so after quickly googling this topic, the results were inconclusive.... some people reckoned the engine would explode due to oily vapors in the crankcase igniting, some people reckoned it would be fine, and someone even suggested filming and should it blow up then we will prove why you shouldn't weld a sump on an engine for once and all.

 

the problem: the driver of the car ran over a truck tailshaft at speed, ripping a hole in the lower sump (steel) and some other damage underneath. no oil in engine, and the driver was not able to pull over straight away, so unsure if engine damage has occurred.

 

obviously oil is needed in the engine to run it in order to work out whether damage has occurred or not. with big hole in the sump, this is a problem. it is a bit of bother to remove the sump, repair and refit it, considering that a new sump is on the way. so.....

 

the solution: weld the sump while still on the car. I did so little bits at a time, and cooled it with a spray bottle of water after welding each little bit, trying not to catch anything on fire or let it get too hot.

 

it was a bit ugly, but i didn't blow myself up and it does hold oil. the oil was drained from the sump, and the surrrounding area was cleaned of oil prior to commencing welding. also the battery was disconnected in order not to fry any ecus.

 

turns out the engine is still ok!

 

hope this was good for a chuckle!

 

the hole in the sump:

 

the repaired sump:

 

 

Robert.

Guess you got lucky... I wouldn't have risked it I would have just spent the time to take it off and do it without risk of my engine/probably not so much but life.

 

But hey it worked, haha good work.

I would have pulled it off but mainly for the fact that it would be bloody hard to do a clean job of it.

 

Also, if you had some argon or a similar inert gas, you could have purged the motor to avoid potential fire issues,

We've blown up petrol fumes in the engine with an oxy torch in the past, the carbs had been flooding fuel down past the rings and we were bending a crankcase vent pipe with the gasaxe. All that happened was a large bang and the splash panel in the tappet cover was bent slightly as that is where most the oxygen was. Oil is very non-explosive in comparison.

 

You could've cleaned it, slapped some tape over it and tried it, and if that worked you just put epoxy over the tape.

 

Its the running over a driveshaft at speed that worries me!! Why wasn't that on a truck? A big red truck perhaps? A guy in NZ was beheaded by a truck UJ that came off and jumped through the windscreen...

I wouldn't have done it either, glad you survived though! I'm not sure it actually proves anything to anyone else reading, I still wouldn't "try it at home" :)

its not much effort to take the sump off either..

 

but now the problem is that there might be weld offs (the little bits that fly off when welding..)inside the sump and it might cause some issues if not already..

 

glad it all went well with no explosions..

Unless it was an emergency, why the hell would you? Spatter in your sump, porosity all through your welds, just dodgey in general, not hard to rip the sump off and do a proper clean job.

 

And who the hell calls spatter (not "splatter", that really annoys me) weld offs? Never heard a kent say "weld offs".

Edited September 19, 201214 yr by ae824ate

you have now kent. now go R Y B

obviously oil is needed in the engine to run it in order to work out whether damage has occurred or not. with big hole in the sump, this is a problem. it is a bit of bother to remove the sump, repair and refit it, considering that a new sump is on the way. so.....

As much as the method goes against everything i know that is right about welding.

 

I LOVE the backyard approach, and i would probably have a go at it myself:P

You could have used some Liquid Metal (epoxy), used correctly it would have worked a lot better.

love your work. I don't see a problem, and would do it myself without a doubt.