Help: SDL oil pan is leaking!
 

My SDL oilpan is leaking here in Oman!
I think I might have gone over a bumps too fast or hit a rock while going off road (Yes there are not all roads paved here).
I have seen scratches at the oilpan lately but now it is suddenly leaking a lot of oil!
I can't get the oilpan here in this country I am afraid.
Anew pan is a lot of money, like $500
Can the oilpan be repaired if it is small crack? Can the pan be welded?

How difficult is it to remove and install the oil pan without a lift ? Do I need to lift the engine?
If the pan could be welded I'd need at least the gasket- do I?
Or does a gasket maker do the job?

Need help here please.

BMW M30s crack their pans often as they are very low. Yes, it can be welded as it is aluminum... it just has to be very clean to be done. So I would jerk it, have it cleaned at a machine shop, then find a competent TIG welder.

Also, MB built skid plates for the W126s. I would highly suggest looking into one. I am almost positive I saw all the part numbers in the EPC :)

Considering the situation I would drain it and try to dry out the area where it is leaking and JB weld it.

I've had a couple BMW's come in that had this repair. Good bit of work to remove the pan.

The pan is only about 0.080" (2 mm) thick there. It can be TIG welded. If you had a lift, you might have better luck with the cleaning and welding.

If it were me I would drain the oil, remove the pan plug, add a small shop vacuum device to the oil FILLER hole, spray carburetor or brake cleaner on all the cracks, wire brush the cracks, spray clean again, allow to dry, and JB weld. The vacuum will clean the cracks of nasty diesel oil residue from the outside, and keep oil from seeping out during the glue cook.

If you can find the advanced 3M body-panel adhesive, that will be a better high-temperature solution. Perhaps you might even bring the car to a body shop to have them perform the glue repair?

I have used all three: TIG weld (sucked), JB weld (OK), and 3M body adhesive (great). Note that magically the repair effectiveness was in the reverse of the order I tried them.

I have tried to JB weld this morning.
I need this car for my daily driving.
Lucky me I found JB weld in my stuff. (I haven't seen the product here, in general you can't buy anything here really, no auto parts stores nor internet, no hardware stores- it sucks)
First I drained the oil the sprayed brake cleaner in the pan- yes I could see the cleaner run right through the crack, dirty black from the diesel oil. Crack is about 2" long.
I used a rough file to prepare for JB weld. I also prepared a patch in Aluminum (cut an aluminum pipe open and formed the patch)
I had no vacuum unfortunately. Is a great idea but I have no pump working right now.
I hope 10 times of flushing with brake cleaner will do the job.
The stuff is hardening right now as I write. I can just hope that the pan is tight.

Here are pictures starting with the cracked pan, then perp work and finally the repair with JB weld and aluminum patch.
Thanks, Martin

Hi Man,
do you have a picture of the skid plate for the 126? I could weld one myself somehow. It is essential here in this country.

Martin

Thanks for the tip, you saved my day...

what country are you in? your CP says Boston...

Oman

That's a fine-looking patch. With so much surface area, I'm really liking your chances of success. You need a skid plate or something, though. Mine got busted three times just in parking lots and whatnot, with not a single Paris-Dakar entry!

I saw one in the JY years back on a 500SE and never thought much about it. They are in the EPC. Let me see if I can dig up some stuff for you.

Did the same thing to my former SDL when I bottomed-out ever so slightly at speed going through an intersection with drainage dips. Mine was a hairline crack, not nearly as bad as yours, and I just replaced the oil pan with a good used one for $200 IIRC. It is a bit of a job to remove it as I remember, engine must be lifted quite a bit.

Best of luck with that repair, that's a tough situation to be over there w/o any DIY resources. I would think that they've sold boatloads of those cars in the ME, no scrapyards though? Bummer.

Thank goodness he had some JB Weld:).

You wont find any garden variety stores there, the stores there are very different - e.g. to buy epoxy you need to find a place that sells pipes or the like and they are like a single counter shop - you cannot walk/browse it and if you have a language problem it gets next to impossible locating one or if you do find one and cannot make the owner understand your description you wont get your item. - it sucks I know but thats how it rolls.

btw have you seen any pink or floroscent green or yellow cars yet - Its Oman, you are bound to find some.

I'd pay close attention to your motor mounts, if they are sagging even a little, the pan will sit too low.