Changing oil Pan
 

Hello all,

I am driving a 4 door 1996 Chevy Blazer 4x4. I love the car, especially when it starts snowing!

I am posting because I need some help and direction in changing my oil pan. yesterday I went to give my blazer an oil change and noticed that there was a large crack and a hole about the size of a quarter in the oil pan. Needless to say there was actually no oil in the engine at all. What was weird was this was after I spent the day driving it. While driving I noticed nothing strange at all, no overheating, no smoke, no oil icons on my dash. So my conclusion was that whatever happened must of happened right before pulling into my driveway. Either way, I need to replace my oil pan now.

When it comes to mechanical knowledge however, I am very ignorant. I have spent very little time actually doing any work on my car. Most of it is done at the shop. However this time around I want to do it myself, so I can start learning.

I purchased a Haynes manual for my vehicle and I have been reading on what it is that I need to do, and the tools I will need to get it done with.

The steps I need to take to fix the car are outlined, and I am somewhat confused on why I need to do some of them.

One of the first steps are to remove the starter motor. What is a starter motor and why does it need to be removed?

Also, according to the manual, for may particular vehicle, I can raise the engine IF the front axle is disconnected and moved forward.

I was planning on using a jack and a couple of jack stands to hoist up and hold the engine. However, what do I need to do to disconnect and move the front axle forward. If I did that the vehicle couldn't rest on it's front tires correct?

I don't have a garage to work in, only a gravel driveway. From the sounds of this, If I have to disconnect the axle, should I just take it to a shop?

Or would I be able to get this done in my driveway?

First off welcome to the wonderful world of becoming a home mechanic. Not to be discouraging, but you really picked one of the crappiest repairs that have to be made to a Blazer. This is not a repair I would recommend to someone starting off that doesn't have a garage and all kinds of time. Don't know what your toolbox looks like but this is more than a socket set and some screwdrivers. In your case, you might want to have the garage do it. My guess is its not going to be cheap as it is very labor intensive. Sorry to be a downer on this one.

I agree unless you already have the axle removed like me.

Well thank you. There is a shop less than a couple of miles away. I would hate to have to pay for a tow. Is there a way I can provide a temporary plug or seal on my oil pan just to get it to the shop? Obviously paying for a tow is better than a seized engine, but If I somehow sealed the crack and filled the engine with oil couldn't I make it a couple of miles?

J B Weld

JB Weld (epoxy) x2!! will need to be perfectly clean and no oil seeping out through crack. Alternatively gas tank repair epoxy might also work. Both of these should be pretty permanent repairs.

You aren't talking about the removable plug in the trans bellhousing behind the oil pan are you?

the $10,000 question is: Does the oil pan hold oil when you put some in, or does it come pouring back out through this hole?

I don't know what the trans bellhousing is. Like I said I am a novice. The actual pan itself is ruptured. The previous owner of the vehicle neglected to tell me that they already JB welded a cracked oil pan. What I have now is a JB weld that is seeping oil. Can I JB weld one more time? I will double check it one more time though to be sure that this is the only place it is leaking from.

OK - here's the deal.

Problem is how to keep the surface oil free while the epoxy sets - probably why the original repair leaks. I would put oil in it to the full mark and make sure the engine is still sound before spending anything more on it. If you replace the oil pan - it is not going to be cheap to have done, nor will it be easy to do yourself. If you have no mechanical experience and no help or place to do the repair, then don't tackle it yourself based on a shop manual.

If you do attemp a second repair on the same oil pan, drain the oil out so it won't seep as fast past the old repair. Clean the area thoroughly with carb cleaner, and observe any oil seepage (when and how much). If nothing appears right away you might have luck with a gas tank repair epoxy putty as it is made for pushing into holes and setting up quickly while gas seeps out of a fuel tank. You have nothing to lose by trying, but you're only going to get one shot at most at it - so post photos, describe thoroughly about rate of seepage, and ask questions before applying anything more to the leak.