Oil pan bolts too tight, can I still loosen them?

Mustard

Mustard

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Jeep Tj oil pan bolts were tighten too tight. I didn't put oil in and they are still intact. Is it safe too uncrush the gasket by loosening all the bolts until they are just loose enough and resnug. Or is a crushed gasket mean redo all over. Would like to know before I put the šŸˆ and muffler back on.
 
Explain too tight. Is the gasket squeezing out the sides or did you use a torque wrench too high? You could always loosen then tighten to spec, and if it leaks tighten a bit more.
 
Hmm, did you go Ft LBs Vs InchLBs? Personally, Iā€™d loosen, leave for a little while so that rubbery plastic will reform (if I remember the Felpro right, and tighten in the middle to out alternating and move on. Youā€™ll know if itā€™s leaking. Itā€™s blue rubber with a metal inner I think, if I remember correctly, and I wouldnā€™t think that rubber is ruined that quickly.

Not much help, but a Felpro isnā€™t that expensive, just hitting a new one on for piece of mind, but I personally donā€™t think it would be necessary.
 
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Mustard said:
Jeep Tj oil pan bolts were tighten too tight. I didn't put oil in and they are still intact. Is it safe too uncrush the gasket by loosening all the bolts until they are just loose enough and resnug. Or is a crushed gasket mean redo all over. Would like to know before I put the šŸˆ and muffler back on.
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If your exhaust is out now, it would probably be worth it to start over with a new gasket and install it correctly. Sure, there is a chance that if you back it off and re-torque that it will not leak, but there is also a pretty good chance that it will leak after running it for a while. Then to fix it you are pulling your exhaust again.

There is a chance that it would be fine as is - but there is a better chance that you damaged the gasket and it will leak. Please return to paragraph one.

Itā€™s worth the few buck for a new gasket and some time to give you a better shot a success - and a lesson learned.

Good luck. Let us know what happens.
 
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TJ Jim said:
Explain too tight. Is the gasket squeezing out the sides or did you use a torque wrench too high? You could always loosen then tighten to spec, and if it leaks tighten a bit more.
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My fiancƩ was using the in lb torque after I closed the rear main and girdle with ft lb torque; in lb was lighter to torque to specs. I came back to the garage and she said she was tightening and it got really hard to torque but she remembered it not being hard on our other tj last year.

I took over and was feeling the same way. Nothing snap. Felpro is just peeking out the sides a little. I just know it's tight due to me not hearing a click for mins and then when I took a break to reset the insanity, it was clicking with the slightest touch on all. So I'm most certain they are passed torque

I'm going to try and see if the loosening then spec works. As you mentioned, if it leaks a little just tighten a bit.


My main concern was when I heard so many forums say "crushed" my first thought was " well guys what do you mean by crushed" is it cracked crushed or just smashed down and need to be relieved like a stubborn pimple.
 
cpwolf said:
Hmm, did you go Ft LBs Vs InchLBs? Personally, Iā€™d loosen, leave for a little while so that rubbery plastic will reform (if I remember the Felpro right, and tighten in the middle to out alternating and move on. Youā€™ll know if itā€™s leaking. Itā€™s blue rubber with a metal inner I think, if I remember correctly, and I wouldnā€™t think that rubber is ruined that quickly.

Not much help, but a Felpro isnā€™t that expensive, just hitting a new one on for piece of mind, but I personally donā€™t think it would be necessary.
Click to expand...

Used in lbs torque and I couldn't agree with you more. The fel pro looks to be more forgiving then the older or more mundane gaskets. Thanks... thats why I love the jeep community. You can't find a better community than this. Priceless
 
if itā€™s the blue rubber felpro gasket youā€™ll be fine. Back it off and snug it to correct setting. Itā€™s rubber. Itā€™ll spring back.
Like the other folks said, if youā€™ve still got your exhaust dropped put a new one in. I believe youā€™ll be okay though.
Good to have a girl to help you out. My wife has tiny hands and can help in tight situations šŸ¤©
 
NashvilleTJ said:
If your exhaust is out now, it would probably be worth it to start over with a new gasket and install it correctly. Sure, there is a chance that if you back it off and re-torque that it will not leak, but there is also a pretty good chance that it will leak after running it for a while. Then to fix it you are pulling your exhaust again.

There is a chance that it would be fine as is - but there is a better chance that you damaged the gasket and it will leak. Please return to paragraph one.

Itā€™s worth the few buck for a new gasket and some time to give you a better shot a success - and a lesson learned.

Good luck. Let us know what happens.
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Correct on the cat being out. Should I un torque a little, raise the torque up, touch it slightly to see where I really torqued it to, then loosen accordingly?! It's raining like pissing cow here in Beverly Hills and trying to save face and rust possibilities. I think I'm going to try and loosen. I am however glad you posted. As a man that loves many angles, you now gave me another future voice. "If" it leaks in a short time after installation and low use, I now have an outside past voice holding a conversation with me about how I could've been more at ease if listened to such prompts. Will keep you guys posted
 
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I agree with the thought that the blue rubber gaskets are farrrrrr superior to dart board material gaskets, butttt,,, everything is clean right now, replacing the gasket with a new one is at it's easiest it will ever be, even if you have to drop the exhaust. You just had the exhaust out so it's not going to be rusted in place or hard to remove. Over tightening CAN cause the gasket to split or get permanently squished. In the end it is your call, If this happened to me, I would be irritated that I had to buy and install another gasket LOL. At least you don't have to completely remove the pan to get at the rear main seal.
 
I thought over tightening can put little dents where the bolts are and cause leaks between those bolts/dents. Actually I know that can happen, I'm just not sure about how strong the TJ oil pan is or how much too tight this one has been. Either way, I'd take it out to make sure it has no dents.
 
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JEEPCJTJ said:
I thought over tightening can put little dents where the bolts are and cause leaks between those bolts/dents. Actually I know that can happen, I'm just not sure about how strong the TJ oil pan is or how much too tight this one has been. Either way, I'd take it out to make sure it has no dents.
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That's a very good point. The only way to tell is to pull the pan and lay a good straight edge on it. If the bolt holes are dented a bit, some work with hammer and a narrow dolly will make quick work of it.
 
I think you already know what you want to do and just want some reassurance. You're concerned you messed it up and it's going to eat at you if you leave it. Spend the $30 and get a new one.
 
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Well...I just looked up the spec and it's 84 inch pounds. That's about 7 ft lbs.

My Husky electric socket wrench caps out around 30 ft lbs. And that's what I buzzed mine down to with a Felpro seal and some RTV and it's not leaking.

I'm not saying anything other than whatever you do make it consistent. And don't snap a bolt or do anything stupid like me!

I recently purchased a in lbs capable torque wrench...so I'm moving towards right...

-Mac
 
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TJ Jim said:
Explain too tight. Is the gasket squeezing out the sides or did you use a torque wrench too high? You could always loosen then tighten to spec, and if it leaks tighten a bit more.
Click to expand...

Update: Thanks guys! You all are a champ. I went ahead and untorqued then retorqued in circles going outwards. No leaks still on "Mystique". Those felpros are built Ford tuff I tell yah
 
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