Cracked Alumimum Oil Pan - Repairable? (non-mustang)

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because
Founding Member
Jan 15, 2002
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Dallas, GA
My neighbors 1998 Ford Escort has a cracked alumimum oil pan. Can if be fixed? The pan is near $200. Could it be JB welded, or does it need real welding, or is it going to need replacment? It is just a small crack in the middle caused by a misplaced jack. Just dripps oil a little.

Please help.
 
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1. Should the pan be pulled off the car and welded from the inside?

2. Could it be welded on the outside without removing the pan?

3. Should a metal plate be installed over the cracked area from the inside?

4. What if a piece of metal was installed over the cracked area from the inside and epoxy'd?

I am guessing the only sure ways would be 1 or 2. I would like to not have to pull the pan, but this needs to be fixed right.

What really happened was I was doing my neighbor's timing belt/water pump and I had to jack up the engine, and it was dark and my flashlight broke. I used a piece of wood between the pan and jack but when the angle got to a certian point it shifted and kind of bounced a little, still on the wood, but I guess too much for the puny pan. I have replaced these pans before, sometimes they crack on thier own, most break real easy from road debris, some just from the oil drain plug being too tight. The V6 mustangs use this design, as well as some other ford 2.0L 4 poppers, Olsmobile and Cadilac also use these alumimum oil pans. They are made from cast powder alumimum, and I know the one's on the fords are extremly thin and brittle. What ever happeded to good old fashon steel pans that just bend if they are hit.
 
If you could get all the oil out of it,you could do it with the pan on no problems.And yea,putting a plate under it will strengthen it.

edit:You dont have to put the plate on the inside,the out sides fine.
 
EagleAutosports said:
I'd say to to do it right, it should come off because the surface should be sanitary and if it's been leaking, the weld won't take. Both sides of the pan has to be clean and it won't be unless it comes out.


Your probally right. :(
 
Its possable to do it with the pan on decently.Drain it for a while,clean it out with lacquir thinner (get a spray bottle and srap iy in the crack) and wire brush it really good.Lacquir thinner evaporates fairly fast,so it doesnt leave residue.

I would say really try to have it GTAW/TIG welded if you can,the HAZ is usually smaller than a GMAW/MIG.
 
for what its worth i repaired the oil pan on my mustang with jb weld and i had a pencil sized hole. the trick to that stuff is to let it sit. it held up for 2 years liek this then i swapped motors
 
We have tried to weld pans while they are still attached to the car and once we blew the intake off of a car. Only Forest Gump would try try that. If you can't get it off then JB Weld it. I hate to say it but that's the best option if you can't get it off.