well i just changed the oil pump on my buddies 04 escalade. i bolted the oil pan back but i just kinda tightened them cross corner pattern. i think i may have over tightened them because it is leaking towards the front of the engine. if i did in fact over tighten them can i just back of the bolts some or do i have to replace the entire gasket? also does anybody know the tightening sequence for our trucks? thanks fellas

 

Mine has been on three different motors, no leaks. We just do a star pattern of sorts

 

Sure can... I have put a new one on my engine, still have a small leak thowe, somnabitch..

 

and i notcied on ls1how.com, it says torque to 18ft lbs, isnt that basically like half a turn past hand tight?

 

more like 9/16ths past hand tight, but depends on how tight your hand tight is.

 

Did you put any sealant around the place where the timing cover gasket hits the oil pan gasket? That's a common place for leaks.

 

Buy a proper torque wrench. If you do all the bolts by hand you'll end up with all kinds of uneven pressure of the gasket which may lead to leaks.

 

ya i made sure i put plenty of rtv gasket maker

 

The Block/Oil Pan/Timing Cover junction(Bank1 and Bank2 sides) is a spot where leaks can happen. GM has a procedure for aligning this stuff which is pages long and uses special factory tools. The timing cover bolts pull it against the block(you do have to make sure the cover seal is concentric with the crankshaft snout). You also have to make sure the front face of the pan is snug against the rear face of the timing cover. A bead of RTV helps prevent leaks at this junction, but I think you'll notice when you disassemble the motor for the first time there is no RTV used at the factory so it can be assembled without it and still not leak.

 

Dude you gotta get a TQ wrench if you plan on doing any serious wrenching at all...I put two TQ wrenches together to check eachother before I start using on...yes i almost always TQ past factory specs of course using common sense and years of experiance due to re-using gasketts and such but at least i get a feel for the right TQ...differnt size bolt heads feel different as with extensions and such...I only use copper RTV years of wrenching have taught me that especially around timing cover to oil-pan...GM does put some factory plumbers putty I call it around that area anyway but its really antizize/combo rtv...but yea reuse gazketts GM makes the best gasketts now anyway / exhasut/ oil pan /trans/etc.....the days of the old cork are almost gone unless you get aftermarket ...