I don’t know how it happened but I saw my car in a puddle of oil today and found a hole the size of a quarter in the oil pan. Last time I drove it was a little over an hour on smooth freeways. It didn’t leak oil while driving or even going up the driveway, only after I left it parked.
Anyway my local Honda dealer wants nearly $800 for an oil pan but I found one online for around $350. Until it arrives is it safe to cut up a soda can and JB weld it closed? I know I’ll probably need to take it off to clean it up before applying it but I’m just worried it might give while I’m on the freeway without me realizing and then the engine seizes up
Me, I’d just park the Civic until the new oil pan arrives. Take the bus, Uber, ride a bicycle, walk, catch a ride with co-workers/friends in the meantime. But if you insist on trying the patching idea, I’m not liking the JB Weld only idea. Instead suggest to use a square of 18 gauge steel sheet metal as the patch and screw or pop-rivet it to the outside surface of the pan in conjunction with some jb weld or sealer. If may leak but with the mechanical fasteners holding it on, less likely for the hole to open up and let the whole pan of oil out all at once. Note there is some risk of metal filings getting into the oil w/this method. The oil filter shouldn’t let them through, but good idea to inspect/clean the oil pump ass’y while replacing the oil pan once it arrives.
Pans don’t normally get a hole the size of a quarter in them with out hitting something or something internal putting the hole in the pan, either something was trying to get in, or something was trying to get out… Just saying…
If this is your only vehicle and you need it to go to work. I would only try this as a TEMPORY fix until the new oil pan gets there. you could drill the whole round and maybe use one of theses. I personally would just wait until the new pan came.
When reattaching a rear view mirror, the type attached directly to the windshield via an intermediate gadget, it can be a pain to hold the intermediate gadget to the windshield for 24 hours while the glue sets. I discovered by trial and error that duct type is a pretty good & simple solution.
Good gawd, I wouldn’t pay $100 for an oil pan, let alone $350 or $800. Unless the pan is bashed in from driving over a large rock, it should be repairable. And you must remove the pan to repair it. Depending on whether the oil pan is cast aluminum or stamped steel, it might be possible to braze or weld the damage (after cleaning the pan, roughening up the surface with sandcloth, etc, and making a patch out of suitable material).
Or, I might just cut a square piece of thick sheet metal, larger than what I am trying to patch, pre-drill a hole near each corner, hold the patch in place, pre-drill the holes into the pan itself, thoroughly clean out any metal shavings, roughen up the mating surfaces (of the patch and pan), apply black silicone and screw on with machine screws, wait a day to dry, then reinstall the oil pan (with a new gasket, of course).
What year Civic? Rockauto has a Dorman pan (it’s a complex aluminum casting) for $75 for a 2014. No way I’d go to all the trouble of removing the old one and repair it, for that price.
But I fear you’re looking at engine damage, pans don’t just fail on the driveway. Was the oil puddle LARGE? 4 quarts large?
