Oil pan impaled by floor jack saddle

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Doug: this happened after I already had it on jack stands and started to work on it, but then couldn't get my lug nuts loose, so then jacked it back up, removed the jack stands, and began to let it down and bang. I coulda/shoulda checked the placement of the saddle better. I've used a floor jack before, just that the housing bottom being flat and then trying to jack it up near the curve of the pumpkin makes it a bit more tricky IMO/IME. I may try to get someone to weld me up some sort of special saddle top just for when I lift the front axle. Maybe with some vertical wings on it to go on either side of the housing to decrease the chances of it slipping off, sorta like the saddle of a jack stand ratchet bar but with taller ends.

Anyone: where is the best location to lift the front axle?
 
Last edited:
The suggested jack points are the base of the pumpkins or the axle housing. It is tight when you are trying to work with a floor jack and need room to slide in jack stands, which should be larger stands, like 6+ ton. On a consumer-grade jack the saddle is small and you have to be really careful about placement. I have one of those SUV extension pieces on a PepBoys floorjack and it is a little sketchy. But since my garage is about 12 inches longer than my Cruiser I can't work with a full size jack in the winter, so that is what I end up using.

Sounds like you had bad luck (very bad luck) but on the upside no-one was hurt. That incident and todays lugnut troubles sound like you need more than a beer to close out this weekend.
 
Stop the presses. I finally got up the courage to finish cleaning up the mess of 5-6 quarts of oil on the garage floor (being soaked up by the clay-type kitty litter) and got underneath the rig to take a close look with a bright worklight. After removing the first few bolts on the lower pan I then saw that I have a bigger problem; the rear of the main pan near where it butts up against the bellhousing is cracked, done, finished, kaput. Looks like the pressure from the crushing lower pan was transmitted to the main pan. Just bad JuJu for me.

Here are some photos of the carnage:
lower oil pan impaled with saddle 001.webp
lower oil pan impaled with saddle 002.webp
DSC00004.webp
 
Last edited:
shoot, sorry to read that...

more bad luck all at once than most people have to deal with over the lifetime of a rig. Hang in there. These are great trucks. And not exactly all the truck's fault. But it happens. Gotta keep things in perspective.
 
I'm sure some good Samaritan is parting an engine and will be able to get one too you for the fraction of what the dealer wants! Hope your luck turns for the better! I have been there and felt defeated. Don't give up on it.
 
Awesome carnage pictures!

You're going to have to take off both pans to check the damage.

Looks expensive, good luck.
 
Could something else be damaged besides the oil pans??
 
Kernal said:
Could something else be damaged besides the oil pans??
Click to expand...

Sure-the oil pump pick up is right there. There is also that oil baffle directly above.

Any cracks in the upper aluminum pan?
 
Cruiserdrew; yes, the main oil pan is cracked, shows up in the last photo above where the lower pan bolts up to the rear of the main pan just in front of the flywheel inspection port. The pick up is dented, you can barely make it out in the second photo looking through the hole. I figure I need a complete new main pan with oil pick up and of course the lower pan.
 
Ouch! That quite a photo. btw, my earlier comment about lifting was not meant as a criticism of you but as reminder for those that may be clueless who are following this thread. As an aside, do any of the common aftermarket skidplates cover this pan? I have a small dent in mine from a trail (happened same time I bent my tie rod).
 
I thought about a skid plate also, about 5 minutes after the carnage took place. Dollar short and a day late.
 
The jack saddle moved off the axle to the rear of the oil pan?!? That looks like a good foot or more distance. :eek:
 
What a drag that is.

2nd thing I'd do, if I was you, (after buying and installing the necessary parts) would be to throw that floor jack away.

good luck
 
Yeah, the jack lets down way too quick, can't feather the release very well if at all, but look how much I saved. Maybe I'll just replace the lower pan and stuff some of that metal putty up into the cracked main pan, call it good, then drive it down to the used car lot :hillbilly:
 
Kernal,

I've been pondering your situation and though it sucks to be you at the moment I think this can be repaired in place. It's a repair area that will not be subject to much force, much heat or much stress really. I'd pull the lower pan and then see what you have in terms of how much of that edge broke, etc.

I'm going to guess you'll find out the edge of the upper pan broke off, but that it will be otherwise flat and provide a good seal with the proper Toyota FIPG. You'll need to epoxy it back together in that area and the biggest challenge will be proper cleaning of the pieces and mating surfaces due to the oil constantly coming down the engine. So, let us know what you find to get some feedback on how the repair might be mounted. I have some epoxy on hand that is the best in the world for this stuff and it was given to me and I did not need it. You'd pay $300 for it as there's a minimum purchase normally, but I'll get it to you for shipping only in a"pass it along" approach I've seen many times here on MUD.

On the other hand, an everyday quality epoxy like JB Weld may be perfect for your needs and easier to work with (this stuff requires careful mix/prep, etc).

You'll basically get that edge put back on so it will provide a surface for the FIPG sealant to adhere to. Obviously, even without the screws on you have to pry the lower pan off so a good seal should not be a challenge even if the surface is not perfect. That's the point of FIPG - handle minor variations and provide a lifetime seal.

DougM
 
Doug. Was half joking about fixing it with putty, but understand your approach. If it is just that one piece of aluminum cracked off it might be possible to epoxy it back together, if I got that correct.

I just gave up today once I saw the main pan was broke and confirmed the pick-up tube was at least dented. I'll crawl back under it this week and finish removing the lower pan to get a better look at what is busted and what's not. I'll get more photos too. Thanks.
 
Kernal,

I don't think this is the end of the world. Just a bit scary until you wrap your brain around it, eh? From the dimension of the damage I think you're going to have pickup tube issues, so I'm waiting to see what the photos reveal.

DougM
 
Roger that. After the mishap I felt a bit like the locals in ?Afghanistan who righted a SUV that was laying on it's side and then watch as it rolled by itself down the mountain and flip over a few times, at least it landed on it's wheels. (can't find the clip).
 
Last edited:
The pickup will be destroyed as well. Both pans need to come off and it needs both pans and the pickup
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom