Best product for emergency oil pan repair?

[Sukhoi]

I do a fair amount of remote 4WD road driving, and I figure it would be a good idea to keep something in my car to repair a small oil pan puncture quickly (before all the oil leaks out). What sort of epoxy or putty would best adhere to a slick oil-coated oil pan to stop additional oil from leaking out?

 

[Jumpem]

Install a skid plate.

 

[herm0016]

skid plate. I really can not think of much that would stick to oily metal. do you also carry enough oil to refill the engine?

I am mocking up more skid plates for my pickup our of corrugated plastic.

 

[Sukhoi]

Install a skid plate.

The only one available for a RAV4 costs $450+.

No I don't generally carry more than 1 qt replacement oil, thus why I want something to stop the leak fast.

Any idea what this red stuff is? http://www.flickr.com/photos/rnair/2484570825/

Hmm 7703A2 and 7582A44 on McMaster look promising.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

What are you doing using a Rav4 for four wheeling? It's a car that looks like an SUV.

 

[Sukhoi]

What are you doing using a Rav4 for four wheeling? It's a car that looks like an SUV.

Because I own it? I needed a daily driver with some off-road capability, which the RAV4 has.

 

[dug777]

With the best will in the world, you're not going to be doing very or even halfway tough 4WDing in a RAV4 anywhere It doesn't have low-range, or even proper 4WD AFAIK, just some viscous/trick centre diff that can direct some power to the rear wheels (but not all, and not exclusively either, from my limited knowledge re RAV4s), and the clearance and overhangs are poor, so you are going to get in trouble very quickly.

That said, you have to smack a diff or sump pretty hard to crack one, so just be sensible, slow down over rocky obstacles, and I don't know if you get termite mounds there. but here on infrequently used bush tracks you can get them peeking up in the middle of the road, where otherwise you could be moving quite fast Being sensible it is amazing how far you can take non-4WDs (which I'd loosely define as a minimum as having a low-range transfer case) - especially if you have other people with you to assist in case of getting bogged, or are happy to extract yourself (top-tip, it's best done without the missus in the car!)

That, and I would imagine there are plenty of aftermarket bash plate manufacturers in the US, there certainly are in Aus. Or find a friendly local metal fabricator and get him to make you one

My bro has reinforced the one stock Toyota bash plate under the Prado that is not metal (a mid-body one in front of the long-range tank that covers the brake lines and the fuel lines) with a home-made aluminium reinforcing strut and guard to stop it tearing at the front edge when you hit water at speed repeatedly, so you could even work one yourself if you have the time and tools

 

[Bignate603]

I do a fair amount of remote 4WD road driving,

The only one available for a RAV4 costs $450+.

I think I've found the problem

In all seriousness, with a Rav4 if you're going into situations where you're worried about bashing a rock into your oil pan you're also likely risking other kinds of mechanical failure. The Rav4 is a good cute ute, a small SUV designed for on road travel. It's got pretty limited ground clearance, small amounts of wheel travel, and everything underneath the vehicle is pretty exposed. Personally, I'd be more worried about breaking something in the suspension or drive train before I'd be worried about popping a leak in the oil pan.



Also, one quart of fluids is not enough. Oil is cheap, buy more and throw it in the back when you're going off on your own.

 

[LTC8K6]

I don't think anything will stop a hot oil leak except maybe one of those gasketed screws.

 

[Eli]

I think it would have to be a real weeper to have any hope that some sort of epoxy type substance would seal it up. You could probably just make it home, in that case.

I'm not sure what would though. Nothing likes to stick to oil.

Just spend the $450 on a skid plate.

 

[arcenite]

Proper 4wheeling requires a skid plate. Pay the $450 or get a real 4x4.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Not to mention, do you think you're going to get out of the car and get the hole plugged before more than 1 quart leaks out?

Also, how are you going to know you have a hole? Do you know when your oil light will come on, or do you have a dedicated oil pressure gauge? If the light doesn't come on until you have no oil pressure, then you'll definitely need a full quantity of oil if it doesn't leave you stranded.

 

[Eli]

..And not to mention that.. this whole idea is silly anyway.

So let's say you do find some epoxy that will patch it up. Then what? You just leave it? lol

No, you have to buy a new oil pan and install it. How much is your time worth?

How about you prevent damage in the first place with a skid plate?

 

[angry hampster]

A skid plate and/or tow truck.

 

[SuperSix]

As said - if you are rockin and rolling enough to possibly poke a hole in the oil pan, there's a lot of other shit that will break first.

If you are qoing to take a quasi-4wd vehicle off road, that was really never designed for it, take it easy and slow.

If you think $450.00 is a lot for that much protection, you need a new hobby.

 

[spaceman]

are you serious?

 

[Bignate603]

I've been thinking about this. By the time you've actually kitted up your rav4 to deal with any serious trails where you would need to be worried about crunching your oil pan you could have just bought a beater truck or SUV that would work much better without any modifications. An old toyota pickup, 4runner, jeep, ranger, etc would all do exactly what you want and some functional but ugly ones can be had cheaply.

 

[Bartman39]

Worked for me in the past...

http://jbweld.net/products/jbstik.php

 

[skyking]

Worked for me in the past...

http://jbweld.net/products/jbstik.php

Indeed. Force it through the hole and it will retain the patch. I've patched leaking things before with epoxy products like this, it works.
That said, I'd not be offroading in a RAV4, just like I don't in my Honda Pilot.
I'll crawl around over stuff I can see and clear but no scraping or rubbing.

 

[Demo24]

Long as you don't go banging around in it I doubt you'll have any problems in this area. Rav4 is not exactly a off-roading beast, so just keep it slow and controlled and you'll probably make it. The older ones(1st gen) did seem to have a better awd system though.

 

[Sukhoi]

Indeed. Force it through the hole and it will retain the patch. I've patched leaking things before with epoxy products like this, it works.
That said, I'd not be offroading in a RAV4, just like I don't in my Honda Pilot.
I'll crawl around over stuff I can see and clear but no scraping or rubbing.

Looks good, thanks!

Guys I'm not talking about rock crawling here. This is just for a situation I might get into on a rough dirt road on the way to a trailhead.

 

[herm0016]

if you are not rock crawling then do not worry about it. if the roads are so bad that this is an issue then you need protection for the bottom of the rav4.

 

[Bignate603]

Looks good, thanks!

Guys I'm not talking about rock crawling here. This is just for a situation I might get into on a rough dirt road on the way to a trailhead.

Then its extremely unlikely that you'll ever damage your oil pan in the first place.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Then its extremely unlikely that you'll ever damage your oil pan in the first place.

You cant be sure about that, you always get some idiot in a Prius trying to hit a few of the dirt trails over here. Ive seen a few with the oil pans cracked before.

 

[arcenite]

It's not just rocks you have to worry about. You NEVER know what lies at the bottom of a "puddle".