Need new oil pan

[John Larson]

I repair this problem all the time.  My shop is near both a Jiffy Lube and a
Wal-Mart.  They might as well put me on retainer.  One way is to install
either a timesert or a short helicoil.  The other way is to get it really
clean and weld an appropriate nut to the pan, centering it with a long BMW
drain plug and tacking it in place.  (I use this when the welded insert is
toast.)  Remove the plug before doing the real weld.  This method works best
if you can put the car on a lift with the left side higher for an hour or
so, spraying carb cleaner into the pan a few times to wash out most of the
oil, then resetting the lift to put the right side higher to keep the oil
away from the weld.  Allow plenty of time for the carb spray to evaporate
before using the mig welder to attach the nut.  Gotta make sure the weld is
good all the way around.  Should cost you under 50 bucks at a good shop.
HTH, John