ASK RAY
AMERICAN INGENUITY
Q: About 25 years ago, my neighbor had a mucked-up engine and oil light problem on an old police cruiser his brother had bought at auction. He changed the oil many times to no avail and asked me what I would do.
I advised him to remove the pan, clean it out, and then install a new oil pump for good measure. He said that appeared to be the only answer.
When I came home the next afternoon, I found him under the car, with a three-sided rectangular flap cut in the side and bottom of the oil pan. He’d bent the metal down, cleaned it all out, and pushed the piece back in place. Then, he welded the flap in its original position, ground it down, and painted it Ford Blue. He had been a welder for many years and it never leaked; better still, the oil light stayed off after repair.
The moral of story is there is always someone with a different way to fix the same thing.
John Hitch Via email
A: I personally have never done that, but there is much to be said for it, especially if the car is old and you are a proficient welder. A friend of mine has done the same thing many
