Corrosion on Oil Pan

[vitalidle]

Installed my exhaust this morning and noticed my oil pan has some serious corrosion going on I am concerned about it! What is my best course of action? Im afraid to start sanding on the pan and cause an premature oil leak, but doing nothing will cause the same! How thick is the metal on the pans? Please give me some recommendations so I can take care of it asap! Thanks.

P.S. Has anybody used rust converter before? Does it work, and would it work on this applicaton, or is it snake oil?

[720Deere]

In northern climates where road salt is common in the winter, oil pan corrosion is normal on these motors. We changed out the pan on an F-350 dump that my brother had a few years ago. You could actually poke holes in the pan with your finger.

Rust converters can and do work. Scale off the flakey rust and use naval jelly or phosphoric acid (Jasco Metal Prep). You should be able to paint over the phosphate coating that the metal prep leaves behind just like a primer. Ultimately, if it looks flakey now, you will most likely end up with a replacement pan. This is especially true if you have harsh winters with extreme amounts of road salt.

[vitalidle]

Yeah thats what i was afraid of. Well I did some searching on the net this stuff was recommendedWelcome - POR-15 Inc.I just ordered it and will give it a shot. Has anyone used epoxy on the oil pan. I was thinking maybe epoxy the whole underside of the pan?

[vitalidle]

Thought I would bump this. Hey Marc what is the best way to tackle this one? Im not feeling real good about it at all

[mschn99]

there is a TSB on this....it wont corrode all the way through that ive ever seen, but some guys dont like it. The process of fixing it isnt fun thought...basically take it down to bare metal and then ford has something they reccomend putting on it...i dont remember what it is. If it was me id take it down to bare metal and put some paint on rino lining on it!!!

[vitalidle]

Great thanks! That does make me feel better I was really worried about taking it to bare metal not knowing how thick the pan is! I will do that and find some rhino lining! I want to do this asap as the roads are full of salt right now.

[720Deere]

Rhino would be a great protectant. Since you have POR-15 on the way, you might as well use it and then put your final coating over it. I haven't personally used it, but have heard quite a few satisfied customer testimonials. It's not cheap but it works great.

[37Driver]

POR-15 is a great product. I restore MGB's and have used it quite a lot. Hopefully you ordered the starter kit. If so, it includes everything you need. Follow the instructions to the letter, especially the part about wearing gloves! If you get it on your skin, be prepared to see it for a while. Nothing takes it off, you have to wear it off. Be sure to remove any paint, coatings, grease and oil. It has to bond to the bare metal to isolate the corrosion. Unlike most coatings, it actually cures faster in high humidity. Once it has cured, it can be painted over. Since it won't be exposed to direct sunlight, it can be left unpainted. It does not hold up under UV.

[vitalidle]

Cool glad to hear from somebody who has used the por-15. I did order the starter kit I hope its enough 4 oz just didn't seem like much! I hope it works out I don't want to have to pull the engine

[37Driver]

It goes a looooong way! I just did the inside of 2 MGB battery boxes with about 2 oz. Pour a little into another container and work from it. That way you won't contaminate what's in the can. When you replace the top on the can, be sure to put a piece of plastic sandwich wrap or similar between the lid and the can. If you don't, throw the leftover away because you'll need a torch to get the lid off.