What a lousy way for a car to go

[SuperFast]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
What a lousy way for a car to go, well almost go.

I did an oil change today on my 93 Aerostar 3.0L and much to my disappointment my oil pan is starting to rot from the outside in. I spoke to my mechanic friend and he said he's replaced lots of rotted oil pans on Fords and this is nothing new to him. OK, it came as a surprise to me, but I do live in NY and its seen its fair share of road salt. It is a pain in the arse expensive job to have done, and something I really don't feel like doing myself.

I'm getting to the point where a later model 4x4 might just be a good replacement for Old'e Faithful.

It hasn't started to sweat yet, and I'm thinking of cheating so I can at least see her turn 200K miles, probably by early summer 2011. I was going to lightly wire brush it and clean the area, hit it with some red lead primer, and maybe some Bondo. Then spot prime the area and paint it. I know its not the right way to do it, but the under side is showing some fatigue, and I feel I will be nickeled and dimed to death with it now.

Suggestions are welcome! I want to cheat her inevitable demise just a little longer.

Thanks!


I had a car that started seepign ever so slightly from the oil pan, and sure enough it was rust. Had it stayed in service, a new Oil Pan would be required.

Thought "dropping the pan" wasnt all that bgi a deal, just a bit sticky?

 

[rslifkin]

^ IIRC, his Aerostar has something in the way where the engine would have to be pulled to get the pan off.

 

[andyd]

good for you Demarpaint. A similar repair on my Grand Wagoneer didnt take.

 

[SuperFast]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Thanks. I was actually thinking about using fiberglass mesh tape with the JB Weld. It's fiberglass that looks like window screen and is about 2" wide. I wanted something wider, and stronger. Which is why I was leaning toward the fiberglass matting. I didn't think it was the fiber glass that was the problem with the heat, I thought it was the resin. The JB Weld is working well with the heat, the problem is I'd like to get something that I could actually soak the mat with, and JB Weld won't work. I would be able to get everything clean and dry.

Come to think of it I probably could get some metal window screen, and build the JB Weld over that?



JB Weld is good stuff
and put Shellac over it
and get it as clean as you can, heat it up as much as you can, roughen the dirface as much as you can
I once fixed a hole in an oil pan with JB Weld. My impatient censored couldnt wait a day, and it seeped but only four hours of dry time and it held! I then re-fixed it too, then the car had other issues. Too big for me to fix.

The "Bondo Mesh" approach might do it
JB weld melts and turns to jelly in presence of GAS oh i know that. That gas leak would NOT patch up
but you taking pan off to do this, rght ?

 

[demarpaint]

The book gives a mechanic IIRC 3 hours to R&R the pan. My Aerostar runs well but is not worth it to me.

I did the repair with the pan in place. I cleaned the area, while the oil was out of the pan. JB Makes a repair for oil pans that are still in service. I did some sanding and washed the area down with brake clean. Made a "pancake" out of the patching material, let it set, then skim coated it with JB Weld.

I now would like to clean it up removing road dirt etc, and lay something like a fiberglass mat over the area, to make me feel better. LOL

I'm not worried about gas since it does not come in contact with it.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[antonmnster]

It seems to strange to me that an oil pan would be made of steel.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: antonmnster
It seems to strange to me that an oil pan would be made of steel.


It rusted under the paint from the outside in. I got lucky [at least for now] and caught it in time.