5.3l oil pan bolt torque settings?? Haynes?? not too clear

I have replaced my oil pan gasket with a felpro. I had oil leaking from the top of the oil filter. This oil pan has the filter going through it. I have replace the oil cooler cap and gasket and finally replaced the oil pan gasket. It worked. I do no have any leaks from above the filter. But I am leaking from inside the bell housing. It is still coming from the oil pan and nowhere else. (I have dye in the oils and can see it leaking)

SO I went back to the Haynes to recheck the torque settings. I originally torqued all of the bolts for 89 inch lbs Per the haynes manual)

here is what it says:

oil pan bolts:
step one (to engine and front cover)............89 in-lbs
step two (to rear cover).............................18 foot-lbs

this step two is not too clear.....

which bolts are the bolts to the rear cover??

what I think this means is the 2 long rear bolts that go to the rear cover should be 18 foot-lbs. in the haynes manual they are bolts 13 and 14.


Is this right.....I started to do this but then stopped becuase I felt I was going to strip the bolts.

This kind of makes sense due to there are no other bolts in the middle of the rear of the pan to the block.

Also I only have a Craftsman inch- lbs torque wrench. Is 18 foot-lbs the same as:

18 foot multiply by 12 equal....216 on my inch-lbs wrench??

I can borrow a ft-lbs wrench, but is that the same???

Yes 216 inch-lbs = 18 ft-lbs.

//2000CAYukon

Yes 216 inch-lbs = 18 ft-lbs.

//2000CAYukon


Cool....I assumed that. Can anybody conform these torque settings??

I am search the net and get different settings. From 18 ft-lbs on all bolts to 106 in-lbs on rear cover bolts and 18 ft-lbs on all others.

Which bolts are considered the rear cover bolts??? ( I assume they are the longer rear most bolts) This is where my leak is.

I currently have all bolts at 89 inch-lbs. leaks from rear between bellhousing and block. Definitely coming from oil pan


Thanks in advance

oil pan to block 18ft lbs, oil pan to rear cover 106 in lbs, the rear of the pan is to be flush and not protrude beyond the engine block or transmission mounting surfaces...

your leak after the transmission repair was most likely the result of a jack used on the oil pan...the pan should have been removed and checked for this...did you ?

If the oil pan is used as a jacking point this will occur..

oil pan to block 18ft lbs, oil pan to rear cover 106 in lbs, the rear of the pan is to be flush and not protrude beyond the engine block or transmission mounting surfaces...

your leak after the transmission repair was most likely the result of a jack used on the oil pan...the pan should have been removed and checked for this...did you ?

If the oil pan is used as a jacking point this will occur..
I removed and replaced the oil pan gasket. Used a new felpro. Leak was at the rear side above oil filter. Not leaking there anymore, but is still leaking at left rear corner between the motor and tranny. I can still see it leaking there with a uv light and dye in oil. as to the...pan is to be flush...It is flush with the tranny.

pan is to be flush...It is flush with the tranny.


the rear of the pan is to be flush and not protrude beyond the engine block and transmission (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=5893041#) mounting surfaces...

this is very very important to with in .01 inches....GM OEM MANUAL 5.3 L ENGINE...

Did you ever resolve your oil pan leak in the rear bell-housing area? I'm having the same exact problem after replacing the oil pan gasket on my 5.3l Yukon. I torqued all of the oil-pan to engine bolts to 89 in-lb, including the two longer bolts at the bell-housing end (Haynes Manual was not very clear). Any help would be appreciated?

Did you ever resolve your oil pan leak in the rear bell-housing area? I'm having the same exact problem after replacing the oil pan gasket on my 5.3l Yukon. I torqued all of the oil-pan to engine bolts to 89 in-lb, including the two longer bolts at the bell-housing end (Haynes Manual was not very clear). Any help would be appreciated?

the previous posts clearly indicate the torque values,for a replacement of oil pan ...

are you trying to fix a leak just by re-torquing the oil pan?

the previous posts clearly indicate the torque values,for a replacement of oil pan ...

are you trying to fix a leak just by re-torquing the oil pan?

