Oil pan bolt leak

[dawgn86]

2012 Jeep GC...

noticed an oil drip last weekend from one of the oil pan bolts..about in the middle of the pan on the drivers side. I tightened it some, but it still has a small leak.

Can I take it out, clean it up and use some RTV on the threads and replace?

 

[Donald]

I do not think the RTV will help. There is something going on with the pan or gasket you cannot see but will be obvious when the pan is dropped. How hard to pull the pan?

 

[Chris142]

You can try that.

 

[dawgn86]

Originally Posted by Donald
I do not think the RTV will help. There is something going on with the pan or gasket you cannot see but will be obvious when the pan is dropped. How hard to pull the pan?


steering rack and pinion would have to be removed.Transmission cross member brackets removed..more than I can do here at home.

 

[WobblyElvis]

Pull the bolt, clean the bolt and threads in the block with a spray cleaner [ contact cleaner or brake cleaner etc...] rtv on bolt and re-install.

 

[RamFan]

It's worth a shot if the pan is a PITA (which it sounds like it is) to drop. Can you tell that it's leaking internally from the threads or is it leaking through the gasket and working its way around to the bolt head? If it's the latter, you definitely have either a leak that will require dropping the pan.

 

[CT8]

The repair will work or it won't , I would try locktite thread sealant on the threads,,and a bit around the head of the bolt where the threads start.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Did you replace the drain washer?

 

[Balrog006]

Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Did you replace the drain washer?


What does this have to do with a pan flange bolt? OP is not talking about the drain....

 

[dawgn86]

Originally Posted by RamFan
It's worth a shot if the pan is a PITA (which it sounds like it is) to drop. Can you tell that it's leaking internally from the threads or is it leaking through the gasket and working its way around to the bolt head? If it's the latter, you definitely have either a leak that will require dropping the pan.


Where it's located, it is hard to see. Will look again this weekend when I have more time. I will take out the bolt and try some Locktite or RTV on it

 

[dawgn86]

Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Did you replace the drain washer?


I did recently change the oil and replaced the drain plug

 

[eljefino]

Just put the RTV on the upper (lower?) part of the bolt by its head. I wouldn't want to hydro-lock it in its (blind) bolt hole, and some on the threads may reduce your effective torque/ clamping power making the problem worse.

 

[anndel]

Originally Posted by JohnnyJohnson
Did you replace the drain washer?


Oil pan bolt not oil drain plug.

 

[dawgn86]

So, I loosed the bolts in question, but I could not get them all the way out. With the time frame I was under, I wasn't going to try and force them out.

I did manage to get some black RTV sealant up and round the bolt head, and metal round washer and tighten them back down. Been driven a hundred or so miles and no oil drips as of yet!

Thanks for the idea.