I am battling the bulging rear oil pan seal. I found an old thread on this, but it died without a posted solution. Like the OP, I have the correct gasket, at least the box says so.

Just as things begin to close and with very very light torque, I get the bulge. Please excuse the gobs of silicone, It was my third desperate attempt.

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Any advice?

 

Tell me your oil pan year and part number

 

Advice? That ain't right, and won't work.

Sav might be onto something, but I've always ever used same engine/pan and never frank'd it before so I'd ask him.

 

1995 1.8 L

Oil pan #? Vin tag says : JM1NA3538S0610335

Victor reins/ Mahle gasket set: CS5878

Everything I have found checks out, but what do I know.

 

I've always bought a mazda gasket set. No issues.

 

the front and rear gaskets are different sized... I'm assuming placed them in the right place right?

Go to mazda dealer and get them to show you this:
Genuine Mazda Miata OEM Rear Oil Pan Gasket (Seal)
Make sure the rear seal you have looks identical.

The seal has a little nub in the middle that faces out(can be seen in link a little)...I don't see this in your pic either.

 

That p/n shows compatibility for 1994-2005, but the oil pan seals changed in 2001.

This is why I use Mazda gaskets.

 

Genuine Mazda parts ordered. Will report back .

 

I've used Autozone's felpro kit multiple times, never had an issue. They do offer the Victor reins kit, but it's nearly twice as much, so I never bothered. Glad I haven't I guess. But yeah, it looks like you might be trying to put a MBSP gasket on a non-BMSP pan? Not sure if that would cause it to bulge though.

 

I was concerned about this stupid seal problem, and low and behold, it failed. Genuine Mazda gaskets.

Are you guys putting RTV on one, both, or none of the rubber gaskets? Dry or wet install? Its seems like techniques vary. I had used the grey RTV on both sides, assembled wet. This certainly didn't work at all, as I found the two thin ends of the gasket in my bell housing. Just squeezed them out I guess.

 

I've always gently tapped them in with a light oil coating. No RTV. I can't even imagine how you would get the issue shown in the picture. Is the bore clean and smooth? Anything hanging? If it doesn't go in with light tapping, something's wrong. BTW, FM makes a dedicated tool for this that presses the seal in (I've never used it personally):

https://www.flyinmiata.com/flyin-mia...ller-tool.html

 

You are talking about the rear main seal. He is talking about the oil pan gasket.

 

I want to get this right. Removing the engine to fix this is crummy.

 

Following this, since mine leaks like hell and also want to fix it right. I have a 2001 OP and mbsp on a 97 block, and I know I used the older seals front and rear.

 

Per the Engine FSM, you are supposed to RTV both sides of it. Are you overtorquing the oil pan?

Seals are specific to the pan. Change was made in 2001 when the MBSP was added, since the pan sits fractionally lower and the seal must be thicker to compensate. I always use Permatex Black oil-resistant RTV for everything motor related.

 

I had this issue with DNJ gaskets. I got a felpro locally and it was about 0.110" shorter in height measured with calipers, and didnt squish out. Both were for a 1.6.

 

I don't think I over torqued them. I think the spec it like 3 ftlbs. I have the correct seal, as far as I know. I tell the counter guy "1995 1.8 oil pan gaskets please ".

I swear it was the slippery wet RTV that was alowing the seals to slip out.

I hear to "only use Grey RTV" , I also hear " only use black". There doesn't seem to be aNY consistency, so I'm going out on a limb, and using Three Bond 1207b this time, and my be tighten the bolts a little more than finger tight.

 

Grey is typically a high rigidity formula. Black is typically better at sealing to less than perfectly cleaned surfaces. Either would be totally fine.


Frankly, I can't think of a single RTV style product whose specs would not meet those of an oil pan gasket. Perhaps the copper style, which is more for exhaust gaskets, not so much fluid retention.

That said, I prefer "Right Stuff", usually found at napa. Very tacky, great oil resistance, and dries quickly. For bonding pans/seals/etc, it's hard to beat. Although it's nearly $20 per tube.



EDIT: RTV the seals themselves in first. Let them dry, then apply the pan/RTV. Much easier.

 

Hahaha, ok. So now we have people who use, grey, black, right stuff, and now I'm using 1207. My conclusion is that the type of silicone make almost zero difference, you just can't let the seal slip out. For that, I am going to apply silicone to the seal and the pan, let it dry. Then silicone the whole assembly and install.

 

I posted how I did in in your other thread, I've done it that way at least 7 times and never a leak with grey RTV. Yes you can find 20 different ways how it's done. I can find you people that use window caulking with a search on google I bet.

You want it done "right". Look up what mazda uses, and copy them, they sold these by the thousands. They use their version of grey RTV.

Also, in your pic in the top post, it looks like the seal is also hanging out on the right side, it it? Looks to me like you just used the wrong seal, and it's way too big.

Fool proof install: Buy mazda seals for your year engine/pan, follow mazda instructions using mazda sealant.