All,

I'm replacing my oil pan gasket today, which will be the first of many things today on my new to me 1990 Volvo 245, and I'd like to know what. if any, is the value for the torque setting on the bolts that hold the pan in place.

I've come this far and I want to do the job right.

Thanks in advance,

Matt

Hello, I'm a little late on this one and nothing else to do tonight.

I agree with the other posters that eight foot pounds may be too much torque. That's almost a hundred inch pounds to put on tin metal and a gasket. A gasket that may not be OEM and who says that that reading is what the one factory used. We know Sven isn't working on that line! (:-)
A lot of this depends on the gasket material used as you do not want to over compress the material to cause it to deform or creep.
You want to make a firm and even contact between all surfaces and pinch of any channels within the gasket material. These channels can be thought of as fibers or tubes or with some materials as spaces between molecules. Paying attention to the type of fluid or gas is a major factor in containing either.

This type of joint is not one that uses bolts to gain integrity of strength to hold some other unit or components together.
This is not a pressurized pipe joint or a head gasket.
The bolts do not need to be stretched and do not require locking washers. Only the compression of a stable gasket is needed as it insulates the bolts from vibration and remove clearance or space within the threads to increase friction. The term "snug tight" is often the best description.
The oil pan is made of thin material and the joint is not under any pressure so the oil is not pushing to get out of the pan.

With all this said, you have to throw out torque charts that deal with solid make-ups over split line joints.
Some joints are designed with internal stops so that the gasket cannot be over squeezed. An oil pan as far as I know do not come with those.
In the case of O-rings the groove depth is preset. A rule of thumb on these is about 20% of the O-ring diameter maximum compression. Many are less than this, again it's their design and materials that come into play.
I have read where gasket materials come with what is called " M and Y" axis compression limits. We will never see that information on a package as it's for designers and heck who can do anything with that going back to a bolts torque and the distance between them? Not me!

In the case of "Snug Tight" this is where one uses instinct from experience or hide and watch for how much leak in tolerable. (:-) Trial and error or let's see if it works or not and call it ... engineering!
I'm one who likes a torque wrench better for the scientific mind but even any numbers I use are based on above.
At best, it is all I can say, if you use a torque wrench watch the dial, be it foot pounds or inch pounds. On small fasteners, I pull it until the needle starts to move and then turn it farther. That is, until the needle moves more than the actual amount the bolt turns. It's a proportionate thing?

That's when I "feel" that the only the gasket is compressed flat between the surfaces and the bolt is snug. I read that number and use it as my "set" reference all the way around in any pattern that feel gets the pan down flat and even. It keeps me from gaining or losing that "feel" as I get tired or impatient.
After running them down I check back to the first ones and see if the number rebounds consistently with hardly a difference from the whole bunch. The gasket will conform and keep on giving up to pressure! Warning, this is the point but you have to decide "IS THE JOINT SOLID?" Bottom line, that's what you want and not the bolts overly done.

You should run the engine several times, some mechanics recommend 10,000 miles. This is to set the gasket for temperature. Torque them again to that same number and stop! If you cannot reach them all with a torque reading device, then use your "feel" and transferred it from the known ones values with a reading over to those you can reach with a smaller tool.

By doing this on enough cars you can then have your own trade secret!
Anybody want to share their numbers?
I've got an engine on a stand, that someday, I will dink with! (:-)

Phil

Hi Phil,

The question is, what tool will a novice brick fixer be likely to use to calibrate his novice wrist? Very unlikely a novice will have a torque driver or wrench anything like the assembly line workers are given to ensure consistent results.

I think OP is an engineer, so he recognizes this, and may be able to borrow an inch-pound tool from work and get it right, and use his powers of observation to fully understand why, after flattening the pan rim to learn how easily it is deformed.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

"Sometimes I wonder if our lives are all about the challenge of keeping gases and liquids where they belong."

Well, the OP is an Engineer, Electrical in fact. Looking back on it, I should have been a mechanical one instead. Anyways...

"Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer, today I are one."

The reason I was looking for the value is that I did not want to have to go down there again and continue to re-tighten the bolts.

I had to do this on my valve cover on my 91', which I originally did by feel and it seep just a tad after said installation. I then went back and tightened some more, being very careful as I went to really "feel" what was going on. I am please to say that I no longer have leaks on my valve cover on my 91'. This was my very first successful installation. I done two others, that were not, so I was pretty excited to see this one be successful.

I could not find, for the life of my a inch-pound wrench in the current vicinity that I live in. So I took my 10 to 100 torque wrench and lowered it down by two. Now the question is, was it really reading 8, more than 8, or less than 8. I do not know. What I do know is that I took my time. I went slow and I paid very fine attention to when I felt/heard the first click.

With that being said, I may have to do this again, unfortunately as the pan I pulled from yard, may be leaking around the plug due to it being dented. I won't know till I fill her up and see.

I really do, however, need to get a inch-pound torque wrench and will being looking to purchase said device in the very near future.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Matt

Hi Art!

Yep you are right about the tool and I did not know he was an engineer.
What are the chances of that happening but I believe that there are lots of engineers that make things and they never test out.
I have used many a gas can, that you cannot get all the gas out of, when it's put up next to the cars fender. Too short of nozzles or gas trapped in the handles or corners.

I was thinking of using a short box end wrench that would fit over the crossmember and then pulled with fingers until it "feels" like the previous bolt.
I think this would qualify as "hands on experience."

There have been a many cad drafting programs that have put bolts in non accessible places. They are "just now" simulating how a "mocked up wrench," probably made exclusively by Snap-On, has got to fit onto that hidden bolt while in a 3D rotation.
Now putting some hands on them wrenches with a human body in "a contortion" is not included as far as I know, yet?

Yep, we are still a ways from the stampings on parts saying "Designed and Made in the USA by CG characters."
Like this one ... (:-)

Phil

forget a torque wrench for those.

use a 1/4" drive socket and rachett (not 3/8) and tighten till it feels snug.

Smart response by 1 pocket. Time and experience teaches what tools to use and how to use them. Not saying a torque wrench shouldn't be used when needed like head bolts and the big stuff but compressing gaskets with small bolts I always go by feel. Of course you need to make sure your threads are chased clean.

Never mind. I figured it out. 8 ft-lbs!