How to buy a quality oil pan gasket

When your garage floor looks like an oil slick, there's a good chance you'll be buying a new oil pan gasket in the near future. While an oil leak can also be caused by a loose oil pan drain plug, wrong...

When your garage floor looks like an oil slick, there's a good chance you'll be buying a new oil pan gasket in the near future. While an oil leak can also be caused by a loose oil pan drain plug, an improperly installed dipstick, or even a loose oil filter, the oil pan gasket is the most likely culprit. This handy little gasket is made from rubber or cork and prevents oil from leaking out of your car.

The oil pan is quite close to the road and can pick up all sorts of debris that can damage the oil pan and the area around it, such as the oil pan gasket. You should check the oil pan gasket at every oil change and maintenance to make sure it is still doing its job and controlling the oil level. Maintaining good engine lubrication is the best way to prevent road problems such as overheating and excessive friction; both cause delicate parts to wear faster than necessary.

Located between the oil pan and the engine block, this particular gasket is very vulnerable to damage and is constantly exposed to harsh conditions. There are four different oil pan gaskets that may need to be replaced: top, bottom, front, and rear.

There are several different oil pan gasket material options: rubber, cork, rubber coated steel core, rubber coated fiber, paper and fiber. To determine which gasket best suits your needs, consider the following:

• RUBBER: Rubber is economical, lightweight, is the most common and generally accepted.
• Rubber with steel core: Steel core rubber is ideal for stock replacement.
• Paper and fiber: Paper and fiber are very light and only suitable for short term use.
• suberic: the cork perfectly withstands various temperatures.
  
  

Oil pan gasket replacement is relatively inexpensive; typically in the $20 to $50 range, and there are several trusted parts brands and OEM parts to choose from.

AutoCars supplies quality oil pan gaskets to our certified field technicians. We can also install the oil pan gasket you purchased. Click here for a quote and more information on oil pan gasket replacement.