Function

• A gasket is a seal fitted between fixed objects that are infrequently taken apart; it is a static seal, meaning it isn't meant to move around. Because you may have to repair/replace your oil pump, removing the oil pan will be required. This means that the oil pan gasket must be properly installed to seal dirt out and keep oil in the pan when reassembling the parts.
  
  

Material

• For a proper seal, it is essential that the right gasket material (often made of rubber) is used for the type of metal the oil pan is made of. The material is designed to handle fluctuating temperatures that can cause pressure that otherwise could create oil leakage.
  
  

Considerations

• An oil pan gasket, when properly installed, should hold oil in the oil pan unless it has dried and cracked. Inspect where the leak is coming from before having the gasket replaced because it may be caused by a loose oil pan drain plug or oil filter.