I'm just trying to confirm the torque spec for the two longer bolts (6mm, 10.9, ~8in long) located at the bell-housing end of the pan; Haynes appears to say 18 ft-lbs, but its not really clear and it conflicts with what was posted earlier. I still have a leak and don't want to break the bolts. I was carful to make sure that the felpro gasket was aligned properly and that the pan was flush against the bell housing prior to tightening. It may be that I have a rear-seal leak, but it's hard to tell for sure.

I'm just trying to confirm the torque spec for the two longer bolts (6mm, 10.9, ~8in long) located at the bell-housing end of the pan; Haynes appears to say 18 ft-lbs, but its not really clear and it conflicts with what was posted earlier. I still have a leak and don't want to break the bolts. I was carful to make sure that the felpro gasket was aligned properly and that the pan was flush against the bell housing prior to tightening. It may be that I have a rear-seal leak, but it's hard to tell for sure.

There were a few of these that had "porous" castings around the rear seal housing, the fix was to liberally apply the gm grey permatex stuff. on it and put it back on, bad part is have to pull the tranny to do it, but it you replace the rear seal anyway you have to anyhow, so something to check anyway.
This only effected a very limited few, just remember the service bulletin when I worked at the dealer. It still could be your seal though too. If its on a lift, these things are cake to pull the trannies on, they can be a royal pita on the ground though....Don't know your working conditions. Most of them you don't even have to mess with the exhaust, the other stuff shouldn't be tough. The best thing for the bell housing bolts is to acquire a 3 to 4 foot 1/2 extension and use an impact and impact wobble, when you put em back in its fine too with the long extension, but I woud recommend checking tightness by hand too though. Obviously start the bolts by hand first...

I'm just trying to confirm the torque spec for the two longer bolts (6mm, 10.9, ~8in long) located at the bell-housing end of the pan; Haynes appears to say 18 ft-lbs, but its not really clear and it conflicts with what was posted earlier. I still have a leak and don't want to break the bolts. I was carful to make sure that the felpro gasket was aligned properly and that the pan was flush against the bell housing prior to tightening. It may be that I have a rear-seal leak, but it's hard to tell for sure.

at the end of the pan the pan / bellhousing bolts are 106in lbs or about 8 ft lbs...

the rear main seal maybe leaking and this could be from the main bearings being worn..what is the mileage and engine condition ? ever have coolant get into the crankcase ?

also the oil maybe falling down on the back of the engine looking like the rear main is leaking..check the PCV for hose /gasket damage..too much crankcase pressure will cause oil to leak out..

There were a few of these that had "porous" castings around the rear seal housing, the fix was to liberally apply the gm grey permatex stuff. on it and put it back on, bad part is have to pull the tranny to do it, but it you replace the rear seal anyway you have to anyhow, so something to check anyway.
This only effected a very limited few, just remember the service bulletin when I worked at the dealer. It still could be your seal though too. If its on a lift, these things are cake to pull the trannies on, they can be a royal pita on the ground though....Don't know your working conditions. Most of them you don't even have to mess with the exhaust, the other stuff shouldn't be tough. The best thing for the bell housing bolts is to acquire a 3 to 4 foot 1/2 extension and use an impact and impact wobble, when you put em back in its fine too with the long extension, but I woud recommend checking tightness by hand too though. Obviously start the bolts by hand first...
Thanks for the tips. I'll see if I can borrow a friends lift; don't want to wrestle with the pulling the trany working from the the ground.

at the end of the pan the pan / bellhousing bolts are 106in lbs or about 8 ft lbs...

the rear main seal maybe leaking and this could be from the main bearings being worn..what is the mileage and engine condition ? ever have coolant get into the crankcase ?

also the oil maybe falling down on the back of the engine looking like the rear main is leaking..check the PCV for hose /gasket damage..too much crankcase pressure will cause oil to leak out..
Thanks for the info. Never had coolant in the crankcase. 150K, 2001 Yukon

