Oil pan repair question

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I was washing the underside of my car and realized there was a hole in the oil pan, I most likely removed the last bit of rust scale holding the oil in the pan with the pressure washer. I cleaned the pan with a wire wheel, areas of the pan are pitted but this appears to be the only place were there is a hole and the area around the hole as you can see is pitted but it doesn't seem to be that bad. Now to replace the pan at the shop is 600 bucks due to the fact it is such a pita to get out, I just bought the car for 300 bucks so the oil pan repair would be more than the car lol. Would it be ok to try and weld it, im worried about blowing through and making a bigger hole, I read a previous post that said somthing about brazing however I do not have a torch. I have a lincoln mig welder, what steps should be taken to have a decent repair. Or should I just use some JB Weld ? Attached Images
Reply:I've never welded an oil pan, but provided it's just sheet metal (i.e. steel and not cast) it can be MIG welded.  It rusted so it's ferrous and not aluminum, magnesium or some other crazy alloy.   Many MIG machines will do sheet metal as thin as 24 gauge.  If your machine doesn't have a guide, just try the lowest settings you've got and you should be fine.  A piece of copper held on the inside while welding will help, both as a heat sink to avoid overheating and to allow the molten metal someplace to "sit" without passing through the hole.Lincoln AC225 & MigPak 140, Lincoln Magnum SpoolGun, Miller Spectrum 375-X Plasma, Syncrowave 200 TIG, Millermatic 252 MIG, Miller Digital Elite, General 7x12" horiz/vert bandsaw, 3' box/pan brake, 20 ton press, milling machine, 12x28 lathe, etc.
Reply:wait a sec- i just reread this... you arent planning to weld it while it's still attached to the car and full of oil, I hope?!?!      Welding it will require removal from the car.  If you don't want to do that, try JB or something similar.Lincoln AC225 & MigPak 140, Lincoln Magnum SpoolGun, Miller Spectrum 375-X Plasma, Syncrowave 200 TIG, Millermatic 252 MIG, Miller Digital Elite, General 7x12" horiz/vert bandsaw, 3' box/pan brake, 20 ton press, milling machine, 12x28 lathe, etc.
Reply:1-Forget above J-B weld. If forced to, due to the below, Good News.....clean it well, coat with high temp silicone, cover that with a small patchof aluminum foil tape and cross your fingers.2-A patch needs to be welded on the outside, fairly large to extendout over and past the most heavily pitted areas, which needs furtherinspection.3-Welding on a open hole into a crankcase that is still filledwith oil mixed with gasoline is a prescription for fire/explosion.When the pan gets hot from the welding it WILL FUME OFF,even more volatiles. One can have repeated flashes and pops.The solution to safely doing the above is a positive purgepressure of the crankcase with inert gas, monitoring the purge outflowfor 0 percent O2. This is not the time for 'Amateur Hour'.The hole needs to be quickly sealed without undue heat into the pan,which will create lots of oil flow right down into and thru that hole,mightily screwing up the welding.4-Welding on thin, pitted sheet, can create heat and stress cracksoutside the weld/patch area-due to the pitting.        If mig welded professionally, it often needs touchup with TIG,on all the starts and stops and questionable areas. Weldingon degraded material can be done--but it's not the time for 'Amateur Hour'.5-Oh..and 'yes', yours truly has been there and dun this-before, unlikemost of the posters guessing.Last edited by dave powelson; 04-10-2010 at 09:59 PM.Reason: additionBlackbird
Reply:If the pan is so bad that it perforated while cleaning you should replace it. Call some junkyards, often they aren't too expensive. Changing the pan on most cars is easy. If after you pull it off the remainder feels solid than I'd try your hand on welding it up. Dave is likely correct that there simply isn't much left to weld to so it may develop another hole or crack. On a $300 car I'd pull it off and weld it. Nothing lost trying... unless all your oil leaks out while going down the road I cracked the oil pan on my wife's VW while driving too fast on a dirt road. It had an aluminum pan and the dealer wanted about $300 for the part. Pulled it off and welded it up. Easy fix.
Reply:Originally Posted by dave powelsonThis is not the time for 'Amateur Hour'.
