Dented oil pan

[JasonS]

I've got a spare running engine which was dropped on the pan pushing the drain plug upward. What are the odds that I can remove the pan and push out the dent from the inside without cracking the pan or bung weld?

 

[plym49]

Probably pretty good. I have pulled out dents like that without removing the pan. One way is to take a flat steel bar and drill and tap a hole in the center. Wiggle it up into the pan and thread a stud into it. Then take another flat steel plate on the outside, crank down a nut, and you basically c-clamp the pan back into shape. After using a flat bar on the outside, loosen the nut and slip a small piece of round stock under the far edges of the outside plate. Retighten. This lets you overcenter the pan so that when it springs back, it is flat.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Thanks for that advice.
Our Deuce saw Brushfire Service and has some oil pan dents too. I'm guessing large rocks and trees are responsible.
The dent's don't hurt performance, but with the next oil change I'll be repairing/replacing the pan as necessary.

 

[JasonS]

Probably pretty good. I have pulled out dents like that without removing the pan. One way is to take a flat steel bar and drill and tap a hole in the center. Wiggle it up into the pan and thread a stud into it. Then take another flat steel plate on the outside, crank down a nut, and you basically c-clamp the pan back into shape. After using a flat bar on the outside, loosen the nut and slip a small piece of round stock under the far edges of the outside plate. Retighten. This lets you overcenter the pan so that when it springs back, it is flat.

The oil pickup is right above the drain plug so there probably isn't enough room for this method. But, it sounds like most pans are soft enough to bend back to shape.

 

[Stretch44875]

I've make a puller out of a old drain plug. It does not take much to pull the bung loose from the pan. I've also had the pan off, and pushed it out from the inside, and popped the bung loose. But I've got a welder, and it's pretty easy to weld it back on.

 

[plym49]

I forgot to add this trick: Sometimes all you need is a C-clamp (or two in different sizes) and a small piece of stiff flat stock. Put the stationary end of the clamp inside, and tighten with the stock bridging the dent on the outside. Work your way around the circle. Use a clamp with a longer or shorter reach as needed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The oil pan is pretty forgivable. Take it off and pound away. I just knocked all the dents out of mine yesterday with a ball peen hammer.