Was always anti-gasket sealant on oil pans until last month...

I used to just slap a new gasket on dry every time, thought sealant was overkill. Then I had a Cessna 172 leak after 3 flights and a senior mechanic showed me how a thin bead of Hylomar in the corners stopped it cold. Anybody else get stubborn about something that turned out to be routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

wren_carr1mo ago

Waited three whole flights with a known leak before doing anything about it? That's wild, man. Did your oil pressure gauge just get ignored the whole time?

-1

barbara_taylor831mo ago

Plus its not like the gauge gives you the whole picture anyway. Ive had plenty of oil leaks that read totally normal on the gauge until the thing suddenly drops off a cliff. Three flights is nothing if you're watching the temps and keeping an eye on it between legs. Some of these engines are pretty forgiving with a slow leak, you just top it off and keep going. Not saying its smart, but I get why someone would push it if theyre in a bind or the leak is super slow.