Reply:If you can take it off it will be a easy repair. Cut a piece of thin plate big enough to span to good metal and cover other areas that may be thin and weld it on the outside of the pan. Clean the area to be welded good and clean then start welding. If you have a questionable area on the weld - lightly grind and then re-weld. Good luck
Reply:Taking the oil pan out is really not an option it can be done but would require me to lift the engine up and remove some of the suspension compents. So if it were as simple as just unbolting the oil pan I would just buy a new one for 60 bucks but it requires alot of labor to remove the oil pan on this car, this is why the shop wants close to 600 dollars to repair. Currently the oil pan has been draining for about a week now, I have jackstands on one side of the car so the car is leaning towards the drain plug. So welding this while the oil pan is in the car is not possible because of the rust and area around the hole wouldn't be ideal for a good weld i kinda figuerd that but thought maybe i could get away with it.  I understand the fume and oil residue risk for fire but i would be welding for maybe 10 seconds it wouldn't even really be a full bead more of a tack. I thought maybe i could spray some sort of cleaner up through the drain plug to hit the area around the hole sense the hole is so close to the drain plug.this may sound stupid but would drilling the hole out and welding a nut on the outside be less risky or worse sense it would be more weld time
Reply:I would clean it well, make a large metal patch which extends beyond the pitted area and has rounded corners, and use high quality Epoxy (the regular JB-Weld is fine) to bond the entire patch to the bottom. Just be sure the patch sits parallel to the entire pan area, with no major gaps, and that both the pan and the patch are 'chemically clean'.  Have something, like a piece of plywood and a jack to hold the patch in place while the epoxy cures. Also, be sure the pan is empty so no oil leaks out while you're doing the repair.For those who disagree, please explain why.
Reply:Originally Posted by merccometTaking the oil pan out is really not an option it can be done but would require me to lift the engine up and remove some of the suspension compents. So if it were as simple as just unbolting the oil pan I would just buy a new one for 60 bucks but it requires alot of labor to remove the oil pan on this car, this is why the shop wants close to 600 dollars to repair. Currently the oil pan has been draining for about a week now, I have jackstands on one side of the car so the car is leaning towards the drain plug. So welding this while the oil pan is in the car is not possible because of the rust and area around the hole wouldn't be ideal for a good weld i kinda figuerd that but thought maybe i could get away with it.  I understand the fume and oil residue risk for fire but i would be welding for maybe 10 seconds it wouldn't even really be a full bead more of a tack. I thought maybe i could spray some sort of cleaner up through the drain plug to hit the area around the hole sense the hole is so close to the drain plug.this may sound stupid but would drilling the hole out and welding a nut on the outside be less risky or worse sense it would be more weld time
Reply:Just weld a patch over the hole and be done with it already, easy and it will work just fine with no risk of blowing yourself up.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:Originally Posted by sn0border88Just weld a patch over the hole and be done with it already, easy and it will work just fine with no risk of blowing yourself up.
Reply:Got a97 F350 diesel.  Cost to replace the pan is crazy expensive.  Motor has to be pulled, the flipped over to replace it.  The F350 does not have a pan gasket, silicon is used.  Shop rate through a dealer is $2500.  Had a hole in mine, so JB welded it two years ago and it's still holding, and it's a plow truck so it's seen abuse.  Don't see why JB wouldn't work as well for you.
Reply:If you weld on  a patch there is a chance the pan will crack. Oil pans are very brittle and the auto magazines have been warning about this for many years. Brazing is recommended. All that said, I've welded up some holes in oil pans, some with a patch and some not with no problems. But then I had one crack. Since then I've brazed them.
Reply:Brazing is the best way to go. Definitely remove the oilpan.  You won't get much of a weld with it on.  Chances are that there are other "thin" spots that may need attention.  What kind of car is it?  Maybe a pan from a junk yard is the best fix.  A pan with a hole in it is likely to mean the engine was run low on oil a few times.  $600 to replace an oil pan is a little high unless its on an exotic car. lolLast edited by lugweld; 04-11-2010 at 09:16 AM.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:I would just use a piece of aluminum and some JB weld.... it worked on my gas tank on the old 1979 ford dump truck....saved 200.00 and lasted 7 years now it's time to do it again but it goes down in the bottoms here getting firewood and gets stuck all the time beating down trees LOL... The abuse it has went through and still is on there but leaking now. But for a 300 dollar car it will probably out last the car ...I believe in the jb weld and the oil CAN AND WILL ignite at a couple thousand degrees AND THE OLDER THE MOTOR MORE GAS IN THE OIL PAST THE RINGS SOOOOO LOOK OUT!!!!! and one splatter will go right through a fuel line or anti freeze  trans FLUID they will all burn be WISE AND REMOVE IT OR GOOO ITLast edited by Tony D; 04-11-2010 at 09:48 AM.Reason: MOTER LOLLincoln 225 Tombstone,Miller Big 20,Hobart 180,150' Argon,A/D hobart hood 22 Ton Log splitter,79 F350 dump eats 4.75 TONS and still turns cutters,grinders,And a  Hypertherm POWERMAX 30
