Patching hole in oil pan

Jul 06, 2004 15 Replies

Hi guys,



Never tried to patch an oil pan before, always just replaced the pan, but, don't want to put any money into this thing before I sell it.



The hole is in the side of the pan, it's pin-sized and only drips when the pan is full (5 qts) as it's rather high up. My thoughts are to drain the oil pan, degrease the area, use a wire-wheel to remove the scale and then use JB Weld to patch her up, then a light coating of silicone to finish the deal.



Anyone ever done this? What did you do, and did it work?



Doc


I would use the JB Weld, but skip the silicone, I don't see any bennefit of it. Clean it good with some brake cleaner, and a light sanding may help after you get the chunks off with the sandpaper. I have no doubt it will work. I have a 8 HP Tecumseh on a snowblower that I got cheap because the connecting rod blew a hole in the block. I tore it down, polished the crank, patched the block with JB and slapped it togather with a new rod and piston rings. It has seen some pretty severe use for 12 winters now and is still holding, although oil is starting to just seep a bit somewhere on the patch. One day when I get ambitious I will pull the engine, clean it up and gie it another coat of JB Weld. Greg

Patched my XJ's gas tank the same way. It'll work fine.

This on the Elk or the Astro?

Greg and Bob,

Thanks! I'll have at her later this week. Neighbor gave me his Astro van, so I don't want to put many $$$ into it before I sell it. All she needs is front brake lines and the oil pan patched and she'll be good 2 go.

Doc

It's the Astro.

Doc

J B Weld is usually a temporary fix, in my experience. You can preserve your reputation for quality if you either braze or silver solder the pinhole. JMO H

Two words. Duct tape! Couldn't resist. ;o)

Do what you got planned, that should last a long time. Maybe longer than you have the vehicle. The silicone is probably overkill though.

RJ in WV

It's gotta be oil free for epoxy to stick to the pan. I did the pan on my '67 Caprice back in the '70's as it was cracked from road debris and it held 'till the car went to the bone yard a few years later. BTW is was on the motor when I did it. Epoxies have come a long way since then. Go for it, I would.

I use Belzona 1311 at work often to repair blocks, pans, or anything really. It is certainly more expensive than JB but markedly better in quality.

formatting link

I've not used JB Weld, but I have used Devcon plastic steel for such purposes on Cat tractors in an open pit mining environment, and the product held up well.

formatting link

How about running a 1/8" drill through the hole and then using a short reach pop rivet? I've done it with a trans pan with success. For email remove "_no_spam_"

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required