Oil pan repair or replacement

wehurd · 11-02-08, 05:34 PM

My '59 Star Chief has a seeping and leaking oil pan. Any suggestions on how to repair the original or where to find a replacement?

Chuck · 11-02-08, 05:43 PM

Well if looks are not important clean it real good and JB weld it and then paint.

poncho1961 · 11-03-08, 11:21 AM

Is it seeping from a crack, the gasket areas, or the drain plug area?

wehurd · 11-03-08, 02:28 PM

I had oil dripping from the rear main area out of the drain in the flywheel sheild. I pulled that and found that it seemed to be the gasket on the pan. I pulled the pan and indeed the gasket was leaking however after getting the pan out found that previous owners has patched something on one side of it. I cleaned the patch off and found three small holes in the flat area where the bolts go to hold the pan on. A local machine shop said if they tried to braise it, it might make it worse. He also pointed out the seepage in a couple areas that had pin holes (or the beginning of pin holes) in it. That area is definately darker as if soaked in oil than the rest of the pan. He also suggested sending to Canada somewhere to have it dipped in a clear two part epoxy to seal it.

Bandwagon Man · 11-03-08, 08:46 PM

try ebay
never use jb weld on important stuff!!!!!!!!!
it is too hard to get the area clean enough to stick,and it will peel back off even if its blasted then applied
if your stuff is worth a crapp i dont ever recommend it

you could make one or have one made out of aluminum

if its repaired, i would braze it then add a patch and braze all the areas

Sirrotica · 11-03-08, 10:28 PM

Try Pontiac Heaven in Phoenix Az. Steve Barcak is a friend of mine and he has 450 Pontiacs from 55 to 81 and sells some parts off some of them if he has duplicates. Lots of these cars are from the dry southwestern states and haven't been exposed to salt. Heres the link to his website: Pontiac Heaven. I have also repaired pans with JB weld, they must be clean of any oil to have an effective repair with this type of epoxy. I have a pan on my daily driver I repaired in 2001 and it's fine.

Bandwagon Man · 11-03-08, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

Try Pontiac Heaven in Phoenix Az. Steve Barcak is a friend of mine and he has 450 Pontiacs from 55 to 81 and sells some parts off some of them if he has duplicates. Lots of these cars are from the dry southwestern states and haven't been exposed to salt. Heres the link to his website: Pontiac Heaven. I have also repaired pans with JB weld, they must be clean of any oil to have an effective repair with this type of epoxy. I have a pan on my daily driver I repaired in 2001 and it's fine.

I have a pan on my daily driver I repaired in 2001 and it's fine.
honestly all i can say is your lucky - if it falls off on the highway you might not realize it until it is too late you know

Sirrotica · 11-03-08, 11:39 PM

I'm not lucky, I prepared the pan properly and I have no qualms about using JB weld on something that isn't easily replaced. If I had his 59 pan I could weld it up too. I would have welded the pan on my driver too, but I didn't have access to my welding equipment at the time. I have been repairing cars for a living the best part of my adult life and I surely wouldn't tell him to do something I wouldn't do on my own car. Pulling the pan on a 59 requires removal of the engine and I surely wouldn't want to do it myself twice or have my suggestion cause someone else to have to do it over again. I have pulled 59 engines as I owned 3 cars of this vintage and it isn't something you want to do twice if you don't have to.

Bandwagon Man · 11-03-08, 11:55 PM

i wouldnt want to either, but i sure wouldnt use that crap, i dont care who applies it i have seen too many bad outcomes from the stuff on things like that - but it is a good product for other stuff, clean dry oily - hot , it peels off, especially when hot, it might take some time but its not a permanent fix like a weld or replacement

Sirrotica · 11-04-08, 12:17 AM

How long does it need to hold to be considered permanant? 7 years on the bottom of the pan in a 1 inch long gash and it hasn't leaked a drop yet. JB weld doesn't get soft if mixed properly and allowed to cure. It's as hard today as it was 7 years ago when I put it on. I was just under the car last week and looked at it and it was fine. First, I gave him an alternative to replace it by getting a used pan, and secondly any good body man could weld it up, but if he still can't repair it any other way I have faith that he can repair it with JB as I have already done it quite satisfactorily. If your in the Dayton area drop over and I'll be happy to show you the car and the repair and you can examine it all you'd like.

hrtbt_1 · 11-04-08, 06:48 AM

OK, I agree that JB weld can be used, but honestly if it were my car, I that would be my last choice, now myself being a cheap ass I would probably weld in a patch and grind the welds smooth and be done with it. But if you cant do that then either have a patch welded in or replace the pan if at all possible.

wehurd · 11-04-08, 10:55 AM

OK, my pan is pretty pitted and I do not think by the sound of it that the JB Weld will stick to it good. I would rather replace it first choice. Second choice would be to try to braise it.
I checked out the PontiacHeavan web site but see no "contact us" button. Do you have an email that I can inquire about a used replacement pan?

thanks for all your opinions,

dlh

Chuck · 11-04-08, 05:01 PM

I had a chevy truck with a pitted (swiss cheese) pan. leaked like crazy. Removed the pan cleaned with brake clean, Wire wheeled the pan, JB welded and painted after the JB dried. Got dam near 100,000 on the truck before I sold it. Not a drop of oil ever leaked from my repair.

Like Sirrotica said luck has nothing to do with it. Proper prep is the key.

Also my gas tank in my 79TA has also been JB welded right in front where the fuel lines lay on the tank it rusted through. Dropped the tank purged it then did the same as above that was almost 5 years ago. Its in the driveway right now with no leaks in site.

JB weld with proper prep is some BADASS shit! Especially if your like me and dont have a ton of gas to throw around.

Sirrotica · 11-04-08, 05:04 PM

mailto:steve@pontiacheaven.org
Here's his E Mail address tell him you were refered by, Sirrotica or Brad Yost. Hopefully he will have some spares he can part with. If not find an good body shop as these guys weld sheet metal every day and sandblast the pan to find all the weak areas, then have them weld it up and test it with water. Water will find pinholes very easily. And if none of these works I wouldn't hesitate to use the JB weld as a third avenue.

wehurd · 11-04-08, 05:50 PM

Thanks very much. I will pursue all these avenues.
dlh