Reply:Based on the size of the hole in the pic, I would make a sheet metal patch about the size of a Silver Dollar, tin the pan and the patch with solder and solder the patch in place.No risk of explosion (which is small to begin with, if you're even semi-smart), and it will last as long as the rest of the oil pan.I have used this method on oil pans, gas tanks, hydraulic tanks and other stuff with great results.Having a big soldering iron helps......RexLast edited by rode2rouen; 04-11-2010 at 10:49 AM.Reason: add image
Reply:I get holes in oil pans all the time when derby'ing.  Easy fix, clean it well and use silicone gasket maker on it.  Its not a pressure area so it will hold for years
Reply:Thanks for all the responses. Sense I don't want to go out in a blaze of glory just yet, just joking. I will repair the area with a patch and some JB Weld, there site says to use the WaterWeld so I will use that.                                                              Thanks
Reply:Originally Posted by merccometThanks for all the responses. Sense I don't want to go out in a blaze of glory just yet, just joking. I will repair the area with a patch and some JB Weld, there site says to use the WaterWeld so I will use that.                                                              Thanks
Reply:You would be surprised what JB Weld will hold. One brother-in- law showed up at a family reunion several years ago and one of his propane tanks sprung a tiny leak in the welded seam around the middle. He and another BIL mixed some JB Weld, put it over the leak with a small piece of rubber over that and clamped everything together. They used the ground and a pickup bumper for the clamp. They jacked the truck up, laid the tank under it, and let the truck down with the bumper on the piece of rubber over the hole. It sealed the leak. In fact the tank was still in use last year. I could hardly believe it but I saw it done. The vapor pressure of propane can be 200 psi but most is held at about 195#.
Reply:Another good product is Devcon:http://www.devcon.com/products/produ...l&subapp=MetalCanadian Navy buys this stuff by the truckload.   I punctured a refrigerator cooling tube when defrosting a fridge many years ago.  Bud of mine got some of this for me.   Put it on, let it hardened and called one of the refrigeration guys.  Said it would never work, it's still going strong after a dozen years. Originally Posted by OldtimerYou would be surprised what JB Weld will hold. One brother-in- law showed up at a family reunion several years ago and one of his propane tanks sprung a tiny leak in the welded seam around the middle. He and another BIL mixed some JB Weld, put it over the leak with a small piece of rubber over that and clamped everything together. They used the ground and a pickup bumper for the clamp. They jacked the truck up, laid the tank under it, and let the truck down with the bumper on the piece of rubber over the hole. It sealed the leak. In fact the tank was still in use last year. I could hardly believe it but I saw it done. The vapor pressure of propane can be 200 psi but most is held at about 195#.
Reply:Hi Everyone,I'm looking for some kind of advice. I have an Audi A4 that is leaking some oil. Perhaps up to a quart a week. THere's a smal hole/crack on the bottom of the oil pan. The stealership has quoted $670 for replacing the oil pan, but i've been reading that TIG welding may do the job just fine.If I decide to go this route, who would I call? An auto Body shop? a regular mechanic? Who would have such tools for welding? I would appreciate if somebody could point me in the right directionAlso, what should I expect to pay to have this done by a welding professional?Here's what the damage looks like.
Reply:You could drill and tap it for a 1/8" NPT brass plug as long as you're careful to get all the metal shavings out.Put a strong (rare earth) magnet on the bottom of the pan near the hole to help catch the metal shavings, then flush the engine out with some oil with the magnet removed. The pickup screen and oil filter will catch anything you miss.Welding/Fab Pics: www.UtahWeld.com
Reply:JB waterweld has worked well for me, you can also get this cloth gas tank patch kit that comes with a 2 part epoxy you brush on over the cloth.. it works if your prepped real good..You have a bunch of good info already.  I once had a ford C600 truck that had a hole in the oil pan.  It was kind of behind the exhaust area and heat was a factor in why it failed.  I removed it and ended up cutting out sections like 4" by 10" to get to good material.  I kind of suspect the oil pan in this discussion would be likewise if removed and inspected.
Reply:This thread is going on almost 2 years old, I wonder if the OP ever got the leak fixed yet. Some folks are still giving advice on how to repair this leak. He never did come back and say if he got it fixed and how. I've seen quite a few threads where someone asks for advice on what to do about something, gets lots of replies, then never reports back with what the final outcome was. Why is this?? Maybe in this case the guy tried to weld it, the thing blew up in his face and killed him and he's never heard from again on WeldingWeb I wish more would have the courtesy to come back and let us know what worked or didn't work when everybody had the courtesy to offer so many suggestions to remedy his problem in the first place. Unless of course he is DOA now.
Reply:I guess I got tricked.  Now I see post #23 bumped this thread, has an audi with either a crack or a hole and no picture.  Very lucky for that price the audi dealership offered for a new pan and installation.  The prices for an F350 replacement listed in this thread are real.