I was workin on my 96 CTD noticed that the oil pan had a lot of rust spots on it whats the best way to change the pan thanks

 

Undo the motor and tranny mounts. Lift the engine as high as you can. Unbolt the pan and drop it down. Unscrew the pickup and the pan should come out.

 

I did mine 2 years ago, same reason. Mine actually started to seep through in one spot. They are made out of a very thin metal.

PM me if you want.

 

Wow! I can't imagine the pans being so thin they could actually rust thru in a relatively short time! But then again, I CAN imagine it...Anyways, my first thought was, if it doesn't appear to be TOO thin yet, couldn't you maybe wire brush it, degrease real good, metal prep and paint it with POR-15? Shouldn't even need the high-temp stuff(pan shouldn't get over 250deg should it), but there is a high-temp POR also. Then just spray paint it black with header/engine paint? That would sure beat having to change the pan, if you all agree the POR treatment would suffice. Again that would depend on the severity of the rust I suppose, right? :-)

 

yes, I thought of all that but it's just band-aid's. I cleaned mine really well with brake cleaner, let it sit overnight. Went out to check the next morning, no leak. Assuming that maybe it was just the pan gasket I Took it for a ride, checked it and you could see that the seep was originating at about 2/3 of the way up the side of the "sump" section passengers side of the pan. I can tell you that after pulling the pan, the rust spot was the size of a half dollar on the outside (external) and very small on the inside.

So, I did not want to be the fool to be tooling down the interstate at 70 with a hole blowing out in the side of my $75 oil pan toasting a $5000 engine. I changed it for the same reason we block that dowel pin "peace of mind".

darn salt!

 

Oh yeah Timmy, I can see the need after the seep has begun - nothing short of pan replacement then, eh? I was thinking more along the lines of preventative, long before it actually becomes thin...after reading these posts I checked mine again, as I had seen a little surface rust a little while back. It doesn't seem at all thin, most of the original paint still there(thank goodness for dry climates!), so do you think a quick band-aid(good term!) of POR would give adequate protection? I agree with your reasoning far as 'peace of mind'; bet I've spent more in the past for that reason than actual repairs would have cost, but sure makes you feel better driving along those long lonesome stretches, huh? :-) You did the right thing, and I imagine everyone should follow up, check your pans!! Thanks, seeya!

 

Yes, If only I was aware of the rust starting 6 years ago. I could have sanded the area and hit it with some rust metal primer or POR.

See, all you fellas with the "external lubrication" on your oil pan gaskets might just save in the long run.