I was wondering if someone can help me, i want out to my truck today and found it had a hole in the oil pan. I tried to use JB weld,as the a guy from advanced auto parts told me but as soon as i drove the truck, it started leaking again. So i wanted to know what my options where?

1996 dodge dakota 3.9l 4x4

 

As a temp fix JB Kwick which is JB Weld with a faster curing time 10mins or so. For best results drain the oil pan 100% clean the area down to the metal, remove all oil. Then apply it then hit it with cold water to keep it from running, I used a water gun to hit it, till it hardens. Then let it sit over night and then add in oil.

But for 100% fix replace the oil pan or at the least get a patched welded in, most muffler shops can do it once removed. A new pan will probably be $60 or so, most autoparts stores will carry them or www.summitracing.com

I will move this to the tech section.

 

Thanks, i will try it again, maybe a didn't clean it good enough for the JB weld to stick to it

 

i would highly not recomend this but my hyundai was leaking from the oil pan really bad and i used roof tar(caulk tube) and then bedlinered over it...at the time i didn't plan on having the car for longer than 11,000 miles but now that i've had it for over 19k(ys i put 21k on the car in less than 8 months) i wish i had done something a little different...

 

what costs more. and engine or an oil pan?
how did you get a hole in your oil pan? rust machanical damage?
to get it home some quicksteel or jb would be ok. for more than just getting home (less than 100 miles) i would pull the pan and weld it if it's mechanical damage ie running over something. if it's rust trash the pan and get a replacement. yes it's a pia but much cheaper than an engine.

i admit i am curius how the roof tar held up

 

Using the JB weld is not my best option, but how hard is it to pull the oil pan?

 

surprisingly its holding up really well...the car doesn't leak oil anymore.

 

REMOVAL - 4WD

1. Disconnect the negative cable from the battery.
2. Remove engine oil dipstick.
3. Raise vehicle.
4. Drain engine oil.
5. Remove front driving axle (Refer toDrive Axles and Group 2, Front Suspension for the proper procedures)
6. Remove exhaust pipe.
7. Remove transmission lower (dust) cover.
8. Remove oil pan and one-piece gasket.

mitchell calls for 5.2 hours. i'd set aside a weekend for it though. it's not bad and a person who does this all the time can get it done in 3 or 4 hours but at home on the ground and what im assuming may be one of the more challenging jobs that you've had to face it's better to have the time than to be rushed. it's not bad though. the axles are just bolted to stub shafts so you don't even have to pull the diff cover. and the pipes can be allowed to hang. you only need a little extra room. just soak the downpipe bolts the night before and you shouldn't have much trouble from this.
i hope that it goes well for you.

 

i dont want to discourage but youll never remove that oil pan in 5hrs. maybe a pro mechanic with hoist and the proper tools sitting in from of him but im guessing your not a pro. plan on days or possibly weeks depending on your skill, amount of time your work on it at each interval, if you encounter any problems, etc etc. and if you have no mechanical skills i would definatly not attempt this oil pan removal deal. its one of them jobs that really has to be done 100% correct the first time. not much margin for error on a project like this or youll have alot of misery

 

the worst of the job is pulling the front diff housing and that's not terrible. it would be more difficult without a lift but still you could manage it in a day if you have moderate skills. once the housing is out it's pretty much a hole to the pan at that point. you will find some of the bolts that mount the housing in the frame are hard to get to but with a little thought and patience it's managable.
i do agree that 5 hours would be unrealistic if you have little expierence and it would be more challengeing on the ground. that's why i said that i would set a weekend aside for it. it's involved and it is tedius but there are far far worse jobs. for example a v10 swap in a expidition. this really and truly isn't that bad if you can keep your head and you set aside enough time. i can't say how it will go for you. for all i know you're baby could be eaten alive with rust and the bolts holding the diff housing in may not budge and could even break. or it could be an oil leaking pick up that couldn't rust if it was set in a salt bath. the more you have at your disposal the easier this will be. i've personally done this at work in about 3 hours. the worst of it was getting the housing lined up and the bolts in. everything else was straightfoward. at the same time i had air tools, a lift and access to a torch if i needed it. just look under your truck and use your judgement as to if you can do this. if this is your only transportation then you may do well to just get it done. if you have another car and time and a place to work i'd go for it. just use your judgement and then if you have doubts don't do it unless you have plenty of time. once you get into it if you find a problem say sludge don't nickle and dime the job. if you find something like that tackle it now and be done with it. you really need to have another vehicle if possible. if not then it may well be your best option to "patch" it and try to get it to a shop. as far as what to use. if the hole isn't huge you could try the tar and jb path. you could use engine rtv (the grey stuff) and put a few coats on it. what ever you do if you patch it you have got to get it as clean as possible so that the patch can bond better with the pan. whatever path you chose i hope that it goes well for you.