2F side panel gasket replacement???

[Sloan]

Can I replace the side panel gasket without draining the oil from the engine? Is this as simple as it looks or am I missing something?

 

[theexile]

Its above the pan so you should not have to drain it. I would still expect some residule but nothing major. If you are using a cork gasket use some gasket adhesive (gorrilla snot) made by permatex.Then you wont have to fight the gasket to get the bolt holes to line up.

 

[DaveM]

If your talking about the pushrod cover, then yeah its ok to do without draining. Once you have it off, do yourself a favor and tap the metal around the bolt holes flat. They get pinched out from over tightening over the years and cause leaks. If you put the cover back on with a new gasket but don't flatten it you'll have the same leaks again right away.

 

[AndrewP]

Do yourself another favor and get everything else out of the way. Pull the distributor, the oil filter, the heater pipe and the air cleaner. Then, it's a very straight forward job. Seal the cork with some gray or black permatex, and don't get the bolts too tight.

I had a fair amount of sludge under the cover, which I assume is normal for a high mileage motor.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Great tips thusfar

Another thing I prefer to do for many of the PITA gaskets (ie oilpan, diff cover, timing cover, etc) is glue one side of the gasket to the tin (ie glue the cork to the side cover ahead of time. Exercise care to make sure every bolt hole lines up (I use the bolts), after it tackes up a bit, set it down with some weight on it and let it setup overnight.