# 1965 GTO oil pan gasket



## Utah Man (Aug 9, 2011)

The clutch on my car gave up the ghost (yeah, yeah, yeah I know "never never never ride the clutch" - Winston Churchill ... wait a minute, that can't be right ...). Anyway, I decided that while I was deep in the nether regions of my GTO to get a look at my main seal, which I figured to have been the source of that oil puddle under my car, however once I removed the flywheel (which has now been resurfaced to within far less than an inch of its life) I got a good look at what appears to be a leaky oil pan gasket and a not so leaky main seal. 

Now I have ordered the BOP one piece gasket, but am wondering what it is going to take to get the oil pan off and if while I am at it I should buy an oil pan with the slots for the gasket tabs?


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Easy as pie. Pull the engine, put it on a stand, and do all the easy gaskets. I run the original oil pans on both my '65 and '67, and they are leak free. Just pein the surface rails of the pan flat. Also, starting in '67, there were load-spreading tabs that you can get and place under the rear pan bolts to help spread the load on the rear of the pan. Again, I don't use them, but they are available. If you want to try and pull the pan with the engine in the car, go ahead. BTDT, long ago and a lot younger, and would never do it again. It takes longer, is more difficult, and the job turns out poorly.


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## Utah Man (Aug 9, 2011)

Yeah, that whole "pull the engine" part is not so "easy as pie" sans hoist and stand. Being a youngster myself (hey, I'm still in my twenties) I'm going to go the "how hard can it be?" route. 

Once I get the starter motor out of the way I can access all the bolts more easily than I did those for the bell housing, right? I'll let you know when I am broke down and crying, probably on Wednesday.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Use a long extension and a wobble socket for the bellhousing bolts. even the top ones are accessible that way. You can rent a break down hoist for peanuts. I did that all the time in my 20's. You don't need a stand, just makes it nice. In the car, you will get educated on the wonderful world of oil pump pickups. And without a hoist, no way to jack the engine high enough to yank the pan....safely.


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## the65gto (Oct 9, 2008)

"how hard can it be?" While my 65 was still under warranty, the pontiac dealer tried to change the rear main seal while the engine was in the car. After 3 days, they finally pulled the engine. DON'T EVER USE THE OIL PAN TO RAISE/SUPPORT THE MOTOR! Even thought you get all the pan bolts out and the pan loose from the block, you cannot remove it without lifting the engine. Ask me how I now. :-(


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I even have the special tool that bolts onto the timing cover to support the engine while doing 'in-car' oil pan R&R. It's a big aluminum plate with a tab for a jack. Even with this, it's still crazy-difficult compared to simply pulling the engine, which, on a '65 GTO, is less than an hour's worth of work.


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## the65gto (Oct 9, 2008)

geeteeohguy said:


> I even have the special tool that bolts onto the timing cover to support the engine while doing 'in-car' oil pan R&R. It's a big aluminum plate with a tab for a jack. Even with this, it's still crazy-difficult compared to simply pulling the engine, which, on a '65 GTO, is less than an hour's worth of work.


If I remember correctly, the pontiac dealer told me that they just got this new "tool" which would make it easy. :willy: Thats probably that aluminum plate.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Correct. I got mine from my boss, who worked for Pontiac in 1970. He showed it to me and said "if you can tell me what this is for, I'll give it to you". I instantly knew what it was, told him, and he handed it over. It's been sitting idle ever since!! Kent Moore J tool number "J-22376". And it's steel...just painted to _look_ like aluminum.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

When I was the service manager at the Dodge dealership we had to take (and pay for) every specialty tool that was offered every year.


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## Utah Man (Aug 9, 2011)

Well, that was easy. I didn't do the main seal (I don't think I need to) but I changed the oil pan gasket without lifting or pulling the engine. My gasket came yesterday and I stared at it and the underside of the oil pan last night then I just took out the bolts, scraped the old gasket and silicon off. Today (after a little more staring) I slid the gasket between pan and frame then up around the pan then side to side and ... job done. Now to reassemble ...


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