Repairing a rusted oil pan

[radek at istar.ca]

Thanks for your encouragement guys.  I'll try the "plug the hole - spread epoxy" method
(thanks Ado).  
If it doesn't work, it's subframe removal time.  BTW, the dealer quoted Can. $101 for the
pan, looks 
reasonable.
Cheers.

Radek
88 90Q
91 V8Q 5-sp.

> 
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 22:48:56 -0400
> From: Richard Beels <beels at technologist.com>
> Subject: Re: Repairing a rusted oil pan
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.0.20040907224844.02eccac8 at 127.0.0.1>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
> 
> Replace the pan.  It's not really that difficult.  I did it a month or so 
> ago.  Luckily, I have a spare engine sitting in the corner so I just 
> swapped pans.
> 
>  From memory:
> Get a new oil pan and gasket.
> Get new subframe bolts (These are "always replace" items).
> Remove the under-engine cover
> Drain the oil - save if it's new if you want.  I had just changed the oil 2 
> weeks before and since it was Mobil 1....
> Undo the 4 bolts holding the subframe and pull it out down of the way.  It 
> will just hang there.
> Grab every 3/8" socket extension you own and a 3/8" u-joint adapter because 
> there are lots of bolts and some are at weird angles and depths.
> The only tricky bit here is the alternator bracket support at the front.  I 
> found it easier to just pop off the bumper cover (it's just 2 bolts, pop it 
> off the side clips and then disconnect the fog lights) and remove the 
> alternator.  YMMV.  There are something like 18 bolts.  There are 2 or 3 
> (or 4?) on the rear flange alone.
> Before you get the last bolt off you will want to be careful since there 
> will still be oil in the bottom of the pan.
> I re-used my gasket since I didn't have a spare one and it was 10pm and I 
> needed to drive 200 miles the next morning for work.  I'd recc. a new 
> gasket but if you're careful, you can remove the pan without damaging the 
> gasket.  I did use some Permatex Hylomar (sp?) gasket dressing on both 
> sides of the gasket when I put the new(er) pan on.  Miracle in a tube, I 
> call it.
> While you have the pan off, put a cloth down under the block since oil will 
> drip.  In fact, you will be amazed at how much oil drips out of the block 
> and wonder - shouldn't this oil have dripped down before? and: How long 
> does it take for all the oil to drip down to the pan?
> Scrape the block really well to get all the gasket material off and wipe it 
> down.  Prep the pan and gasket.  Re-wipe the block.  Pop the pan on there 
> and start finger-threading the bolts.
> The manual doesn't mention a pattern to the bolts but I did them in the 
> manner of tightening a head down to block.  Snugged them up and then 
> torqued to spec.
> When you do the subframe, there is a specific-order to the bolts: rear 
> left, rear right, front left then front right.  And it's best to snug them 
> while the car is in the air and then do the final torque when it's on the 
> ground.
> 
> One thing to look out for that I ran into was that the replacement pan 
> touched the plastic oil baffle for the oil pump pickup.  What I ended up 
> doing was clipping a little bit off and trial fitting the pan and checking 
> for touching.  I did this without the gasket in place knowing that if it 
> didn't touch without a gasket, its additional clearance would guarantee no 
> touching.  I ended up trimming maybe 3/16" off one side of the baffle.
> 
> And don't forget to put oil back in the engine when you're done.
> 
> 
> 
> At 09/06/2004 at 22:55, Shakespearean monkeys danced on Radek's keyboard 
> and said:
> >Hello fellow listers.
> >
> >16 years of Canadian salt have taken their toll and here I am with a rusted
> >through oil pan on the 90Q.  It's only a pinhole for now.  Would anyone have
> >experience patching rusty, oily metal?  I don't think epoxy will stick.  Any
> >new technologies out there?  I really don't feel like replacing the pan now
> >since I think it means removing the subframe.
> >TIA.
> >
> >Radek
> >1988 90Q
> >1991 V8Q 5-sp.
> 
> 
> Cheers!