Oil pan bolt torque

[k hutchins]

Hey everyone

Can anyone advise what the torque should be on the rear oil pan bolts that screw into the bottom of the rear oil seal retainer? I usually go just a touch past snug so l don't strip anything. On one of my '48s that l use for mowing weekly, my other oil pan bolts also seem to vibrate loose over time. What do you recommend for preventing that. I spent a lot of time flattening the oil pan rim and installed new gaskets not too long ago, and was careful not to over tighten so l wasn't rewarping it, but a few have loosened up. Which "Lock tight" should l use in that application?

Thanks in advance for info
Hutch

 

[ricky racer]

I don't know if anyone can give you a torque spec. Every bolt has a specific torque spec. but I'm not sure you can use that spec. to tighten the oil pan bolts due to the "spongy" cork gasket and the thin sheet metal of the pan. I think you'll just need to go more by feel than an actual torque spec.
I believe later oil pans came with a reinforcing bolt plate on the oil pans to reduce deformation.
The Loctite I use is blue 243, just make sure the bolts are clean and dry when applying.

 

[Gary Dotson]

A little blue LocTite won’t hurt but I doubt the bolts are actually backing out, rather the gasket continues to compress as time passes. Cork valve cover gaskets were famous for that. A light snugging will likely still be still needed from time to time. Just don’t go Rambo on them.