Punched the engine pan: what to do in this case
It's no secret, that the condition of roads in the CIS leaves much to be desired. We are talking about the asphalt pavement itself, which has numerous deep potholes and pits, as well as open hatches, curb, curbs with sharp edges, stones, protruding metal rods, etc..
Hundreds of motorists face such obstacles on the roads every day. With, usually, suffer not only bumpers and decorative plastic elements in the lower part of the body, but also the bottom of the car, as well as the engine. Next we'll talk about that, what can happen, if the driver punched the engine pan, what to do in such a situation and how to fix the problem.
How to avoid damage to the engine in the event of a crankcase failure
Let's start with that, that the above damages threaten not only cars, but also vehicles with increased ground clearance (city crossovers and SUVs).
At the same time, one of the most serious problems, along with crumpled sills or various problems with the chassis, can be considered the situation, when for one reason or another was a punctured crankcase.
It is important to understand, that this fault can lead in seconds, that the car's engine will fail, and to restore it will require expensive repairs or even a complete replacement of the engine with a contract motor.
First of all, need to be considered, that it is strictly forbidden to continue driving on a car with a punctured pallet. The point is, that the pallet on most cars is a kind of tank for engine oil (an exception can be considered a system with a dry sump).
From a pallet of oil pumps of system of greasing carries out a constant fence of lubricant, then supplies engine oil under pressure to the loaded friction elements and components inside the power unit.
Quite obviously, that the engine oil will simply leak out even through a small crack in the pan, and without the right amount of oil, the oil pressure will drop, oil starvation will begin, as a result, the engine will be prone to more wear. If the flow is strong, then the power unit can jam completely in just a few minutes.
Given the above, the following recommendations should be followed:
- In that case, if during the movement there was a collision with any obstacle or the driver felt a blow in the area of the front axle of the car, then the load should be removed from the engine as soon as possible (release the gas, reduce speed, reduce engine speed to a minimum, stop the car and shut down the engine).
- Then open the hood and carefully inspect the car engine from above and below. When inspecting the upper part, check the integrity of the engine cushions and their mountings, inspect the internal combustion engine for fresh stains in the location of gaskets, etc.. As for the bottom, it is highly desirable to find that place, which was directly hit.
As already mentioned, most cars have a "wet" crankcase, in which there is oil. The pallet is conventionally the lowest point of the motor. The specified pallet must be carefully inspected for cracks, strong dents, fresh chips, etc.. If there is no oil leak, then you just have to remember, where is the place of impact.
Then (only in the absence of strong and large dents on the pallet) the engine can be started, then you need to evaluate the operation of the power unit for extraneous noise, knocks, etc.. You also need to keep track, so that the emergency oil pressure light does not burn on the instrument panel. If all is well, you can continue the movement on your own.
In the future, the service station still need to visit, showing the experts that area, on which the blow fell. The point is, that this place may need to be further strengthened, as next time even a small blow on the pallet will be able to lead to the formation of a large split, etc..
so, if a strong dent is visible, but no leak, or a crack was found on the oil pan, through which the engine oil flows with varying degrees of intensity, then you cannot start the engine. In this case it is necessary to change or repair the punctured crankcase of the engine.
Crankcase oil pan repair: what you need to know
Let's start with that, that many owners are trying to close the hole on their own. Some are also trying to solve the problem on the spot, to be able to get to the service station on their own. For these purposes (depending on the degree of damage) sealants can be used, liquid welding, ordinary quarrel, metal rivets or even wooden plugs.
Let's note at once, that the pallet should not be repaired by the most similar artisanal methods, as the pressure in the crankcase will quickly squeeze the homemade plug, etc.. The only exception is the situation, when in fact only a microcrack was formed in the pallet from the impact, through which the oil leak is visible, but at the same time quite predictable and occur with low intensity in different modes of operation of the motor (the oil flows slowly, the flow itself is insignificant.)
In this case, you can try to use any suitable external sealant (it is not necessary to fill in warehouses like "stop-flow" directly in engine oil), then add oil almost to the maximum for the probe and move the car on its own.
When driving, you should avoid even medium loads on the engine and increase the crankshaft speed more than on 25% of the total available number on the tachometer (the higher the speed, the greater the pressure in the lubrication system, which increases the likelihood of increased leakage).
At the same time in the process of such a ride you need to carefully monitor the oil pressure light, as well as stopping over short distances, check the oil level in the engine and re-inspect the damaged part of the pan. It should also be understood, that this method of delivery of the car to the service on its own involves travel only for relatively short distances.
It becomes clear, that it is optimal to deliver the car by tow truck or tow. In the second case it is necessary to follow all the rules of towing the vehicle, depending on the type of installed checkpoint (mechanical box, automatic, robotic, variator box, etc.). Remember, Improper towing is a common cause of serious injuries, and as the gearbox itself, and the engine.
After, as the car was delivered to service, you can immediately replace the part, however, you should be prepared for certain financial costs. Moreover, on some engines the cost of the pallet and the price of services for its replacement can be quite high, as to replace the part you need to perform a considerable amount of complex work.
We also recommend reading the article about it, how to choose motor protection. In this article, you will learn about the different types of crankcase protections, as well as their features, which must be taken into account when selecting for a car.
For this reason, many go the other way and prefer to repair the crankcase pan in one of the available ways, which will be offered by experts. Each method is selected individually, depending on the material, from which the crankcase pallet is made (steel or aluminum). The extent and nature of the damage are also taken into account, risk of further increase in cracks, etc..
Usually the repair of steel pallets is performed by welding, also pallets are sealed with a special sealant, cold welding is used, fiberglass, etc.. If the part is made ??of aluminum, argon welding is required for repair.
Quite obviously, that one of the most reliable and proven ways is to brew a crankcase pan. At the same time the pallet needs to be removed from the engine, as use of welding without removal directly on the internal combustion engine is strictly forbidden. The point is, that high temperatures can damage other elements and parts inside the unit.
Let's summarize
As you can see, damage to the crankcase is a serious malfunction. Repairing such a breakdown also has some difficulties and can be very costly. For this reason, it is strongly recommended to install additional crankcase protection immediately.
At the same time staffing decisions, which can be installed on the car, made of plastic and are more protection against dirt and moisture, than from blows. This means, that motor protection must be purchased separately, preferring the strongest metal products.
We will add, that when choosing motor protection must also be taken into account, that the hood space becomes more airtight and closed from outside air. This can cause problems with the cooling of the power unit, especially when the car is idle for a long time in traffic jams with the engine running.
We also recommend reading the article about it, What shall I do, if the engine block has cracked or the cylinder head has cracked. In this article you will learn about ways to repair such damage.
For this reason, it is desirable to buy only certified products, which are specially designed by the manufacturer for a particular car and its features (mounting points, oil drain hole, etc.), rather than more affordable universal solutions.
Finally, note, that even after installing the motor protection should still not rely entirely on this solution. The point is, that protection in some cases allows to avoid effectively damage of the pallet. However, when hitting deep pits or hitting curbs and rocks at high speeds, the risks, that the crankcase pallet is punctured through the protection, still present.
In simple words, even a steel sheet of protection is able to bend or break through from a serious blow (example, fittings). This means, what if there was a collision with an obstacle, at the same time there is protection, the engine still needs to be shut down and inspected immediately. Only detected in time ??the problem avoids engine overheating, oil starvation or jamming as a result of oil leakage.
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