MrGringo

Hey y'all,

I've had a little drip drip off the back of the block from above the oil pan and around the oil filter and it got real bad. I researched it and figured out that the gasket that sits behind the oil filter mount was the culprit. What a pain to fix!

I just wanted to share how I got it done so the next person doesn't have to go through my process of trial and error. This is for the third generation so I think that's 84, 85, 86, 87, 88 and 89.

You'll need a 10mm socket with a short (3 inch) extension, your ratchet and I used large channel locks to break the oil sending unit loose. Oh yeah, that bastard is blocking access to the top 10mm bolt. So from the top passenger side of the car, reach down along the fire wall and remove your oil filter, then on the top side of the mount, feel for where the sending unit wire connects. Remove it, (yeah, the plastic cover will probably break) and then get in there with your end wrench or in my case, channel locks and loosen it. After it finally moves a hair, I was able to remove it by hand. Now use your 10mm socket to remove the the three bolts and the mount. My gasket was really stuck on the block but I used the edge of a screw driver to break it loose at one point and pull it off carefully by hand. It was super brittle.

Clean up your mount and pull off the old rtv sealant from where the oil sender unit goes. Wipe a little grey or black rtv sealant around the middle of the oil sender unit so that it can set and will be ready by the time you finishing installing the oil filter mount. I also put a couple dabs of grey rtv sealant in the channel to hold the new gasket in place on the mount and installed the whole assembly back on by first hand tightening the bolts and then lightly torquing them down. I was terrified of having one break. That would be hell. Now reinstall your oil sender unit, attach the wire. Put your oil filter back on. You don't need to drain the oil to do this. Good luck!