Oil pan impaled by floor jack saddle

[Kernal]

Well, this is what happens when your a newb and you're in a hurry. Long story short, I punctured my oil pan with the floor jack saddle.

I was getting ready to start my front axle job but once I got the rig in the air and jack stands in place I couldn't get the lug nuts off the wheels, so I planned on going out to buy an air compressor. As I was letting the rig down the extended SUV saddle slipped off my front axle and instead of just pushing the jack down by the weight of the vehicle the saddle punctured my oil pan right at the drain plug. The saddle is still stuck about 2 inches inside the pan itself. Amazingly stupid on my part.

So guess I'll put a call into CDan after I clean up a few quarts of oil on my garage floor, but first, what does it take to replace the lower oil pan and could the impaling damage something else (? the oil sump)?

 

[john_eckels]

You will need to remove the lower oil pan and see if anything appears to be bent, scratched, dented, etc. The hardest part of the job is cleaning up the pan, which you won't have to worry about. You will need to get some of the black FIPG from C-Dan when you order the oil pan. EDIT, you should probably have a small inch pound torque wrench for re-assembly.

Well, this is what happens when your a newb and you're in a hurry. Long story short, I punctured my oil pan with the floor jack saddle.

I was getting ready to start my front axle job but once I got the rig in the air and jack stands in place I couldn't get the lug nuts off the wheels, so I planned on going out to buy an air compressor. As I was letting the rig down the extended SUV saddle slipped off my front axle and instead of just pushing the jack down by the weight of the vehicle the saddle punctured my oil pan right at the drain plug. The saddle is still stuck about 2 inches inside the pan itself. Amazingly stupid on my part.

So guess I'll put a call into CDan after I clean up a few quarts of oil on my garage floor, but first, what does it take to replace the lower oil pan and could the impaling damage something else (? the oil sump)?

 

[Kernal]

I have a Husky torque wrench, goes from 10-100ft lb, will that work OK for the pan bolts?

 

[Clutchee]

Man don't freak out..... if it's just the lower one.

Start off, by removing the jack form the oil pan, drain any oil left in it then removed the lower oil pan..... should be a bunch of 10mm bolts holding it on.

When these are removed it maybe stubborn to come off so you may need to take a flat screwdriver where it seals to break the gasket/seal loose.

Upon doing this you can investigate if anything was hurt...... more than likely not but just take pics if needed & post.

Call Dan in the AM Monday & order one or if you have a dealer close order one from them early in the AM on Monday...... notice I said early so hopefully they can get it in the next day.

Don't worry...... you won't do that again

 

[CorvetteFan]

Dang, Kernal, I'm mostly in awe of you (and most other folks of this Forum) for having the courage to do your own front axle!

Hey, It'll be OK... at least you got all "the bad stuff" for 2010 out of the way early!!

Rb

 

[bignasty]

[FONT=&quot]Thank god the truck didn't fall on you. That would have sucked. Lessons you will learn from. I remember my lesson on proper torque of lug nuts still. It is a humbling feeling when you see your front wheel going down the road without your truck. That wheel was destroying flower beds and knocking down the protected wildflower signs. I had to pay 250 to tow it to my house. The only damage I had was the dust shield had a hole in it. The rotor's vent on the edges was scratched but that was it. These trucks are tough.[/FONT]

 

[Kernal]

Thanks for the encouragment. I hope it is just the lower pan and maybe the oil pickup tube. It was stupid, got in a hurry and didn't triple check the placement of the extended saddle like I did the first time I jacked it up.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

Reminds me to buy some jb weld for my trail kit in the event I have to repair an oil pan.

 

[john_eckels]

The torque spec is 78 In lb. I would not use that torque wrench. I would hand tighten and guestimate with a 3/8 rachet before using a large torque wrench.

I have a Husky torque wrench, goes from 10-100ft lb, will that work OK for the pan bolts?

 

[Kernal]

Can the lower pan be pounded out and welded or is the metal too thin? My local dealer says the nearest pan is in Kalifornia and it would take a 5+ days before he received it.

 

[cruiserdan]

Hopefully the pickup tube is not damaged. In order to get the tube out you have to remove the upper pan and the job just got a lot more complicated.

 

[Kernal]

Just went out and pulled the saddle adaptor out of the rear PS corner of the lower pan, it pushed it up about 3+ inches, no way is the pan repairable, bent it in and tore it open like a sardine can. After I pulled the adaptor out I could feel through the hole into the pan and could touch about 1-2 inches of the pick up tube which was oriented in front of the hole, I did feel a small dent, but can't tell if it is totally out of whack. Added this photo of the main pan from another thread, I may have dodged a bullet as most of the impact was on the PS rear, and this photo shows the pick up tube is on the DS rear. On the other hand, the impact was directly in line with the rearmost internal brace of the main pan. Will try to get photos once I get the lower pan off.
(note: this photo is not my pan, just shown for reference)

 

[lacruiser]

Check some wrecking yards for a used pan, gotta be a lot cheaper than a new one.

 

[AJLFJ80]

[FONT=&quot]That wheel was destroying flower beds and knocking down the protected wildflower signs. [/FONT]

 

[Kernal]

Will check the salvage yards monday, all the ones in my area are closed on the weekends. Cruiser parts has one listed for $30, but they aren't open on weekends either. Ditto on monday. Moral of this story (other than don't screw up), don't start a big job on a holiday weekend.

 

[Riad]

If you had punctured at the drain plug, I think you did not touch the screen as the screen resides more towards the back end near the tranny. I think 2" not enough to even touch that pickup tube/nozzle IMO because the drain plug is lowest point in that oil pan. I had dented my lower oil pan around the same area; got hung up on a really tall pointy rock and dented but not punctured. I had driven like that for months before I replaced my front oil and arch seals. I did not get a new oil pan, just hammered it flat with a brass bar after I had taken it off. I would suggest to take the lower oil pan off and get a head start while you wait for a new lower pan.

 

[Kernal]

Riad; It is about a 3-4 inch deep dent with a semicircular three inch diameter hole on the PS rear of the pan; I'll try to post some photos. Thinking back what happened might have been partly due to my floor jack, it does not release smoothly and sorta starts to let go all at once. When I noticed it start to let down I think I tightened the release valve handle which caused the jack to slip and jump back causing the rig to come down on the locked saddle.

 

[mainemike]

cruiserdan (see post 11) probably has a new one in stock along with anything else you need. You can call him at 800-432-6668

 

[Kernal]

Mainemike: thanks, I called American Toy on Saturday when it happened, the parts guy (not beno or Dan) said they didn't have one in stock, but I'll check back on Monday. If Dan has to wait a few days to get one, then ship it back out to me, I might just go with the local dealer or cruiserparts if they can get it to me faster. It's my only running rig, well now it ain't, got a rental Camry.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

I guess this also a reminder to those with little experience with floor jacks and jackstands (beside being in a safe place and blocking the wheels) that when jacking up one end of a vehicle, the vehicle does not travel straight up and down but rather in an arc (so the jack stands need to be placed where the vehicle will land rather than directly over the stand)