What is an Oil Pan?

Just as the name implies, an oil pan gasket is a device that looks like a pan, attached to the bottom of an engine with bolts, which serves as a reservoir that collects and stores oil being circulated through the engine, to lubricate clean and cool moving parts. A pump forces the oil from the pan through a filter to remove dirt and other debris before it circulates through the engine. Learn more about Oil Pans here.

Understanding Oil Pan Gasket and how it works

Before delving into Oil Pan gaskets, let us take a stride through the general meaning and function of gaskets.

Gaskets and their Functions

Generally, gaskets are mechanical seals, used to bridge the gap between two surfaces or parts. They create high-pressure seals between these parts, thereby, reducing the possibility of leakage into other parts of the equipment, gadget, or machine.

All gaskets perform the same function of creating a firm seal to avoid leakage in surfaces. They however differ in shape, size, and the devices on which they function. The function of an Oil Pan Gasket is no different from others.

It rather has unique shapes and sizes. To add to this, it is used only on the Oil Pan of an automobile. To understand what an Oil Pan gasket is, you first need to understand the primary function of gaskets. Click here to find out!

OBSERVE THIS. TAKE NOTE OF THE GASKET

What is an Oil Pan Gasket?

Now you know what gaskets are generally and how they function, let's zero down to our focus gasket for this article and its functions.

‍An Oil Pan Gasket is a gasket that seals the oil pan to the bottom portion of the engine block. Its major function is to create a firm seal between the oil pan and the engine block thereby, preventing the leakage of oil when it travels from the oil pan to other engine parts and back to the pan.

‍These gaskets differ in shape, depending on the shape of the oil pan on which it is placed. These shapes are determined by the model and brand of the automobile.

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PAN GASKET

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OVAL-SHAPED

How to Identify a Faulty Gasket that needs to be replaced.

The signs below are an indication that your Pan Gasket may be faulty and needs replacement.

• A puddle of oil under your car
• Smoke coming from your engine
• Engine overheating
• Lower than normal oil levels

PAN AND GASKET

Note: These signs do not confirm your gasket is faulty as the leakage could be from another source. For this reason, it is safer to clean your Oil Pan thoroughly and inspect for leakages. If there are no leakages from other parts of the pan, then the fault is definitely a loose gasket that needs replacement.

Why is it important to replace faulty oil pan gaskets?

Your oil pan gasket should be replaced for the following reasons:

• To prevent leakage of oil which can be very messy.
• To prevent the cost of constant oil replacement caused by leakage
• Failure to replace a faulty oil pan gasket can lead to the damage of other car parts. This is because there would be an increase in the friction of moving engine parts when there is a shortage in oil circulation among these parts

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Steps for changing an oil pan gasket

Follow the steps below to replace your oil pan gasket:

• Check the pan for leaks and damage.
• Remove engine oil pan and gasket.
• Remove oil and filter.
• Clean oil pan.
• Install new gasket.
• Add new engine oil and filter.
• Run engine to operating temperature and check for any oil leaks.

Got stuck in the process? Not to worry. Watch the replacement process and go through the steps again.

Key Takeaways!

• All gaskets perform the same function on different devices
• Oil Pan gaskets prevent oil leakage of oil from the Oil Pan.
• An oil pan is a reservoir for the circulation and retention of engine oil.
• Oil leakage isn’t always an indication of a faulty gasket.
• To ensure proper maintenance of your automobile, make sure to always run a periodic check on your motor parts. This way, nothing gets too bad before it is fixed.
• Click here to learn about other gaskets in your automobile.

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