Hi everyone. I'm just wondering if there is a way to test an oil pan for leaks while the engine is out of the car? I have the engine of my Miata out, and this was my first time using RTV, so I just want to make sure I did it right and there aren't any leaks before I put the engine back in the car. The last thing I want is to have to pull the engine again due to a leaking oil pan, again.
Not really a way because you need heat & oil flow. What kind of "rtv"? Hopefully something like Hondabond.
Normal RTV is not great for oil pans. I have had the best luck with sealant you can use in a caulking gun (it was whatever the manual said to use for the oil pan on my Subaru).
A smoke machine stuck in the pcv hole works very well, but you probably don't own one of those.
Take a shop vacuum set up to blow, not suck, hook the hose to the pcv somehow, block the rest of the breather holes, turn on vacuum and spray some soapy water anyplace you want to look for escaping air.
Make sure you've cleaned the inside of the vacuum tank and hose...
In reply to Streetwiseguy :
+1 for this
Japspec said:Hi everyone. I'm just wondering if there is a way to test an oil pan for leaks while the engine is out of the car? I have the engine of my Miata out, and this was my first time using RTV, so I just want to make sure I did it right and there aren't any leaks before I put the engine back in the car. The last thing I want is to have to pull the engine again due to a leaking oil pan, again.
Smoke tester.
If you're paranoid about leaks, bathtub-caulk around the outside of the pan rail.
Thanks guys, I used a pretty liberal amount of ultra black RTV. My issue is while setting down the oil pan it wasn't going on straight enough, so I had to manipulate it a few times with the RTV on it, so I'm worried I may have caused a leak point.
Unfortunately don't have a shop vac either. I was thinking of filling it with oil and kind of shaking the engine around to see if anything seeps? Not sure if that would reveal anything though.
EDIT: I think I will pick up a shop vac. In order to do that, I pull out the PCV Valve, somehow seal the vac around the hole, block the breather port on the other side of the valve cover, and turn it on to the blower setting?
What about overfilling the crankcase and let it sit overnight or a few hours?
sergio said:What about overfilling the crankcase and let it sit overnight or a few hours?
I've thought about filling it with maybe 5 or 6 quarts and letting it sit. You think that would be enough to find any leaks?
Japspec said:sergio said:What about overfilling the crankcase and let it sit overnight or a few hours?
I've thought about filling it with maybe 5 or 6 quarts and letting it sit. You think that would be enough to find any leaks?
I think you'd need a lot more than 5 or 6 quarts to fill it above the top of the pan.
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:Japspec said:sergio said:What about overfilling the crankcase and let it sit overnight or a few hours?
I've thought about filling it with maybe 5 or 6 quarts and letting it sit. You think that would be enough to find any leaks?
I think you'd need a lot more than 5 or 6 quarts to fill it above the top of the pan.
Gotcha, how many quarts do you think would be required? I could make a quick run to Walmart. The shop vac idea seems good too, I just have no idea how I would go about actually doing it from the PCV.
Japspec said:Gotcha, how many quarts do you think would be required? I could make a quick run to Walmart. The shop vac idea seems good too, I just have no idea how I would go about actually doing it from the PCV.
To fill it all the way to the top I expect we're talking gallons, not quarts. You could measure the sides, and do an approximate calculation.
I would try the smoke tester instead of the shop vac, personally. This video suggests doing it with a $15 transfer pump and a cigar:
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:Japspec said:Gotcha, how many quarts do you think would be required? I could make a quick run to Walmart. The shop vac idea seems good too, I just have no idea how I would go about actually doing it from the PCV.
To fill it all the way to the top I expect we're talking gallons, not quarts. You could measure the sides, and do an approximate calculation.
I would try the smoke tester instead of the shop vac, personally. This video suggests doing it with a $15 transfer pump and a cigar:
Thats an interesting concept. I was thinking of just filling the oil pan up past where it seals, so not sure how many quarts that would take. Either way, if I did rig up a smoke tester, would I just fill the oil pan with smoke? I figure the easiest way would be to just fill the pan with smoke from my turbo drain fitting.
Japspec said:Thats an interesting concept. I was thinking of just filling the oil pan up past where it seals, so not sure how many quarts that would take. Either way, if I did rig up a smoke tester, would I just fill the oil pan with smoke? I figure the easiest way would be to just fill the pan with smoke from my turbo drain fitting.
Yes, my guess is that the oil pan itself holds 3-4 gallons. Remember that the normal fill level when running is supposed to be below the lowest point that the crank moves though, to reduce drag and frothing of the oil.
The oil pan is connected to the space under the valve cover by the oil drain holes in the head, probably the easiest access point is the cam breather port. You'll probably want to plug the PCV port as well. Some of the smoke will sneak past the rings, so you'll need to put in a decent quantity. I have no idea if the cigar method makes enough smoke for this.
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:Japspec said:Thats an interesting concept. I was thinking of just filling the oil pan up past where it seals, so not sure how many quarts that would take. Either way, if I did rig up a smoke tester, would I just fill the oil pan with smoke? I figure the easiest way would be to just fill the pan with smoke from my turbo drain fitting.
Yes, my guess is that the oil pan itself holds 3-4 gallons. Remember that the normal fill level when running is supposed to be below the lowest point that the crank moves though, to reduce drag and frothing of the oil.
The oil pan is connected to the space under the valve cover by the oil drain holes in the head, probably the easiest access point is the cam breather port. You'll probably want to plug the PCV port as well. Some of the smoke will sneak past the rings, so you'll need to put in a decent quantity. I have no idea if the cigar method makes enough smoke for this.
Got it, okay thanks! Sounds like the only true way is dropping the engine in the car and running it. That sucks; having to pull the engine again due to the oil pan would be a total pain, especially since I have a lot more to do under the engine bay before my tuning appointment on May 12th.
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