Series 60 Oil Pan Gasket

[Glennman]

I'm thinking about changing my oil pan gasket soon. It's leaked since I bought the bus 3 1/2 years ago. In looking at some YouTube videos on the subject, there are apparently two different ones out there. One (if I recall correctly) is black and is closest to resemble the factory gasket. The other make is a gray one that is thicker, and is supposed to seal better. They say the black one crushes all the way until the pan makes contact with the block, where the gray one still has some gasket thickness left once torqued.

Anyone here have any thoughts on this? Thanks in advance, and I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

[luvrbus]

If you have the plastic oil pan you may have  a crack in the pan and a gasket won't be the cure ,those pans are a preventive maintaince item when you have about 500,000 miles on the series 60,I replaced 2 of the pieces of junk for the school here with metal pans, plastic pans are around 300 bucks and metal pans were 1200 bucks ea. 

[Glennman]

If you have the plastic oil pan you may have  a crack in the pan and a gasket won't be the cure ,those pans are a preventive maintaince item when you have about 500,000 miles on the series 60,I replaced 2 of the pieces of junk for the school here with metal pans, plastic pans are around 300 bucks and metal pans were 1200 bucks ea.

I'll be sure to take a look at the pan this weekend. If it's plastic, I won't even start the project until I have a new metal one (start saving $). Thanks.

[luvrbus]

I'll be sure to take a look at the pan this weekend. If it's plastic, I won't even start the project until I have a new metal one (start saving $). Thanks.

Hope yours is metal I don't think you can buy the stamped pan anymore, the aluminum pan is available with a sump at a price, everyone makes the plastic and fiberglass pans now for the 60 series in trucks the bus pan may take some time to find

[Glennman]

Well, after several months, I'm finally getting a new oil pan gasket. I just ordered the gasket from Luke at US Coach. I climbed under it the other day and was able to verify that the pan is cast aluminum. There are a lot of gaskets available online, but I chose to go with Luke, as I was able to give him the information on the pan and so I feel pretty confident that it will be the one I need. It will come with the "grommets" for the bolts and the gasket. I don't know if it's like the ones online that have the various shapes along the gasket (for an exact fit) or if it's the gray one that is the same shape along its run. The gray ones seem (with the videos I've seen and the reviews I've read) pretty hard to install as it pops out and is apparently difficult to keep in place. We'll see.

[luvrbus]

You need to use 3MM 1300 to hold any type gasket on the aluminum pan,ckeck you bolts they are not your average bolt for the isolators you call gourmets,you tighten those till they bottom out .I don't ever use a torque wrench on those 

[Glennman]

Thanks luvrbus!

I just received my gasket from Luke at US Coach. It is the gray, all one shape type. This is the type that others on YouTube prefer as well. I know that I need to use a small amount of gasket silicone at the 4 corners of the block at the seams there, but from what I hear, one should not use any other sealer material. When you say to use 3M 1300, I take it it's your experience that such a sealer works well (?). That being said, do you use it for the full length of the pan? Thanks for all your help!

[luvrbus]

I just use the 1300 in a few spots to keep the bolt holes in alignment ,you cannot over tighten the pan gasket the way it is design, the gasket system is a carry over from the 2 cycle 92 series engine have fun ,clean you engine breather if the series 60 has blow by like most do the new gasket will still leak if the engine vent is dirty 

[Glennman]

Luvrbus,

When you say to clean the engine breather, I hope this isn't a task that needs to be done while the pan is off, as I already installed it last night!

Is it a matter of simply making sure the tubing is all cleared out and not plugged with a bunch of gunk?

Thanks for all your help!

[Glennman]

Well, just to put this thread to bed, the pan gasket is all complete and so far is working great. I see why people prefer the continuous, gray, one shape throughout gasket (opposed to the one that's fitted for the turns and bends).

Also, I was able to confirm that my crank case ventilation is open and clear.

No leaks so far, but the test will be when we take it to the lake at the end of the month (about 200 miles round trip). I fired it up last night and let it run for about 10 minutes, then put some clean cardboard under it. This morning it was still clean! Thanks all!