Engine noise oil light help

I have a 1996 buick Regal with 174,000 miles on it runs strong a couple leaks here and there.

And this the problem i recently hit a pothole or something i was not going to fast but I look under the car and the oil pan is dented. or you can say pushed in. I didn't think it was to bad because its not cracked and didin't cause any leaks but now i see it has created some problems.

Now when i start the car in the morning the oil light comes on for a couple seconds or sometimes it blinks and i notice the engine is noticeablely louder making a rattiing/Chatterring noise. than it will quiet down and not make the noise again until the car had been sitting for a while or over night. The oil level is fine

Is there anything i can do ? i know to change the oil pan will be quite expensive and i don't even know what kind of damage i might have already caused to an already high mileage Engine. So i dont know if it would even be worth it to change the oil pan. any suggestions anything i can do to better the situation? ? Thanks

It sounds like the dent in the oil pan may be restricting flow to the oil pump, pick-up screen. You could remove the oil pan and use a block of wood and a 5-lb hammer to knock the dent out, or you may find a good oil pan at your local salvage yard!

Thanks for the fast response also i have the 3800 series 2 Engine

yea i will have to try to see if i can get the dent out somewhat. Do you think it would be wise to try to get the dent out while the oil pan is still on the engine? because i had a small oil leak earlier this summer and i asked a shop about the oil pan and they said it was real costly to change it . So i know to change the oil pan is not an easy job. So im asking myself is it worth it on this high mileage engine. I dont know how much damage its causing when it starts and i guess its probaly affecting it while im driving . So im really contemplating on what i should do right now. What if i keep driving it how it is now?

Most body shops use a "dent puller" that will spot weld a stud on a dented surface and then use a slide hammer to clamp on the stud and jerk out dents. Stop by, or call a few body shops, tell them your problem and ask if they have a "stud weld dent puller". BTW, the most critical time for proper oil flow, is when you first start an engine. Until you get the dent fixed or in the interim, you may want to consider adding an oil stabilizer like Lucas to the oil, or run heavier weight oil. :iceslolan

Good luck!

ill try that and i was reading around to see how this is done. and i was just wondering why the haynes manuel said u need to support the vehicle form above with a engine lift and the autozone site dosen't mention this. If i remove thge engine mounts and the strut mounts from the top will the engine still be supported by anything that will hold it weight?

Is all this necessary?

Disconnect the negative battery cable.
Remove the engine torque strut from the engine.
Raise and support the vehicle safely.
Disconnect the front exhaust pipe from the manifold.
Remove the right front wheel and tire assembly, is this driver or passenger then remove the inner fender splash shield.
Drain the engine oil into a suitable container, then remove the oil filter.
Disconnect the oil cooler pipes and allow to hang loose for access.
Remove both front engine mounts from the frame.
Remove the flywheel cover.
Raise the engine assembly safely, using a suitable jack.
If necessary, detach the oil level sensor electrical connector, then remove the sensor.
Unfasten the oil pan retaining bolts, then lower the oil pan and disconnect the oil pump screen assembly. Remove and discard the oil pan gasket.
Remove the oil pan and pump screen assembly.