This must be a dumb *** question since I've asked it on 3 BBSs and Summit's tech help with NO responses. So I guess I'll try here. I have what Mortec says is a '69-'80 Chev 350, based on casting number. I have an oil leak and need a new oil pan gasket. I may change to a Slam Guard oil pan or stick with OEM. What determines whether I need a thick or thin front seal. I think it must be the oil pan since I believe that the blocks are the same. I'm thinking of using a 1 piece Milodon or Fel-Pro. Thanks, Bill
never found a good answer for that question. Get both, take one back. It helps when you used to work at the part store, they let it slide i do recommend the fel pro one piece, but the pan has to come off to put it on.
I wanna know this too... I just put a chrome pan on my rod with brand new gaskets . used gorilla snot on the sealing surface. The front leaks like theres not even a gasket in there... I just got off the phone with speedway, and they tell me that the one piece gasket its for 86 or newer. WTF? One of you guys must know this ****.... HELP
(weird... I saw a reply from Squirrel on here and its gone when I refreshed...) Mr Gasket 5884 has both thin and thick front seals. Both Mr Gasket and Fel Pro make 1-piece gaskets for all SBCs. [font=Verdana, Helvetica, Sans-serif]®[/font]
i got a car in trade that had the cheap chrome dress up kit, leaked everywhere, i solved it by scoring the chrome surfaces where a gasket or seal makes contact, steel wool to bare metal. then a thin coat of blue and put it back together. fixed it. fel-pro has multiple 1 pc. oilpan gaskets for old engines, blue is thin, red is thick, if memory serves me.
I had a post up and pulled it to double check, and it turns out I was wrong, the pan was changed, not the timing cover. The pan design was changed in 75 to use a thicker seal, so it's easier to pull the cover without pulling the pan. The thin seal was used with the 74 and prior pan. I looked in the 75 Chevy factory parts book to confirm this.
Long T, The front seal in the '57 - '74 Chevy Small Blocks use what is referred to as a 'Thin-Front-Seal'. 1975-1985 SB Chevy's use the 'Thick-Front-Seal. Now, if you have or are going to purchase aftermarket timing covers, MOST of them use the 'Thick' style front seal. Based on the information you have provided, your engine should have the thick front seal. One other area to check, is that during this time frame, Chevrolet offered there engines in both Right-Hand and Left-Hand dipstick locations, this is figured by setting in the vehicle. If you have the L.H. dipstick, use FelPro Performance part # 1803. If you have the R.H. dipstick, use " " " # 1818. Our FelPro Performance series one-piece oil pan gaskets have a stainless steel inner-core for rigidity, and crush stops to stop you from over tightening it. A word of caution: Cheap/Tiawan/China chrome oil pans and timing covers are not even close to the specifacations that GM uses. We have found that the best steel pans and covers on the market are Milodon. If you need any other help, let me know. Glenn Hayes Fel Pro Performance Team
And how... I sell the cheap stuff to an engine builder... one pan leaked while the engine was still on the stand... Tolerance is not a word used to describe how they are manufactured... its used to describe dealing with the problems that arise when used...
That's WHY I always try to use a factory GM pan. And the chrome helps to hold HEAT......not a good thing IMHO..
I installed a fresh, rebuilt SBC in my 1954 Chevy and the first time I drove it I lost almost two quarts through that front seal in about a mile. I was using a new summit stock style oil pan and the seal they recomended. I ordered a new gasket set and made sure to get a thick front seal and it still leaks. I cleaned it and applied some of the Volkswagen factory oil pan sealant( i work at the dealer ), its supr thick and i've got it down to a few drops after driving. Its super fustrating cause I have to pull the engine to get the oil pan out.
Just a reminder, DO NOT use silicone gasket maker on rubber components. Silicone is a lubricant to rubber and will let the rubber gasket slip when you ***emble it. On a Chevy pan gasket, only use silicone gasket maker where the rubber meets the cork gasket. I've had way to many customers use a tube of silicone gasket maker on a Chevy oil pan. More is better right?
heh..the combination of silicone on the gasket, with a chinese chrome pan and timing cover, makes the front pan seal squirt across the room when you tighten the bolts.
i run a '77 305. fel-pro permatex valve cover gaskets, permatex one-piece oil pan gasket. i run my caprice hard, and have never had a problem out of either set, until y front main blew. you have to remove the one-piece oil-pan gasket to remove and install the front cover. unless you have $30 to replace the gasket.
also check jegs.com, they have a special on an oil pan and one piece gasket just for small block chevys. i think $150.
The one piece gasket is for thick front seal motors 75 up I believe and will work with either right or left dipstick and they are bad mo fo's.Don't leak and don't crush. I have taken an early pan (6qt. Corvette Road race pan with trap door) and a late pan and cut the nose off of both and put the late nose on the early pan so I could use the one peice gasket.It was worth the trouble . T.OUT
Glen, I didn't catch if that was the 1 piece or not? That's what I wanna use on my next motor. If not, do you have a part number kind sir?
Summit lists a 1 piece for either a thick or thin front seal. Summit's # for the thick front seal is FEL-OS34510T. The thin front seal is FEL-OS345109T. Most of there part numbers just put a three or so letter ID for the manufacturer in front of the manufacturers number. I'd guess removing the FEL and use the rest for the Fel-Pro number. Glenn would know better of course!
the timing chain covers are the same...all be it the cheap ones are way out of spec....the oil pans were different 55-74 uses the "thin" seal the 75 up uses the "thick" the best way to determine which one you need is to measure your oil pan with a straight edge......if it is 2 1/4 inches it is a early pan and will need the "thin" seal if it measures 2 3/8 it is the later pan and will need the "thick seal" the following picture shows that this pan measures 2 3/8 and will need a gasket with the "thick "seal Glenn i have been ordering part number 1885 for the thin early seal and part number 1880 for the later..are these a different gasket? also be very wary of the cheaper ones that are out now, they only offer them with the thicker gasket, and some parts stores will tell you they are universal..they are not...i have had the best luck with the fel pro brand
My '86 305 with the one piece rear seal (first year in SBC) uses a one piece pan gasket. That is how it came from Chevy, from my understanding. The one piece gasket for the '85 and earlier is a fel-pro improvement to the old style 4 piece gasket. It is supposed to be more expensive, and worth every penny from what I hear. Slonaker
Root! The parts that I'm referring to in this column are our 1-peice molded rubber pan gaskets. We also offer these units for 'stroker' engines, where we have already redesigned the pan rails to clear the 'large' crankshafts. We also offer this same technology in valve cover gaskets, as well as some thermostate gaskets. Glenn
Correct! The manufacture/vendor code used at Summit and others for FelPro is FEL. The items that your referring to are 1-piece oil pan sets, made for the OEM replacement market. The carrier is made of a high strength polimier rather than stainless steel as in our race parts. Glenn
We make a 1-piece molded rubber 'Thin-front-seal' pan gasket for use in L.H. dipstick engines ('57-'74) which is FelPro # 1885. Glenn
Fred, You are using the correct parts. We do have other options available for R.H. dipstick blocks, as well as 'race-only' blocks with out dipsticks and 'straight' pan rails. Glenn
This is the first time I've seen all of this discussed. THANK YOU for all the info. I wish I'd have known this before I put the pan on the first time.
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