 4 edges.go on the outside of the bolt holes and don't get any in the threads.

Set pan down immediately as to not let rtv skin over. Install bolts and barely bring the shoulders down to contact pan. Wait 15 minutes Tighten til we start to ooze out, then a little more. Then wait 10 more minutes then final torque. Do not try to wipe any access out let whatever squeezes out stay there. Dry for 2 days.

That's how I do pans on 7.3

 

[DEEZUZ]

Also make sure you remove all the rtv off the bolts.

I pillars apart one where they didn't do that and on top of the old silicone was new silicone and it cracked the block.

 

[JohnT24]

Run the bead thick and thicker at all 4 edges.go on the outside of the bolt holes and don't get any in the threads.
7.3

None on threads???
This advice seems to go against what Patrick posted.

 

[DEEZUZ]

I've found what squeezes under the shoulder when tightening is fine enough but if you want to put a q tip sized dab then smear it around there probably won't be an issue

 

[JohnT24]

 

[DEEZUZ]

Don't know the science behind that

 

[JohnT24]

Don't know the science behind that

Me either
But I guess it couldn’t hurt for the first oil fill.

Anyway
Pan is on
Thanks for the tips guys.

 

[6.0 Tech]

View attachment 180962

If you use good oil, which is honestly getting harder and harder to get, and use the correct silicone, you shouldn’t need that. Any oil that’s decent has anti foaming additives in it, and I don’t know how true it is, but ford had said that using the incorrect silicone could cause a foaming issue. Don’t know how that works, but they said it…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JohnT24]

If you use good oil, which is honestly getting harder and harder to get, and use the correct silicone, you shouldn’t need that.

TA-31

And have always used Rotella T 15w-40

Knock on wood …

 

[Powerstroke Cowboy]

Both of those will be good to go. The TA-31 was designed for the 7.3. Its designed to not cause the oil to foam. That's all I will use on a 7.3. I even use it for other engines as well. I like the stuff.

T4 15-40 rotella has the anti foaming agent in it, and is a approved oil for the 7.3 by Ford.