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Anybody fix a hole in an oil pan? AHHHHH!


mnte496

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So Ive been driving the monte around and noticed a puddle of oil under the car and upon investigating I found that the grease fitting on the centerlink had pushed into the oil pan when turnimg and left a dent and a tiny crack where it had pushed in. I got a moroso stroker pan so it wasn't cheap i would really hate buying a new and tearing the motor back out when ive only driven 400 miles or so. debating on draining the oil and attempt to braze or mig it. ive read on other threads some have good luck with cleaning it and jb welding it but i really dont want to worry about it leaking everytime i drive it!

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I have difficulty visualizing how such a thing could even be possible but it apparently is and it certainly sucks. I can sympathize, there is nothing worse than having to fix something brand new, but it happened to me more than once so I'm sorry to hear that.

 

For a fix, I've never heard of welding a pan that is still installed and somebody might chime in with that experience. Regardless, I would recommend an incremental approach until you find something that works. I would go for the JB Weld first. I have had some good experiences with it under different conditions and I would be willing to bet this could be one where it will also work.

 

Whatever you chose, good luck

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as far as welding a hole in the oil pan goes it would be wise to drain the oil and pull the pan off the motor as you don't want the slapper getting in the motor. We took a stock gen VI and modified it and welded it back together. here is the before oilpan001.jpg new metal welded in 001-3.jpg painted and in place installed001.jpg another item you might want to look at is a product called metal to metal which might seal up the hole.

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I would recommend taking it off the car. It's the fumes that explode. I would think that even if the oil was drained there may be enough gas fumes left in the pan to start a fire or explode IMO. If you do weld it on the car I would say fire up the air compressor and keep it handy so you can give it a hard blast of air if it lights up

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I fixed/welded a pin hole along the original weld line on a new "bump out" pan while the engine was together on an engine stand. I had just put oil in and noticed a small leak days later. Left the pan on the engine, drained it, welded it, touched up the paint, and it was good as new. Granted, the hole was very small so I felt confident that I would not have a problem. - Dave

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I have helped repair holes in gas tank with the gas still in them. We solder them with a soldering iron. Took a pc of cooled rolled heated it with a torch and then took it to the tank while the tank was still on the car. I asked my boss about that and he poured gas into a open container and heated the iron and put the iron in to open container and it just sizzled like it was in water. After that I had no qualms about going under the car and soldering the tank.

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Since it is such a small crack i think im going to try to tack weld it i have a hobart 140 mig and its pretty much made for thin metal im a little nervous i got the car on jack stands to let the oil drain towards the back of the pan and am going to let it drain till saturday or friday night hopefully it goes well if it dosen't i will pull the motor out saturday night. I almost need to take it out anyways and find some different valve covers cause i have to pull the motor just to changs the gaskets! power brakes and ac box is in the way. thanks for the replies!

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I would pull the pan. Yes you could weld it and there is no way that you will get all the ash cleaned out. With only 400 mile on the engine I would pull the pan.

I actually went out and looked at mine, I can't figure out how the center link did that. I also have a stroker pan.

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Your probably right think i am going to pull it i would hate starting a fire and really damage the car after i just finished it. i cant beleive the center link did that to i would never guess to check it. It was just the dam grease zirk that poked the dent and crack. I just dread pulling the motor cause the headers are a pain! But on the bright side it gives me a reason to get back out in the garage!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I thought about that and it seems like it happened after i took the car in to have the front end aligned it was fine before i took the grease zirk out and it dosen't touch the pan anymore.

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Definately pull the motor! That's how I lost my 70 Camaro RS back in 75..............And the entire shop. Small farm town in Iowa and the local welding shop was attempting to fix my oilpan/tie rods after I slid into a ditch one night, but that's a whole other topic! I wasn't there at the time, but he was welding on the pan and we think there was a fuel leak also as it apparently just flashed all over the bottom of the car and due to poor housekeeping in this shop, the floor (wooden bricks soaked in oil)just kept spreading. 2 small fire extinguishers didn't do much good then the tank blew. Lost several tractors, my car, and 40yrs worth of stuff, etc........

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best way is to yank it out and weld it up...

But i had honda crx, JB welded a 4"x1/2" rip in the oilpan so i could make it home. Left it like that for 7 years never had an issue

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Just going to throw this out there, so let the hate begin.

 

Just get the tie rod out of the way, clean up the offending hole, and hit it with 5 seconds on the MIG welder. Trust me, unless you are the worst welder in history, you arent going to hurt anything.

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I did a temp fix for rhe summer, going to pull the motor this winter anyways, im a hvac service tech and sometimes we use a two part epoxy to fix coils, its rated to 3000psi plus and it can handle temps around 500f. You can use a torch or heat gun to cure it i used my heat gun it took a little longer but worked out fine. ive used it on 410a systems and they have been running fine for years and no leaks. im buying a new pan and plan on doing more upgrades to the motor this winter.

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I did a temp fix for rhe summer, going to pull the motor this winter anyways, im a hvac service tech and sometimes we use a two part epoxy to fix coils, its rated to 3000psi plus and it can handle temps around 500f. You can use a torch or heat gun to cure it i used my heat gun it took a little longer but worked out fine. ive used it on 410a systems and they have been running fine for years and no leaks. im buying a new pan and plan on doing more upgrades to the motor this winter.

 

Funny, I used the same thing when I found a crack on my discharge line on my ac at the house. that was 7 years ago. I would pretty call that a permanent repair.

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We have that we call it JB WELD and it works GREAT!!!

 

That is what I'd do as well over a mig and the spatter. I have a Mig and I'd likely go this route first with the epoxy.

 

Then if that didn't seem to fix it (and I doubt it would not) then you could clean it up and hit it with the MIG.

 

You could use a propane torch as well to get the HEAT at the stuff your talking about if don't have a HEAT GUN.....

 

Good luck to you in the repair.

 

Scott

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