How to Braze a Steel Bobcat Oil Pan with SSF-6

Mike was visiting a local auto repair shop to provide technical training when one of the employees brought out a damaged steel oil pan as a brazing challenge. The pan had been removed from a Bobcat Front Loader and was punctured badly enough that replacement was being considered. With a new oil pan potentially costing $500, the damaged part was worth examining before it was sent to the scrap pile.

Mike repaired the puncture in a matter of minutes using a handheld propane torch and SSF-6 Silver Solder. Only a small amount of the 56% silver alloy was required for the thin-steel repair.

Why Braze the Steel Oil Pan Instead of Replacing It?

A localized hole does not necessarily mean the entire oil pan has reached the end of its useful life. In this case, the surrounding steel was still usable, and the damaged area could be brazed without replacing the complete part.

SSF-6 is well-suited to a repair where a small amount of filler needs to spread across the work area. On thin, tight-fitting metals, one inch of SSF-6 can flow as much as 18 inches. That flow characteristic also means there is little reason to pile excess alloy onto a small repair.

The Bobcat oil pan required only a propane torch. Metal thickness matters when choosing a heat source, however. Thin steel can often be brought to the approximately 1150°F working temperature of SSF-6 with propane, while larger or heavier steel sections may require a hotter torch setup.

Clean the Oil Pan Before Brazing

Mike thoroughly cleaned the oil pan and prepared the steel surrounding the puncture before applying heat. Removing contamination from the repair area gives the flux direct access to the steel and prepares the surface for the silver alloy that follows.

With the repair area ready, Mike began sweeping the propane flame around the steel in a circular pattern. He did not park the torch directly over the puncture. The goal was to bring a broader section of the thin oil pan up to brazing temperature rather than concentrating the flame on a single spot.

The circular torch movement seen in the video is an important part of this particular repair. Keeping the flame moving helps heat the surrounding area rather than concentrating the torch over the puncture.

Apply the SSF-6 Flux Before Adding the Silver Solder

SSF-6 carries its flux coating directly on the silver solder rod. As the oil pan heats, Mike uses the torch to melt some of that coating onto the repair area without depositing the silver alloy yet.

At this stage, he is applying only the flux. Giving the flux time to work on the heated steel allows it to cleanse and prepare the surface before the filler rod is introduced.

Mike continues moving the flame around the area until the steel begins to turn dull red. Muggy Weld uses the same dull-red steel cue in its steel tubing brazing instructions with SSF-6.

Flow Each Drop of SSF-6 Before Adding More

Once the steel reaches the required temperature, Mike introduces the silver solder rod and continues working the flame in a circular motion. Instead of depositing a large amount of filler at once, he adds SSF-6 in small quantities and allows each addition to spread across the steel.

That detail is worth keeping simple: Flow out each drop of rod before depositing more.

Adding another deposit before the previous one has flowed where it belongs can leave unnecessary filler sitting on the surface. For this puncture, Mike continues with small additions until the silver solder has flowed across and sealed the damaged area.

The same SSF-6 rod can be used for other steel brazing applications, but the amount of heat and the torch setup need to match the size and thickness of the part. The Bobcat oil pan is specifically an example of what can be accomplished on thin steel with a handheld propane torch.

A $500 Oil Pan That Nearly Went to the Scrap Pile

The repair solved more than a small hole in a piece of sheet steel. The shop had a usable Bobcat oil pan that might otherwise have been discarded because the employees did not realize the puncture could be repaired with a metal-to-metal brazed joint.

Instead of purchasing a replacement that could have cost approximately $500, Mike used a small quantity of SSF-6 and completed the repair in minutes. More importantly, the shop now had another option to consider the next time a thin-steel part arrived with a hole, cut, or split.

Before throwing away a damaged steel component, look at the location and extent of the damage and determine whether brazing is appropriate for the part. Muggy Weld’s steel brazing and soldering videos cover additional steel repairs using different parts, filler alloys and torch setups.

Disclaimers:

Please visit https://www.aws.org/Standards-and-Publications/Free-Resources/#YourResources before using our welding products, and adhere to all AWS welding safety guidelines.

Further product safety information is available at https://muggyweld.com/safety-guidelines

Muggy Weld LLC shall not be liable for any loss, injury, claim, liability, or damage of any kind resulting in any way from (a) your use of this Site, (b) any services or products obtained from this Site, (c) any errors in or omissions from this Site, (d) the unavailability or interruption of this Site or any features thereof, (e) any content contained on this Site.

SDS sheets available with purchase from MuggyWeld.com, upon request.

Updated 10/3/26