Cracked Oil Pan - What are the implications?

[swathdiver]

First thing I'd do is get a can of Brake Clean and spray that area down real good and then fire up the motor to let the aluminum get warmed up and see if and where the leak is.

 

[Doubeleive]

if it's cracked it will always leak....

 

[iamdub]

James beat me to it. I'm a fan of the Super Tech brake parts cleaner from Walmart. Cheap and works great. Ignite the spray with a lighter and you have a sweet little flame thrower. WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES when spraying it.

 

[donjetman]

I had an oil change done at the shop and mechanic showed me how oil is seeping out and around due to a cracked oil pan. I'm seeing no drips/drops on my garage floor, and seeing no noticeable drop in oil pressure.

What are the implications of doing nothing?

If its cracked it should be leaking. Our 2002 5.3 had a crack(previous owner??) in the corner of the pan above the oil filter and leaked. It never fixed itself

 

[08HoeCD]

I've been scratching my head about this, and here's why:

Dealer first claimed the pan was cracked about a year ago. I didn't really buy it because I'd never seen a single drop of oil on my garage floor, where I park every single night, and I've never had any noticeable oil loss or oil pressure variance.

There's been no symptoms at all other than a thin film of oil that sometimes appears on the back side of the pan.

For the sake of argument, let's say it's definitely cracked. If nothing has worsened in at least a year, and there are no dire symptoms, what would you do?

 

[iamdub]

I've been scratching my head about this, and here's why:

Dealer first claimed the pan was cracked about a year ago. I didn't really buy it because I'd never seen a single drop of oil on my garage floor, where I park every single night, and I've never had any noticeable oil loss or oil pressure variance.

There's been no symptoms at all other than a thin film of oil that sometimes appears on the back side of the pan.

For the sake of argument, let's say it's definitely cracked. If nothing has worsened in at least a year, and there are no dire symptoms, what would you do?

Mine's not a DD and when I do drive, it it's usually just to the city- about 60 mile round trips. So, if it wasn't dripping oil, I probably wouldn't worry about it and would just watch for oil spots on the floor while I set aside a repair fund with the expectation that I'll have to replace it eventually. On the other hand, if I were planning a road trip, I'd probably replace it because, as my luck would have it, it would suddenly worsen and leak at the worst possible time.

I'd clean it off and observe to confirm one way or the other to at least know for sure. It could be a slight gasket leak and you could be fretting over nothing.

 

[Derick]

Might as well do your oil pickup tube oring as well since you're in there. As paranoid as I've been lately regarding oil pressure, it's all I see anymore.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I just went through a cracked oil pan episode. I was leaking oil (small spots on the floor), and I got a local repair shop (not a dealer) to change the oil pan gasket. The quote for the job, including the oil pan gasket and labor was $260. When the oil pan was dropped, they identified a crack on the top flange of the oil pan, and it had separated to the extent where you could catch your fingernail on the crack, as you ran your fingernail across the crack. The quote for a GM replacement oil pan, oil pan gasket, and oil level sensor was $320. I purchased the same 3 items from Rock Auto for $225, including freight (and I purchased the more expensive available oil pan option at $120, since it was made by a manufacturer that the repair shop knew and approved).

Also, if you are not sure where your oil leak is coming from, there is a dye that you can add to the oil, which can help you trace the source of the oil leak, by identifying new oil flows, versus what may have accumulated over time for other reasons.

 

[08HoeCD]

Mine's not a DD and when I do drive, it it's usually just to the city- about 60 mile round trips. So, if it wasn't dripping oil, I probably wouldn't worry about it and would just watch for oil spots on the floor while I set aside a repair fund with the expectation that I'll have to replace it eventually. On the other hand, if I were planning a road trip, I'd probably replace it because, as my luck would have it, it would suddenly worsen and leak at the worst possible time.

I'd clean it off and observe to confirm one way or the other to at least know for sure. It could be a slight gasket leak and you could be fretting over nothing.

I don't mind paying the money to repair/replace it. And I'm all about doing necessary repairs ASAP. On the other hand, the stubborn skeptic in me is weighing the options, given all the circumstances.

 

[02Lightning]

Maybe get a second opinion? It could be a casting seam they are looking at. I'll bet they have a note in your file stating cracked oil pan.