This is a new one for me.
Got the 70 up and running and did the first oil
change. Ran up to the store for a cold one came
back home say 2 miles or so, only got on it once
came home and parked it.
Had a call for the work truck, gone about 45 min.
Park the work truck, grab a beer and notice about
less than half a quart of oil underneath.
First thought, oil filter loose or drain plug...no.
A very small crack 2 inches from the plug.
So I am draining all I can and in a few days
I am going to attempt to take my wire welder to it.
Anyone ever try this?
My only concern is starting a fire inside the engine.
Does that sound far-fetched? Or am I worried about
nothing?

 

Tack, Tack, Tack, Tack, BEER, Tack, Tack, Tack, BEER, Tack, Tack, BEER, Tack, BEER, Tack, BEER, BEER, Tack, BEER, BEER, BEER, Tack, BEER, BEER, BEER, BEER...what were we doing again?

Get my drift Make sure it's clean as heck...I had the same thing happen one time and I used quick steel for lack of anything better. Just had to drain the oil, then clean the crack until I got a dry surface. Worked fine until I could replace the pan. But you're going for more of a permanent fix. I think you'll be fine as long as you don't allow it to get too hot.

 

Far fetched? No. Dangerous? I don't really know.
Ok, I'll say up front I have NO experience with welding. But here are my thoughts on what you're trying to do.

Highly unlikely you'll be able to get a really clean surface to lay a bead down. There will be oil contamination that will seep through that crack from the inside even though you wipe down the outside. Don't you need to have clean metal when you're welding? I doubt that a weld from the outside would cause a fire on the inside of the engine though. Really all you'd have to do is block off the oil drain hole and there's not enough air in the sump area to sustain a fire.

Any way you can just undo the motor mounts, and just lift the engine enough to drop the pan and replace it?

 

Are you sure crack does not start at drain hole? If it is cracked through the threads I would think it will never stop leaking completely. Mabe clean it well, try a gas tank epoxy sealent on the outside until you get to a point where you can remove pan. I also think that the oil fill tube would let in enough air for the remaining oil to burn, or at least coke up.

 

I doubt you'll ever get a good enough weld to seal it. That oil will wick down through the crack like crazy as soon as it gets hot and it'll spit and sputter all over.
The pan's gotta come off to do it right, so why not replace it?

 

I'm with copper on this one. Even if you clean the area really well, as soon as you start to weld, the residual oil will heat up and come through and will contaminate the puddle. Pull the pan and do it clean so you have a nice job when you are done. A tig welder would make an even nicer job if you have access to one.

 

I was afraid that would happen.
Pulling the pan is gonna suck, we all know that.
Any suggestions on what kind or brand of epoxy to use?
I would like to try that first.
I know I can get it cleaned enough to use it with
a drimmel tool brush and some carb cleaner.
Thanks for the help guys.

 

JB Weld.

So long as you get the area darn near free of oil, it should be an essentially permanent repair.

I agree, with that tiny bit of oil on top trying to seep through the crack, you'll never get a good weld.

- Eric

 

I have some limited experience in this. I had a similar issue on a old Bonneville. I took brake parts cleaner to get any oil or grease off the pan where the crack was. Mine was from bottom out at some point from the PO. After I cleaned I then took the grinder and made a small V shape grind on the crack. This allowed me clean fresh metal in a deeper V to bond to. I then took tank expoxy or something to that effect and laid it on. It held real well actually. Never again had a problem out of it. Grinding a V and 2" out from the crack gave the epoxy enough to bit on to and get a good seal. I would think doing this same thing but welding would also work as long as you get both ends of the crack good.

 

^^^Thank you both!
Eric, I was thinking JB.
A v-groove is also an excellent idea.
Far out and groovy!
I will post the results, thanks again guys.

 

Not gonna lie, i jacked my car up on one side about 2 feet and JB welded my passenger side of my gas tank.

She's still holding fine 2 years later.

Ever try welding an empty gas tank? Tack tack tack tack... BOOM!

 

Had a buddy who blew up an empty gas tank on the other side of his garage while welding something else .

- Eric

 

X2 on JB Weld, but I have also welded many a gas tank if it's out of the car, the secret is to wash the tank many times with a strong soap or TSP then fill it up as full as you can with water so there is very little air space between your weld area and the water. When I was a youngun I worked in a general repair / blacksmith shop we did on a regular basis...Tedd

 

If you can, drill a hole at each end of the crack. This will stop it from spreading... Otherwise, your repair will be only more temporary as it spreads under the epoxy. Good luck

 

A local mechanic I take radiators to used to use the same method. I came to his place one day and saw a hole in the wall and a dent in the door. The wall was from the tank and the dent was from him. He wasn't really willing to weld gas tanks after that. I have also heard of people feeding in CO2 to keep vapors flushed out and eliminate the oxygen. Personally, I will just go with a new tank.

 

spread carzy glue over crack put a cloth patch on the glue then cover it all with more crazy glue

 

Now THAT'S crazy!
I could never get that stuff to stick to anything
but by fingers!

