Oil Pan Crack
MarkWilliams64
07-07-2009, 09:12 PM
I have a 95 in which I just did an Engine Swap on.
A few days after the swap, I started to get a small puddle of oil on the garage floor.
I have determined that there is a crack in the oil pan, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch long.
After the oil gets hot, and specifically when the engine is cooling down oil leaks out leaving a puddle on the floor.
Other than pulling the engine and putting a new pan on it (Since you can't change the pan with out pulling the engine) does anyone have any ideas or prior experience with sealing an aluminum oil pan crack from the exterior?
Don't want to pull this thing for the third time.
A few days after the swap, I started to get a small puddle of oil on the garage floor.
I have determined that there is a crack in the oil pan, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch long.
After the oil gets hot, and specifically when the engine is cooling down oil leaks out leaving a puddle on the floor.
Other than pulling the engine and putting a new pan on it (Since you can't change the pan with out pulling the engine) does anyone have any ideas or prior experience with sealing an aluminum oil pan crack from the exterior?
Don't want to pull this thing for the third time.
MagicRat
07-07-2009, 09:39 PM
Aluminum, especially cast, like this pan, is somewhat less forgiving for cracks than most ferrous metals. Most likely, the heating/cooling cycles and structural stresses will allow the crack to spread. Any kind of sealer/epoxy will not work for long.
Take the car to a good welding shop, where they have experience in TIG welding aluminum. Possibly a shop which specializes in repairing aluminum wheels would be a good choice.
Welding this stuff is tricky, because it melts at a relatively low 1220 deg. F, and, compared to steel, it quickly transitions from a solid to a liquid.
Obviously, you will have to drain the oil, and the welder may want the oil residue flushed out of the pan. Once the area is prepped properly, the actual welding will not take long to do.
Look here for more info:
http://classic.artsautomotive.com/HowToWeldAluminum.htm
Take the car to a good welding shop, where they have experience in TIG welding aluminum. Possibly a shop which specializes in repairing aluminum wheels would be a good choice.
Welding this stuff is tricky, because it melts at a relatively low 1220 deg. F, and, compared to steel, it quickly transitions from a solid to a liquid.
Obviously, you will have to drain the oil, and the welder may want the oil residue flushed out of the pan. Once the area is prepped properly, the actual welding will not take long to do.
Look here for more info:
http://classic.artsautomotive.com/HowToWeldAluminum.htm
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2026