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Cummins Oil Pan Leak

Yahoo Message Number: 22271
Some how I severely scuffed the bottom of the Cummins engine oil pan. There are three gouges about two inches long on the small flat area just under and behind the drain plug. The deepest part is about 1/16".
Oil is seeping out of the gouges at a rate of about a teaspoon a day, enough to leave a 6" spot on the asphalt after parking for three days. The sides of the pan are all dry and the oil plug looks OK; the only seepage seems to be at the bottom gouges.
Everything else under the coach appears dry.
We are traveling on the West Coast, 2000 miles from home and need some advise on what to do.

Obviously this needs to be addressed. However, if I keep checking the oil level and the seeping does not get worse, is a catastrophic failure imminent? Will a fix require a new oil pan, or can it be patched? (On or off the engine?) What is the estimated cost to repair or replace?

Any experience or insight concerning such a problem would be greatly appreciated

George Board

'03 Allure #30871

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22272
I have sucessfully patched a ruptured pan on a gas vehicle with good old J B Weld available from most any automotive store. I would spray the area that needs to be repaired with rubbing alcohol, wipe with clean cloth as it evaporates and then apply the JB Weld. You will mix equal portions of two tubes of JB Weld together. I always care JB Weld in my tool box. A chemical reaction takes place and the result is rock hard and sticks to almost anything. I usually do the mix on the top of a 303 can out of the pantry. Or a piece of plexiglass or glass will work.
This repair will get you home then you can address how to proceed....either replace the pan or leave the JB Weld in place on the existing pan. With that little of a leak, you are in no danger of an engine failure.

Dexter

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22273
Same thing happened to my Cat C-12 coming off the service lot onto the street at the factory in JC. Whether I did it or the CC driver did it nobody knows, but I drove it all the way to Kelso, WA before my wife spotted the oil leak. Fortunately for us, there was a caterpillar equipment co. nearby. They drained the oil, took the pan off, steam cleaned it, and took it next door where there was an aluminum welder. I think the welder charged me $25. I was so relieved, I had them change all the filters and oil while I was there. Call your Cummins dealers. They've seen this before.
Good Luck, Claude
97 Affinity #5448

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22274
Not sure what engine pan you have. Some of the Cummins have a composite pan and not metal. Wether metal or composite, what you are seeing is actually a crack or fracture of the material. On a composite pan, the JB weld my not adhere. Getting the surface clean enough and long enough is going to be a problem in trying to use any adhesive/sealant material. If the leak is as small as you say, I would leave it alone and check it and your oil level a couple times a day. Get it checked and repaired/replaced as soon as practical.
I do not think you are going to have a catastrophic failure that is imminent unless you hit something. Your call.

If the pan is metal it can be removed and welded. You may have to fine a shop willing to do that. A shop like Cummins will want to replace new. If it is a composite pan, it will need to be replaced.

Jim Hughes

2000 Allure #30511

Quote from: gwboard2000
Some how I severely scuffed the bottom of the Cummins engine oil
pan. There are

Quote
three gouges about two inches long on the small flat area just
under and behind the

Quote
drain plug. The deepest part is about 1/16".

Oil is seeping out of the gouges at a rate of about a teaspoon a
day, enough to leave

Quote
a 6" spot on the asphalt after parking for three days. The sides
of the pan are all dry

Quote
and the oil plug looks OK; the only seepage seems to be at the
bottom gouges.

Quote
Everything else under the coach appears dry.

We are traveling on the West Coast, 2000 miles from home and need
some advise on

Quote
what to do.

Obviously this needs to be addressed. However, if I keep checking
the oil level and

Quote
the seeping does not get worse, is a catastrophic failure
imminent? Will a fix require

Quote
a new oil pan, or can it be patched? (On or off the engine?)
What is the estimated

Quote
cost to repair or replace? >

Any experience or insight concerning such a problem would be
greatly appreciated

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22276
Hello George; Been there and done that! It cost me $1200 out of my pocket to have the repairs done at a Cummins dealer. My suggestion to you is to have the pan replaced AND also have the CC skid plate installed to prevent this from happening in the future. Call CC and ask them about the skid plate. If you repair the damaged pan and the repair fails at any time in the future and you damage the engine because of low oil, your warranty is voided. If you have a new pan installed, your engine warranty is protected.

Regards,
Bob

Note: the pan on the Cummins is made of fiberglass, while the pan on the Cat is made from aluminum.

