DZ - a related story -
I was out in the wilderness, but didn't realize that I had "need" to clear the crossmember. But a ROCK made sure that it cleared the crossmember. Unfortunately, it wasn't so cautious. It punched a hole in the pan.
Now for the punchline (so to speak) - for whatever reason, I had a couple of quarts of oil, a screwdriver, a pencil, and some rubber tire patches (I worked in a "FULL" service station, where I wrenched a lot, and did lots of tire repairs).
I couldn't get the hole plugged with the pencil (normally a good plan), so I stuck several of the tire patches (I had several sizes) over the hole in the pan. I took the screwdriver shaft and made sure that they were making good contact. I then added the oil, and drove back to town, almost 50 miles.
I drove it to the shop, and put it on the rack. The rubber patches had vulcanized to the pan, and it was leak proof.
I drove it another 50,000 miles this way, before selling the car with the patch still on it!
I always wondered if a future owner wondered what the rubber thingy was on the oil pan, and removed it >grin<.
>>>Rod<<<