Hello everyone,

A pot-hole has taken out my oil pan. It was a small gash. No other damage.

I proceeded to take off the sway bar.
I proceeded to take off the oil pan.
I found a very thin metal gasket which appears to line the outside of the oil pan and is in the middle of another part of the engine underneath.
I can't find a replacement gasket for this. I'm nervous about removing the component which is keeping this gasket on.
I'm also nervous about putting the sealant around the oil pan and keeping the metal gasket there.

The ultimate questions are:
What component is sitting on this metal gasket, and would it be recommended to install the new oil pan on top of this gasket?

Thank you.

 

There should be a gasket between the oil pan and the transmission oil housing. When I took off my pan to change the filter, I just put some Mercedes Benz gasket maker instead of a new metal gasket. Works just fine.

 

If your speaking of the engine oil pan, then yes, there is a gasket there too. If you cant find it anywhere, go on ECStuning.com, select your vehicle, look under engine>gaskets/seals>bingo

 

I just used gasket maker on my oil pan because my new oil pan didn't come with a gasket. I haven't had any leaks. Just don't go crazy with it.

 

Permatex Ultra Blue or Ultra Black RTV gasket maker ought to work great in lieu of a regular gasket. I used that on my old Ford hotrod engines back in the day and it sealed well. Just make sure both surfaces are perfectly clean and dry with no oil on them. Acetone or MEK solvent will clean off the last traces of oil. Make sure the Permatex dries completely overnight before putting any oil back in the engine.

The oil pan is really supposed to have a gasket though. When I broke my A4's oil pan, the original had a paper gasket that left pieces of gasket material stuck to both the old pan and the bottom of the engine that required scraping off and cleaning up with a wire brush. I ordered a new gasket with the new pan, it was also a paper-type gasket. I used Permatex #2 Aviation Form-A-Gasket on that.... it's the brown gooey liquid in the white plastic bottle that has a brush in the lid. I've always used that stuff on paper gaskets and never had a leaky gasket from it.

 

The best materials are usually Aviation materials. ^

 

What is the gold-colored componant that is holding the rest of the metal gaskett? I removed the bolts but "it" did not budge. What am I missing?