Oil pan gasket

I have replaced the oil pan gasket on my star chief 389 and as careful as I was doing so, it still has a leak. I have retightened all the bolts and carefully checked everything but it still has a small leak. It is enough of a leak that I dont want to drive it as it is.
Any tips or thoughts on this and how to cure it would be helpful. I was extremely careful when replacing the gasket and felt confident that it would not leak, but there it is on the garage floor. Damn! I hate to drive it this way. Maybe it was the wrong gasket. Got it from NAPA and it seemed to be correct although not what I would call a "perfect" replacement. It is leaking from the rear part of the pan, near the rear seal. It does not seem to be the seal as the flyweel and torque converter are dry.

When all else fails, i always turn to liquid gasket. So far this has worked, even on the most hopless cases. Loc-tite makes an exelent product (but i dont know if it is sold in the US - otherwise you properbly have somthing like it).

If I ran into that problem I would take the oil pan back off and make sure it's straight at the flange. Like valve covers, over years and years of re tightening and/or taking on and off the flange by the bolt get's distorted by compressing the gasket and actually slaightly bending the flange by over tightening.

Take it off, lightly hammer it out straight, then use a new gasket and some sealer on it.

Good luck

Damn! She was ready to drive otherwise. Well, live and learn. I jacked her up and dropped the pan last night. THanks for the tips.

i would use the liquid gasket also, great stuff. I have a leak in mine also but its a stipped plug and i have the 59 cast iron, powerglide, so no pan!! I put some gasket goop on and will see if it worked this weekend sometime.

Go to your nearest Toyota dealer and get a tube of FIPG (For In Place Gasket). I applied this stuff to the front diff of my dads 96 Dodge 2500 4x4 while the gear oil was annoyingly seeping down, around, and through the sealer while I was installing the front diff cover. No leaks!! This stuff will seal ANYTHING for a good 20+ years!!

Wydtrac..

In need to remove my oil pan.
Is it possible to remove the oil pan and re-install / get the gasket right, without lifting-pulling the motor. Just wondering on the clearance of the oil pump pickup before I get started, thanks for any info.

Ben