I started my quest to fix the oil pan gasket leak today. After hours of frustration, I finally got the pan and baffle out. I pried both parts off using a bunch of screwdrivers and a spackle tool, but in the process, slight bendage occurred. It's nothing major, and I think that between the RTV sealant and the bolts holding the oil pan up, it should seal okay, but I'm no experienced mechanic. Am I gonna have a big leak when I get everything bolted back up, or will everything be spiffy (hoping for the latter).

Also, I don't think it's actually humanly possible to get every little bit of the old RTV off the parts. I've gotten everything as clean as possible with a razor blade and a flathead screwdriver. I don't wanna use steel wool on it, I think it is clean enough for the sealant to adhere. Agree, disagree?

 

Pics here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/flashkl/OilPan#

 

That doesn't look too bad. Just put enough RTV on both sides of the baffle and you'll be fine. Let the RTV set up a little before you bolt it down tight.

 

Like, let it harden enough so that it doesn't get all pancaked when I tighten them down?

 

No, let it get a little tacky. Say 2-3 mins or so.

Also, if you have an anvil, you could beat the surface flat again with a soft faced hammer. If you use a metal hammer, you can stretch the baffle plate out and it wont seal correctly.

 

Okay, the permatex ultra black packaging says the stuff loses tackiness in two hours and fully cures in 24. Do I have to wait until it's fully cured before I start the engine, or can I do it after 3 or 4 hours? I wanna make sure there's no leaks before I put everything back together, ASAP.

 

I'd recommend using the OEM FIPG--that sh!st sticks to ANYTHING! I don't know that RTV will hold up.

Next time, use a piece of piano wire wrapped around a couple of pieces of wood to cut the gasket material out with the oil pan in place.

 

The piano wire idea is genius...wish I thought of that before. And as for the FIPG, I thought about getting it but the permatex stuff says oil pan right on the packaging, and people on here have used it with good results, plus my toyota dealer is an hour and a half away from me. So I got the baffle and pan up, and I'm gonna give it three hours before I fill er up with oil. If nobody can answer my question about when to start the engine, I'm just gonna wait until tomorrow morning (that'll be a good 17 hours of sitting). Hopefully I won't have any larger of a leak than when I started...