Oil pan is rusting out.....

[gtmgooser]

Man, I know the salts on the roads around here are bad but I think there's a bigger problem with the metal used to make my oil pan. I was under my truck the other day to change the oil and realized the entier bottom of the my oil pan is rusting away.... not just surface rust but layers of rust / paint pealing away. What the crap is that all about and more specifically, how can I repair it / stop it from getting to a point where it starts to seep / leak / etc...

[Tony V]

Only fix I know of is to change it to a newer pan. and maybe coat it with por-15.

[mas360]

Do you have to lift the engine out to change that pan?

[Tony V]

Now I cant help you there. you would probably have to move the trans back and mabye you could do it.

[Matt P]

yes you have to pull the engine on an SD as well. The designs on these pans are terrible, its basically just two sheets of scrap metal pressed together

[Tony V]

Thanks Matt I didnt know for sure.

[ianstew]

yes, engine has to come out

[gtmgooser]

Holy crap batman.... pull the motor to replace an oil pan?.? That's gonna leave a void in the check book . There has to be something I can apply to the pan that will neutralize the rusting processes and seal it. What about hitting it with a brass brush (just to break off the loose rust and the like) and then sealing it with fiberglass epoxy.... There has to be something I can do other than replacing it....

[Tony V]

You could try that. Let us know how it goes

[ianstew]

if it's not too bad you can prep and clean it really well, and use the POR 15 as mentioned above, but it wont be permanent