[s-cars] s-cars] oil pan gasket help

[Wayne Dohnal]

Brian,

I have the same reaction that Tom did, questioning if the leak is really
coming from the oil pan gasket.  It's just because I've never in my life
heard of an oil pan gasket springing a leak if it was properly installed in
the first place.  I haven't dropped my oil pan so can't help you with that.

What we are suggesting is that maybe the appearance is deceiving and the
leak is really from the valve cover gasket.  They do have a history of
springing leaks, especially around the two half-circle plastic plugs on the
rear of the valve cover.  The oil runs down the back of the engine and
leaves little or no trace where it actually came from.  The only way I
traced mine was to clean the area really well then look at it with a mirror
right after parking it.  After a while the evidence is totally gone.  Kind
of like the riddle where somebody gets killed by a falling ice block, then
the evidence melts away and evaporates.  If you do end up changing the valve
cover gasket, be aware that the threaded pieces that the spark plug cover
screws go into are also bolts that hold down the center of the valve cover.

Wayne Dohnal
1994 S4

>I'm looking at the pan that the oil drain plug is in.  I always just
called=
 >this an oil pan gasket.  The pan is angled and the side that is furthest
f=
>rom the ground is where the leak is.  My concern is what all has to be
remo=
>ved to drop the pan?  I could not tell what all was connected or
obstructin=
>g last night.  I will try to get a better look today but would appreciate
a=
>ny hints.  I don't have a Bentley manual yet.
>Brian leaky 93 S4