has anyone ever used jb weld to patch a leaky oil pan? what are the odds that the patch i made tonite will hold and not leak oil when i fill it up tomorrow?

It may not leak right away, but sooner or later its going to happen.

I would try some other products out there, like more of a metal putty.

And clean the surface well prior to applying.

it started as one leak i intended to patch right next to where the dipstick enters the pan but during cleaning off the oil some rust flaked off and opened up another leak a few inches away the oil pan is rather rusty but i cannot afford a replacement pan at this time. the leaks were what looked like 2 small cracks and one small hole about the size of a pinhole but slightly larger than a pinhole. all the leaks were above or level with the spot the dipstick tube enters the pan. here is the patch work. the left patch was a small crack and the right pathc was the small hole and crack near each other i spread it over that area wide.

 

Edited December 31, 201411 yr by sirtokesalot

Get some Por-15 and coat the pan with it.  It doesn't care if it is rust, dirt or whatever it will stick to it and seal it up.  Then once the pan rust compleatly away the Por-15 will still be there. 

For what POR costs, he can get a junkyard pan.

If you have to JB it, to make it work, best is to remove pan (which will require jacking the engine up to get the last few bolts), completely clean it, wire wheel the area then jb it. Otherwise, just drain the oil first, wire wheel it, spray with carb cleaner to remove any grease, then JB.

 

O.

Clean the wound and jb weld the s*%$ out of it. It will get you down the road till you can replace the pan.

Personally if I'm pulling the pan its going to be a permemanant fix. You could weld it, if you pull it and clean it good then you wouldn't need a new pan

I once used JB weld to seal the top of the block on my ol ea. The prior owner left coolent in it and it froze exspanded and cracked from one end of the coolent like to the other on top of the block. Worked well forsevral years.

The key thing here is to clean the surfaces, then use JB Weld. Since there is no pressure here, just temp and the weight of the oil it should work. Just the key thing is cleaning the bond area.

You've already put more effort into this than you would if you just replaced the oil pan... You can do the oil pan without even dropping the headers. Just remove the dogbone engine mount at top, the two nuts on the engine mount and jack the driveline up from the transmission. You can get the back bolts with a wobbly extension. Replace it and never worry about the patch falling off on a roadtrip, at night, in the rain.... Murphy says that'll happen.

the picture doesent really show it but i did clean the areas where i applied the jb weld. as a side note i do have por15 left over from when i repaired a gas tank on my 87 bmw im gonna take it it would be a wise decision to coat the bottom of the oil pan with it?

 

  unfortunately i do not have a garage though and por-15 cant be applied at below 45 degrees and its below freezing here now so the jbweld is gonna have to work for now. if it holds up ill por15 it later. im not going to put oil in it until later i figure the more time it has before oil is flowing behind it the better

Edited December 31, 201411 yr by sirtokesalot

My first choice would to be replacing the oil pan with a junkyard special. Cheap, quick, done.

 

That being said, we punched a hole slightly bigger than a pinhole in our legacy's gas tank 7 years back (driving way too fast on a dirt road in a car with no clearance - DOH!). We were in the middle of nowhere, so we cleaned the hole while gas literally dripped out of it. Then we mixed a small amount of JBW and let it setup to where it was just starting to get thick. We pushed the thick JBW into the hole to stop the leak. A bit later, we cleaned the heck out of the first JBW patch and surrounding area, and roughed it all up with sand paper. Finally, we put another patch of JBW over the mini patch patch and surrounding area.

 

Long story, short, the hole in the tank was patched over 7 years ago and we've never had a problem with it.

JB Weld is a great thing to have in the tool box if you travel off of the highway.  Along with a assortment of different size sheet metal screws.  For small holes you can use the sheet metal screws to plug it and then JB Weld around it. 

 

But I do have to agree, that as little as a used pan would cost along with a gasket I would go that way even if funds were short. 

I don't even use a gasket, I just use ultra grey permatex. The anaerobic stuff, I've never had a problem doing it that way. I've had the stupid gaskets leak all the time...

from the looks of that pan, I would be replacing sooner rather than later - if it is developing rust thru holes it will continue to do so.

 

junkyard pan in better condition, Por-15 that, & install using ultra grey sealant - no gasket needed - done for many miles/years to come.

you'll have to find a place that's a little warmer somehow. The JB won't cure properly in freezing temps either.

 

O.

You could always remove the oil pan and bring it inside so the jb weld cures replace it with one that isn't rusty!

Why don't remove the Oil Pan, and get it Properly Welded with the Same Metal, in a Shop?   

an update ive had oil in it for about 4 hours now no leaks to be seen yet.

If you ever need to warm things up when it is cold out a plastic tarp and space heater is all you need.  Throw the tarp over the vehicle and place the space heater under it and turn it on.  In just a little while it will be warm and tosty under the tarp.  Just be aware of the heater next to the tarp and if you plan on using a gas powered heater be real careful due to carbon monoxide under the tent.

so in the end the jb weld did stop where it was leaking from but it has begun leaking in other spots an oil pan will be in the future but the jb weld will get me by for a little while it leaks a lot less than it was.

Edited January 6, 201511 yr by sirtokesalot

so in the end the jb weld did stop where it was leaking from but it has begun leaking in other spots an oil pan will be in the future but the jb weld will get me by for a little while it leaks a lot less than it was.

Just keep an eye on the pavement under the car where it is parked to see how much oil is leaking out. Also, check the oil level frequently. Sometimes, oil leakage adds up, and you find yourself 2 quarts low.