Rear ended have tech question for all you punks

[325iSforme]

So some fool in a hybrid forgot to brake and smashed into the back of me while i was stopped in traffic. Rear end damage = minor, so I exchange information and drive home. I stop to do one errand on the way home, and notice that my ride( 1987 325iS) is pouring oil out the bottom. Can't tell in the parking lot where its coming from so i drive home and get it on the jacks. Turns out there is a hairline crack along the back of the oil pan shaped an awful lot like the contours of the steering rack, which as you know is just behind the oil pan. My theory is: Toyota Echo slams the back of the car, rear bumper compresses, chassis slams forward carrying wheels, shocks, steering system(including above mentioned steering rack), etc. forward. The motor, since its only attached by the motor mounts(probably worn out/bent/loose), tries to stay in place as per newtons first law (mass not in motion wants to stay in place), and so the steering rack is able to close the 1/2 inch gap between itself and the oil pan, contact cracks the oil pan and so on. So my question to all of you is, what do you think? Has any one seen this happen before?

[AlarmedBread]

Yeah, you should have replaced the drivetrain movement limiter, it's a little L bracket with a rubber pad that bolts to the transmission bellhousing cover, and presses against the subframe to keep that kind of thing from happening.

Sorry about your misfortune, good luck with the fix.

[Jscotty]

Yes. I have seen the evidence of this. A parts car that I was considering buying was in the middle of a 3 car rear end collision. The guy got hit from behind and hit another car in front of him. The front end damage was minimal, however, the back was smashed all the way into the spare tire carrier. When I opened the hood, there was a circular cut in the radiator where the fan must have hit it. The engine itself was slightly skewed diagonally and the exhaust system was laying on the ground. Long story short, it looks like the entire power train and suspension took the impact of the collision and caused the whole car to flex.

I don't know if the guy sold the car yet or if he still has it but I am going to try to take some pics to show you what I mean.

[Funkmasta]

Ive not seen that happen before...

I do have an oil pan though ;)

no luck with the skirts?

[325iSforme]

Skirts

Well I spent a frantic hour at the u pull it yard getting two sets of them unscrewed and ready to pull off and then went to get a jack from the office so that i could lift the cars off the stands they're on(which happen to be pinning the skirts), but the people in the office said it's a liability and that the cars cannot be removed from the stands so i guess were SOL. I keep hoping i'll be in your area doing something else and be able to swing by but I'll just have to make a point of coming in one day this week.