Rusty oil pan - how to repair?

[Blakers]

The paint is bubbling on my 2003 oil pan and rust has formed in layers under those bubbles. So far no actual holes through the pan though. I have scraped some of the rust off and coated it with oil, but when I looked a year later, more spots of bubbled up and rusted.

Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this before it rusts through?

Thanks,
Blake

 

[JDiepstra]

Price new ones!

 

[MoparDave]

Clean the area of all oil residue and remove any loose paint apply rust inhibitor and top coat. Rust Bullet - summitracing.com

 

[MMeier]

Price new ones!

. . X 2 !!!!

 

[2broke2smoke]

meh ...



wire brush and 95 cent can of walmart spraypaint

 

[Blakers]

Thanks to you guys with the repair advice. I guess scraping the rust off and hitting it with a rough sandpaper, then degreasing and some sort of primer. Would self-etching primer be the way to go, or something else? Or is it best to forget the primer and just coat it with grease after sanding?



I assume the areas that are still painted with eventually peel and rust also, each year the whole process will have to be repeated?



The oil pan was probably not degreased and etched properly when made, thus allowing the paint to peel and salty moisture to get underneath.



Blake

 

[JDiepstra]

Thanks to you guys with the repair advice. I guess scraping the rust off and hitting it with a rough sandpaper, then degreasing and some sort of primer. Would self-etching primer be the way to go, or something else? Or is it best to forget the primer and just coat it with grease after sanding?



I assume the areas that are still painted with eventually peel and rust also, each year the whole process will have to be repeated?



The oil pan was probably not degreased and etched properly when made, thus allowing the paint to peel and salty moisture to get underneath.



Blake

If you are worried enough about it to want to get it fixed up before it "rusts through" you should look for a used one in good condition. There are thousands of used cummins/dodge parts on EBay. What are you gonna do if that thing does rust through, dumps all the oil, and seizes up your $8,000 engine?

 

[Blakers]

If you are worried enough about it to want to get it fixed up before it "rusts through" you should look for a used one in good condition. There are thousands of used cummins/dodge parts on EBay. What are you gonna do if that thing does rust through, dumps all the oil, and seizes up your $8,000 engine?

I've seen lots of oil pans rust through around these parts, but they never dump all the oil at once. They get pinholes and start dripping out a little at a time.



Mine is not rusted through at this point, so I want to stop it before it does, hence the question.



Blake

 

[duckcarvr]

the bed of my 70 ford truck had bad rust in the bed. i wire brushed it , used stop rust and primer. i then put on a paint called hammer ??? someone out there will know. anyway 6 yrs later still no rust. robert

 

[DPKetchum]

I read where its common for Ford 7. 3 diesel pans to rust through. Seems like POR-15 is a product that is used a lot for this. Do a Web search for rust repair. Lots of info.

 

[wlowe]

I agree that if the pan is in danger of rusting through the safest thing to do would be to replace it. Unfortuneatly, from what I've read here on the TDR, pan replacement requires either removing the engine or lifting it up high enough for the pan to clear. Not an easy job.

 

[JDiepstra]

I agree that if the pan is in danger of rusting through the safest thing to do would be to replace it. Unfortuneatly, from what I've read here on the TDR, pan replacement requires either removing the engine or lifting it up high enough for the pan to clear. Not an easy job.

Couldn't you just drive the truck up a couple ramps or curbs? I'm lost on that one.

 

[wlowe]

Couldn't you just drive the truck up a couple ramps or curbs? I'm lost on that one.

The clearance problem is between the pan and frame cross member, not the axle or ground. Again, this is what I've read on TDR.

 

[JDiepstra]

The clearance problem is between the pan and frame cross member, not the axle or ground. Again, this is what I've read on TDR.

Now I get it, thanks.