 

x2 I would not do the crazy glue idea. JB Weld best fast fix but we both know what you need to do. I know it sucks and its tedious but that pan gotta come out and another one in. Good Luck. If I swing by texas to see Henry I might just have a beer with ya and help you out.

 

^^^That'l work. I get out the convertable....sofa that is.

 

I usually sand the trouble area with 400 - 800 grit sandpaper and clean it REALLY well.

Then, take an old piece of wood and mix some JB weld on it with a popsicle stick (great excuse to eat ice cream).

Then grab your trusty bondo spreader and apply it in one fell swoop. Making sure to apply good pressure so it gets in the crack.

Worked for me.

 

I think JB Weld will do the job. It would be good if you could drive a small hole at the end of the crack so it will not keep cracking.

 

Got the drimmel out and gave the crack
a good what for.
I was suprised it didn't seep any oil after
the prep. I smashed it up inside 'I hope.'
Fingers crossed guys. I am going to let it cure
overnite to be on the safe side.
Will post results...

 

Good thing I read through this posting. At first I thought you were instructing us on how to smuggle drugs through the border. LOL!!

Mike

 

What ever method you decide to use just make sure the crack does not continue thru the threads of the drain hole. If the do you will never be able to seal it completely. I would replace the pan myself there not that expense.
Just my two cents

 

SHHHHHSSSS!!!!! Don't break the code!
It will be there next Tuesday!

 

Pat, I ran the drimmel on a v
with 2 minuete holes at the ends
of about a 3 inch lightning shaped
crack begining at least 2 & 1/2 inches off the
plug hole headed to the right. A lot of room,
and all of it in a flat area.
I would post pics but computers and I don't get along to well.

Craziest thing I ever saw on an Olds engine by the way.
Hey! Sound like a good thread starter,lol. Wish me luck, Adam.

 

Joe, it's a 69 455 w/c heads.

 

IIRC they both use the same oil pan don't they?

 

Took the 70 out for about 20 miles and back today.
So far so good!

 

JB Weld is the greatest stuff in the universe.

- Eric

 

Weally? I don't think so Doc.....but it's close.

Ah ha ha ha ha. Just thought of something. Shoulda POR 15'd it. That stuff sticks to everything and doesn't come off....

 

Don't laugh - I've done it!

I used POR-15 on a rusty oil pan with pinholes (while it was still on the car).
To the extent that I was able to remove the oil, it worked great.
In places where I just couldn't get the oil to stop oozing, it seeps a little.

Good stuff, too.

- Eric

 

In Quebec we call that free undercoating.

 

Yeah, well that's exactly the issue, Tony.

I never had a car that didn't leak enough to at least slightly coat the oil pan, so when I saw that the oil pan on the Jeep was rusty, it didn't even occur to me that it could rust through.
Then one day, I noticed a puddle under the car...

- Eric

 

Depending on where the crack is/ was, he could make a patch to cover the area. Drill a hole on each end of the crack as suggested above. Then just tig it in place.

 

There are two Places on my Car that are Rust Free, the Oil and transmission Pan.. At First i Thought i Should change the gasket but why kill a good thing.

So I guess the jeep pan was sealed too well so it didn't seep enough oil to coat where the winter salt could rust it out? Interesting.

 

[QUOTE=oldcutlass; Then just tig it in place.[/QUOTE]

1) I wish I had more practice and was good at it

2) I wish I could afford a tig

 

you heat that pan with a welder while its steal on that moter. I dont khink you'll have to take the bolts out of it to get it off that moter.. Man thers gas in there mixed with that oil!

 

I agree with much of what's been said. Drilling the small hole at the end of the crack will stop it from running by reducing the stress concenration, but you must get it exactly at the end of the crack for it to work. As far as welding I've never done it when the pan is on the engine. Off the engine, with a clean surface, welding or brazing should work. Use brazing if you don't want to melt the parent metal. Be careful when welding or using an open flame around combustibles. I can remember that it was always easier to blow up a ship when the tanks were almost empty rather than full. Perhaps the JB Weld would be a safer start. And it might be better to save the beer until after completion of a successful job.

 

i had to leave a while ago thought i needed to get tou to thinking. the owner of our race car got 2nd degree burns on his neck chest and arms doing that. it scared us but we steel laffed any way. we had a crack in the pan on a 454 sounded just like yours. But beer was invalved. we drained the oil and cleand the pan with brake cleaner. so that it would be nice and dry. then stan crawled up under the car got real compterble leaned up agenst ft tire. we handed him the wire welder. he was gonna weld just a little at a time soes not to get it to hot. that worked for a couple of times then all of a suden we heard a loud wooosh stan was screeming and kicking he couldent get away from the flame blowing out the drain plug hole. he got burned pretty bad. we ended up pulling the moter and changing pans then replacing every rubber gasket and seal we could think of that might have blown out. that happend over twenty years ago and its steel funny. So if by chance you deside to weld on the pan underneth that car, have some friends over with a cam corder. funniest home vidios will pay $10,000 dollers for the funniest vidio.