Can someone tell me the correct torque, and whether or not a criss cross pattern is recommended? Took my truck to Ford to have the oil R2'd because it's getting to hard to get rid of haz waste. Anyway, the goob reinstalled the cover with RTV, now it's leaking like s#$t thru a goose, go figure.

 

The "mechanic" probably overtorqued the cover. 10 ft/lbs is plenty and silicone gasket maker is good enough. You will probably need to take the cover off and straighten it, though. Look at it and you will see where the bolts have deformed it. Place it on a flat surface and hammer the metal edge back down flat. When retorquing, snug all bolts first, then keep going around and tighten them again several times until they all are tight. It' really not necessary to criss-cross, just don't overtorque. Also, if possible, let it set overnight before you fill it with lube. Good luck!

 

Welcome ! The service generally uses RTV gasket maker. Yes, only a goob mechanic would make this amateur mistake, much less not honor a free repair. Common mistakes are: bent cover, gouged case surface (commonly done prying the cover off with a sharp instrument), applying RTV to unclean surfaces, not applying RTV appropriately (usually around bolts), and not letting RTV cure before adding lube.

 

Thanks for the replys, my thoughts exactly. Sad though, you would think you could trust dealers to go by the book.