I have replaced the op gasket 2 times. First was my fault. I pulled out the baffle in the oil pan to thoroughly clean it, i put everything back together and I still had 4 bolts and the baffle sitting there. Had some good choice words. LOL now. The 2nd one was replaced but I still have a slight leak, only after I do an oil change. My pan is now leaking and I was told it may be the rear cover. I have done the op gasket and the oil cooler cap. I still have oil in the bell-housing and on the drivers side more than the passenger side. I cannot figure out where it is coming from. I cannot see anything seeping from the rear main seal. But every 2-3 days the drivers side bolt on the tranny has a full drop on it, along with some leaking from the center hole in the tranny housing. But the oil filter is dry and clean. I have 155,000 miles and have changed out the intake this past summer. I looked for anything that I might have forgot to tighten and all is good. I can tell u that it is not leaking from the top of the motor. It is either the above the oil filter or in the tranny housing like the rear cover. is there any what to prove 100% that the rear cover is either good or leaking?


I know that there is a SB for this rear cover on 03-07? models.

Here are some pics..

when they / if they removed/installed the transmission had they used the oil pan as a jack support this could be distorted...when you droped the oil pan you checked for this ?

Working on an 04 tahoe 5.3. Customer says the tech at walmart told her she needed an Oil pan gasket at her last oil change. Did the gasket and a couple weeks later I get a call saying that it's leaking oil and she has no oil left. I check it out and it's coming out pretty heavy from the back of the pan and over the filter. I'm without a torque wrench at this point and just going by feel trying to tighten up the bolts. On the last bolt (the corner by the filter) I hear "Tunk!" and the corner of the pan is broken. RTV the heck out of that corner and the seam of the pan to try and buy time while I find a new pan. $300 from Advanced, $100 from local junkyard, $50 on ebay (we have a winner!) get the new pan and pick up the Tahoe friday night. Put the new pan on and this time I have torque wrenches. Finger tighten all bolts (Especially the two bell housing bolts to snug it up on the bell housing so it is flush (with max .010 variance)) then 18ft for the mounting bolts, 106in for the two long bolts (13 and 14 in the torque sequence), then 37ft for the two bell housing bolts. As I'm torquing down the corner that broke the last time I hear "Tunk!". Broke again! RTV again, fill with oil and viola! Leaking worse than before. Pouring out. Now it's Sunday and I'm at wits end. Get some quick steel and repair the corner of the original pan. Get a new felpro gasket. I'm thinking it's got to be the rear main seal at this point. So do all the other mechanics I've consulted with. In the need to try and buy time I take the pan off again (third time's the charm). As I'm cleaning the block again I look at the Oil filter ports. Hmmmm. I wonder if those rubber rings need to come out. With screwdriver I try taking out the rubber. As I get the first ring out the whole piece drops from the block. The part of the gasket that seals those ports are only attached to the rest of the gasket by rubber!!! It had stuck to the block, Ripped the rubber, and stayed behind while the rest of the gasket came off!! It looked like it was supposed to be part of the block. RTV the heck out of the new gasket to make sure and put the old repaired pan back on. NO MORE LEAKS!! Moral- Even veterans aren't immune to rookie mistakes. Always make sure the the old gasket is clear lol. :)

So I changed the rear main because I thought it was leaking. Turns out it was the crankshaft sensor's o-ring that was leaking. It will leak and run down the side of the rearmain housing.

So I changed the rear main because I thought it was leaking. Turns out it was the crankshaft sensor's o-ring that was leaking. It will leak and run down the side of the rearmain housing.

sometimes you think your saving some time and guess it is the problem with out proper investigating , then you make more problems. pan leaks most times are not from the pan/gasket.. leaks from above and esp. the front of the block can LOOK like the pan gaskets. a good cleaning /washing with some mineral spirits and then using dye you will see the exact cause/leak location. but it takes some extra time /effort.