K3D oil pan leak fix?

barkerwc4362 · Feb 25, 2015

I recently purchased a 1986 CaseIH 244 w/loader. I knew it had some issues, but so far have solved them and it runs fine. Most of the real issues are electrical in nature and finding a replacement wiring harness solved the majority of them. As usual I change all the fluids on a tractor when I first get them. When I went to remove the drain plug from the oil pan, I couldn't. Big wrench only saw the pan start to flex, so I stopped, sucked the oil out through the dipstick. Upon removing the pan, which was siliconed on, I saw this:

. Notice the caps for 2 and 3 cylinders are swapped. So, the engine has been apart. Lots of sludge in the pan, but no metal that I could detect. I ordered a new pan gasket from NCW. A friend has a torch and through judicious use of heat the old drain plug was removed. In my opinion it had been sealed with loctite, the red kind. I ordered a new drain plug and washer/gasket from CaseIH. The new plug fits perfectly and seals like it should. I scrapped all the silicon off the pan and cleaned it up before I painted it black. When the gasket came in I put a thin film of the Permatex 2 non-hardening on both sides of it and placed it on the pan. I crawled under the tractor to clean the bottom of the block of the silicone residue. On three sides of the block the surfaces were flat, but one side was irregular. See these pictures:

It appears the block has been welded? Seeing this I added a thicker layer of the permatex on top of the gasket in this area to see if that would create a seal to prevent oil loss. Initially it seemed to work, but Saturday I noticed that the pan is slowly dripping with the engine running. I am going to put a little more torque on all the pan bolts to see if that helps. I am going to change the oil in 15 hours and will pull the pan again then to try another technique. I am considering an 1/8" thick layer of the permatex on both sides of the gasket all around the pan. Any suggestions?

Bill

oosik · Feb 25, 2015

Your pics sure do show welding in that area, you are correct.

I seen a couple methods used successfully to seal a pan - a single extra thick gasket, two or three stacked gaskets, the gaskets used with a liberal amount of gasket sealing compound.

If tightening the pan bolts doesn't stop the leak - check that the pan is still "flat" when you remove it again. A warped pan can't help trying to get a good seal.

oliver28472 · Feb 25, 2015

The stuck drain plug happened to me too. Had to take the pan to a local welding shop to use the smoke wrench too. I had put enough torque on it that I could see oil beginning to seep through the pan metal around the plug. The shop brazed it back for me. I know it is too late but you can get a new plug at any auto parts store. Very common. Same thing with the radiator drain plug if yours has one.

barkerwc4362 · Feb 25, 2015

Thanks for the replies guys. I made sure the pan was flat before I installed it the last time. Hopefully tightening the bolts will stop the dripping. If not I will figure out the next course of action. A thicker gasket made out of slightly compressible material might work. Just have to figure out what material to use. I went back with a stock CaseIH plug and washer, since I had some parts on order anyway.

Bill

Billrog · Feb 25, 2015

You could fill in the voids on the block with liquid steel and sand it smooth before re-installing the pan to help insure a good seal.

barkerwc4362 · Feb 27, 2015

As of right now it is my perception that voids in the block are not the problem. They are toward the outside. The dripping is caused by the areas of weld that are proud of the machined area of the block that the oil pan mates to. The factory gasket is not pliable or thick enough to create a leak proof barrier to prevent the oil from leaking out. Ideally after the block was welded it should have been machined to provide a flat area for the pan and its gasket to mate to. Then there would be no opportunity for the oil to find a passage to escape.

Bill