3GM30F Oil Pan Removal

[Far North100]

Hey All,

I have a Yanmar 3GM30F and it looks like it might be leaking oil around the front of the oil pan gasket. I was going to drop the pan and check the gasket out, but the pan seems to be on there pretty good. I removed all the bolts around all four edges of the pan, but its still stuck tight. Is there anything else I'm missing (like another connection)? Thanks in advance!

[rognvald]

Did you try retorquing the pan bolts to factory specs before assuming the gasket was bad? Frequently, they just need to be retorqued. Best, Rognvald

[Dennis.G]

Old gaskets do that, they stick to the metal on both surfaces like glue. Hard to remove components, and then a lot of very careful scraping to get old gasket material off of both of the mating surfaces. If "gasket maker" gunk was used when last assembled, even more work. If you are doing this with the engine in place in the the boat, you have entered a world of pain.

When re-installing pan will need new gasket obviously (and maybe RTV sealant), and use proper sequencing of tightening bolts, and use a torque wrench to torque to specifications. Then discover oil was actually leaking from the crank main seal all along!

[a64pilot]

First make real sure you got them all. Then once your sure you did take a putty knife and with a hammer tap it between the two halves, then reposition it and you should feel the pan come loose.
Hopefully most of the gasket will be on the pan, often it’s glued to the pan with contact adhesive.
A wire brush on a drill will clean the pan up really well, you want it spotless.

Then take a straight edge and ensure the holes are flat, very often the bolts have been overtightened and this distorts the holes down. If so then placing the ball end of a ball peen hammer in the hole and hitting it with another hammer will flatten the hole out perfectly. Hold the edge of the pan on a table edge when you do this to hold it and keep it from bending.
It’s very common on oil pans and valve covers, if you don’t flatten out the holes it’s going to leak, and if you try to tighten the bolts to stop the leak, you distort the pan more and it leaks worse.

Do not use a screwdriver to try to pry the pan off, it’s too small of an area and can easily bend the pan.
Glue the new gasket to the pan, or you will likely find it very difficult to position it perfectly if you don’t.
Do not put any glue etc on the side of the gasket that goes to the block, if it’s a cork gasket I like to smear a thin layer of grease on it, makes it not tear and move around easy and I think it helps it seal, but who knows for sure.

This is generic knowledge for all oil pans, I don’t know about yours.
Cast pans are rare, but they do exist, of course if it’s cast, don’t try bending it or hitting the holes with a hammer etc, your not bending cast, your breaking cast.

[coopec43]

This clip got 4700 thumbs up and 223 thumbs down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJY_4zhhNPA

[Geoff54]

Also, make sure that you have enough room under the engine to get the pan out. The oil pickup goes almost to the bottom of the pan so you need almost as much space under the engine as the pan is deep, so you can wiggle it out. If you haven't, you might be able to reach in and unbolt the pickup tube, but it won't be easy.

[sailorchic34]

There are a ton of bolts holding the oil pan on. There is also sealant that is holding it on, so it needs to be gentled pried apart as A64 said above.