Can one weld an oil pan on the car while it's full of oil?

"VincentMalamute-Kim" (VincentMalamute-Kim)
07/05/2014 at 20:01 • Filed to: None

After weeks, months, it really feels like years, I finally got the 1998 Subaru Forester back together (head gaskets, timing belt, valve adjustment, clutch and as many new parts as I could reach) and actually running (Two weeks of cylinder 2, 4 misfire and I gave up and took it in to the dealer for diagnosis - I screwed up the valve adjustment too tight).

So now I'm actually driving it around (my DD 1991 Caravan went to the great scrapyard in the sky - head gasket failure and terminal body rust) and noticed an oil puddle. I think I screwed this up too - Rockauto listed an oil pan gasket so I installed that as long as the engine was out. Turns out 98 Foresters use RTV only. The gasket made the bolts a tad short. I assumed that the bolts needed tightening. After unbolting the engine mounts, I lifted the engine up enough to just barely with a lot of cursing blindly able to tighten the rear row of bolts. Still leaking. I tightened everything up all around - still leaking.

I took a real close look at the leak. It looks like the pan had rusted through?! So - is it possible to weld up that leak with the oil pan still on the car? MIG and oxy/acetyl is available. Probably stupid question - do I have to drain the oil first?

I wouldn't expect a fire I don't think. Those look like pinholes. I'm assuming JB Weld isn't going to stick with oil dripping out of it. MIG would be fast. The oil would be a large heat sink and there's not much O2 in the pan which is why I don't think there would be a fire.

The correct way is to drain, drop the pan - pain in the ass. More correct is probably to buy a new oil pan.

Thoughts? Advice?

DISCUSSION (23)

Diesel > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/05/2014 at 20:12

I would drain the oil and pull the pan. But, that's just me.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Diesel
07/05/2014 at 20:19

I don't know why I didn't think this question wouldn't be on the internet but after googling (explosions, persistent leaks, etc) - yeah, I think I'm going to order a new pan.

OPPOsaurus WRX > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/05/2014 at 20:20

Go for it. Have a friend hold ur beer and a fire extinguisher.... honestly have no idea sorry for no help

BJohnson11 > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/05/2014 at 20:21

You're just asking for trouble mig welding that. Even if you clean all the oil off first, you'll still get oil contamination in the weld which could cause it I leak still. That and the massive fire hazard means if it were me, I'd pull the pan and clean it before welding. If you do end up welding, make sure you disconnect the battery and the ecu first.

VincentMalamute-Kim > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/05/2014 at 20:22

And don't forget the video for youtube! I googled - mix of success, explosions, persistent leaks. I'm not a fan of being a youtube star so I'm chickening out and buying a pan.

VincentMalamute-Kim > BJohnson11
07/05/2014 at 20:23

I forgot the oil contamination from the leak. Thanks for informed advice. I'm buying a new pan.

Carl (@stuffcarlsays) > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/05/2014 at 20:41

Kinja'd!!!

desertdog5051 > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/05/2014 at 20:42

Weld, not my preferred.. You could braze. Any way you do it the pan must be empty. Must grind a V into the pan for penetration. Careful on the grinder. No penetration. Have done that before on International Trucks. Braze worked best for me.

Slave2anMG > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/05/2014 at 20:52

Drain it, clean the hell out of it, JB Weld it. I saw JB Weld seal up an exterior oil line on a buddy's Rover 2000TC years ago...held for years.

VincentMalamute-Kim > desertdog5051
07/05/2014 at 21:06

Brazing makes more sense now that you bring that up. With the work involved in dropping and cleaning the pan, a new pan is only $70.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Carl (@stuffcarlsays)
07/05/2014 at 21:07

Thanks. It's incidents like these where I actually considered doing it that I really question my judgement. sigh.

VincentMalamute-Kim > Slave2anMG
07/05/2014 at 21:08

Given the work involved in dropping and cleaning the pan, a new OEM pan is only $70. I'm going to do that. Less work.

Slave2anMG > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/05/2014 at 21:15

$70? Hell yes, I'm all in with that. No question. Disregard previous transmission.

whoarder is tellurium > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/05/2014 at 22:15

Ive used the JB stick water weld on an aluminum oil pan before. Oil still in. Made sure to clean as qucikly and as well as possible with brake cleaner first.

wabbalosthiskey > BJohnson11
07/06/2014 at 00:51

This is your answer - It's the contamination that will prevent you from actually fixing the problem, the oil fire will just be annoying.

OPPOsaurus WRX > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/06/2014 at 01:18

I disliked my neighbors ducks cuz they would shit in my drive way. When I confronted him he told me to go shoot the fucking things and put it on YouTube. He needs to grow Some teeth too..

VincentMalamute-Kim > whoarder is tellurium
07/06/2014 at 10:14

hm. Water Weld is new to me. This thing is leaking oil actively so I find it hard to imagine it would work. This is a low stress part and if it fails, who cares. I'm going to get some and give that a try first. Keep the new oil pan on hand since I'll eventually need it at some point.

VincentMalamute-Kim > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/06/2014 at 10:18

That's a nutty neighbor. Not sure I understand the "He needs to grow Some teeth too.." part. You need a Malamute - that would take care of the ducks fast.

OPPOsaurus WRX > VincentMalamute-Kim
07/06/2014 at 11:09

He's missing quite a few and I was drunk when I was writing that

PartyPooper2012 > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/11/2019 at 12:28

70 bucks for a new oil pan?

DAMN!

I had a 1992 park ave with a punctured oil pan. I looked up prices for it. $800 or worse. I had close to 200k on the car and engine started to knock by then. Wasn’t worth fixing unfortunately... but i miss that car to this day. I would have paid 70 without thinking twice.

VincentMalamute-Kim > PartyPooper2012
04/12/2019 at 14:15

Were you trying to buy it from yakuza? $45 https://www.rockauto.com/en/cart/

Or it’s $45 now. Maybe it was $800 years ago? It’s hard to imagine that it would have cost so much given how many millions of 3.8 V6's GM made.

PartyPooper2012 > VincentMalamute-Kim
04/12/2019 at 14:17

i dont think we had rock auto back then. This was around 2001/2002

VincentMalamute-Kim > PartyPooper2012
04/12/2019 at 14:24

ah. Dealers = yakuza.

I’m not sure how humanity survived before the internet.