Quote from: gwboard2000
Some how I severely scuffed the bottom of the Cummins engine oil
pan. There are

Quote
three gouges about two inches long on the small flat area just
under and behind the

Quote
drain plug. The deepest part is about 1/16".

Oil is seeping out of the gouges at a rate of about a teaspoon a
day, enough to leave

Quote
a 6" spot on the asphalt after parking for three days. The sides
of the pan are all dry

Quote
and the oil plug looks OK; the only seepage seems to be at the
bottom gouges.

Quote
Everything else under the coach appears dry.

We are traveling on the West Coast, 2000 miles from home and need
some advise on

Quote
what to do.

Obviously this needs to be addressed. However, if I keep checking
the oil level and

Quote
the seeping does not get worse, is a catastrophic failure
imminent? Will a fix require

Quote
a new oil pan, or can it be patched? (On or off the engine?)
What is the estimated

Quote
cost to repair or replace? >

Any experience or insight concerning such a problem would be
greatly appreciated

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22277
George, quite a few of us have had the unfortunate experience you describe.. Would you believe the oil pan is plastic ( they call it composition )? You have obviously cracked it and it will have to be replaced. I would think the sooner the better as plastic aleady cracked could break loose and cause a catastrophic loss of oil. My replacement was about $ 780, but I heard of others around $ 1,000. Some of us who had this experience fairly early in our ownership were fortunate enough to get a skidplate from CC at no charge, but I doubt that can still be obtained. However, nothing ventured nothing gained. Having the skidplate certainly gives some measure of comfort.

Good luck.

Walt Rothermel

03Allure30811 ( for sale )

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22279
The 2003 had two engine options. The ISC was standard and could have a metal pan. The ISL was optional that year and is likely to have the deeper composite oil pan.

Jim Hughes

2000 Allure #30511

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22321
Thanks for the advise. I am scheduling replacement of the oil pan at a Cummins dealer and will post the results.

George Board
Allure #30871

Quote from: gwboard2000

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak (skid plate?)

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22327
Does anyone have the part number for this skid plate? The CC parts person I talked to was not familiar with this part, but is researching it. Thanks.

Larry, 2003 Allure #30856 W/ISL

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak (skid plate?)

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22329
If the parts dept doesn't help you, get ahold of Doug Rutherford.

Walt Rothermel

03Allure30811 ( for sale )

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak (skid plate?)

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22340
"Larry Feather",

Any chance the parts guy who was not familiar with the skid plate & is researching it is named Jamie? I called him for over two weeks for common maintenance parts while he researched them because he was unfamiliar with them. I finally called again & spoke to Ken. I told him what was occurring. He called me back in about an hour & said he got them together and was shipping by UPS. This is the first time I had received unsatisfactory service from CC parts.

Steve

Intrigue #10673

Re: Cummins Oil Pan Leak (skid plate?)

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 22341
No, it was Barbra who in the past has provided me pretty good service. Haven't heard from her yet, but may call back today. Thanks.

Larry 2003 Allure #30856

Quote from: rheavn
"Larry Feather",

Any chance the parts guy who was not familiar with the skid

plate

Quote
& is researching it is named Jamie? I called him for over two weeks > for common maintenance parts while he researched them because he was > unfamiliar with them. I finally called again & spoke to Ken. I

told

Quote
him what was occurring. He called me back in about an hour & said

he

Quote
got them together and was shipping by UPS. This is the first time I > had received unsatisfactory service from CC parts.

Steve

Intrigue #10673
>

> Does anyone have the part number for this skid plate? The CC

parts

Quote
person I talked to was not familiar with this part, but is > > researching it. Thanks.
>

> Larry, 2003 Allure #30856 W/ISL > >
>
>
>
>

Quote from: Spiker1029@
> >

> > George, quite a few of us have had the unfortunate experience

you

Quote
describe..

> > Would you believe the oil pan is plastic ( they call it > > composition )? You

> > have obviously cracked it and it will have to be replaced. I

would

Quote
think the

> > sooner the better as plastic aleady cracked could break loose

and

Quote
cause a

> > catastrophic loss of oil. My replacement was about $ 780, but

I

Quote
heard of others

> > around $ 1,000. Some of us who had this experience fairly

early in

Quote
our

> > ownership were fortunate enough to get a skidplate from CC at

no