First be sure it is the oil pan that is leaking. Look for signs of oil up higher, as it only runs down. If everything up higher is dry, the most common failure is the oil pan gasket. Replacing it is a relatively routine job. The next common problem is the oil pan is rusted through. That occurs mainly to steel oil pans; not so much to cast aluminum pans. The clue is most of the gasket area will be dry and the wetness will be down lower.
If the pan is corroded through, buy a new replacement. A used one from a salvage yard will have the same deterioration if that car lived in the same climate as yours.
If your pan has damage on the bottom from hitting something, a steel pan will bend or dent. A cast pan will crack, and while you might see a crack that is big enough, it will almost surely have spread where it is too small to see, but oil will continue to seep through it. Do not waste your time trying to fix it with some chemical. Your sanity is too valuable. Most people understand there cannot be any oil residue because that will prevent chemicals from adhering, but most of us do not realize that aluminum is one of the fastest-corroding metals we use on cars. When it oxidizes, that aluminum oxide actually acts as an insulator that prevents further corrosion, but when you scrub the area to be patched, (or welded), you only have a few seconds to do your thing before more corrosion forms right before your eyes. To prove that to yourself, take a chunk of aluminum and put a deep scratch in it. You will see how amazingly shiny it is in that scratch, then it will become dull right before your eyes. Any glue or patch you apply is going to adhere to that aluminum oxide which does not adhere well or seal. To avoid that heartache and frustration, just replace the pan if it is damaged.
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Saturday, April 28th, 2018 AT 9:16 PM
