Welding Oil Pan
02-17-2006, 09:16 PM
#21
I had my truck pan cut and shut by an aluminium engineer, he didnt like the job as the pan is sand cast and its hard to weld, not impossible but not the easiest job.
I took off about 1.5 Litres capacity and still have around 6.5L before it touches the windage tray.
I took off about 1.5 Litres capacity and still have around 6.5L before it touches the windage tray.
02-18-2006, 12:11 AM
#22
Staging Lane
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Originally Posted by JustDreamin
2.) Weld porosity / inclusions. The aluminum casting tends to soak up some of the oil due to casting porosity. Which makes welding on a used pan difficult. Might be best to bake the pan at 400 or 500 degrees to burn off the oil and get the pan good and clean (I wouldn't do it in the oven in the kitchen, your brownies might never be the same). Do whatever you can to get clean material so that your welds have the best chance of holding oil.
02-19-2006, 01:36 PM
#24
Here's a link on welding aluminum that may be helpfull, especially to those with their own TIG welder. The part is a tranny case, but I'm sure the same would apply to an oil pan.
http://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11772
Ken
http://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11772
Ken
02-19-2006, 02:06 PM
#25
I cut my truck pan about 2" and cut a peice of 1/4 plate to weld in the opening. wiped it dry with 409 and TIG welded it with not a single problem. The design of the oil pan makes it structually strong enough not to warp. I did it on a bench and it didnt warp at all. Aluminum cools too fast. I had to turn the machine up some quite hot that way you pretty much burn out all the impuritys. Put one pass on, it will bring all the crap out to the top, sand it off, then put a cover pass on and it will look perfect.
I know that in my Nova the steering linkage runs right in front of the pan....damn close too. so a f-body pan would be out of the question in my case.
and that link about welding aluminum is wrong. for aluminum use pure tungsten not 2% thoriated.. and do not sharpen it. you want a nice flat tip to start and it will develope a shiny little ball at the end. If the tungsten gets cracked and flaky use a hammer and break off about 1/4" of the tip. I also wouldnt recomend anything smaller than 1/8 tungsten for aluminum. It tends to eat the tungsten slowly also, so even bigger tungsten for aluminum would be better.
I know that in my Nova the steering linkage runs right in front of the pan....damn close too. so a f-body pan would be out of the question in my case.
and that link about welding aluminum is wrong. for aluminum use pure tungsten not 2% thoriated.. and do not sharpen it. you want a nice flat tip to start and it will develope a shiny little ball at the end. If the tungsten gets cracked and flaky use a hammer and break off about 1/4" of the tip. I also wouldnt recomend anything smaller than 1/8 tungsten for aluminum. It tends to eat the tungsten slowly also, so even bigger tungsten for aluminum would be better.
Last edited by pwrtrip75; 02-19-2006 at 02:17 PM.
