welding to the oil pan
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welding to the oil pan i'm putting together a turbo 4.3l v6 for my 94 s10 2wd using syclone parts. i am nearly to the point where i need to weld an oil return bung to my steel oil pan. normally i would just pull the pan and tig the bung on there, or tap it if it were cast, but the oil pan cannot be removed without pulling the motor and it seems to thin to tap. my hope is to get under the truck and weld it on with the pan still installed and save myself from having to pull the motor. i have asked a few people about this, some say its ok, some say its not, no one can say for sure. i am looking to get lots of feedback before i go try this and light my truck on fire.
is it safe to weld to the oil pan while its still in the truck?
is it safe to weld to the oil pan while its still in the truck?
yes drain the oil and it should be fine
oil has an ignition point of around 500* (depending on the oil)
when you weld the metal will get above 2500*
so yes it will burn, but oil does not burn like gasoline or diesel fuel.
oil has an ignition point of around 500* (depending on the oil)
when you weld the metal will get above 2500*
so yes it will burn, but oil does not burn like gasoline or diesel fuel.
I almost think it would be smarter to weld it with the oil still in the pan. My reasoning is that the oil would disappate the heat inside the pan, whereas if you drained it, whatever oil that still remained would now be a thin layer and easier to ignite. Of course if you blow through with the weld you'd have a mess on your hands...
Just my thoughts...
Just my thoughts...
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thank you both for the input. hydro, i was thinking the same thing. another thought, wouldnt it need oxygen for it to ignite and burn? since the inside of the engine doesnt have a steady outside air source, maybe it wouldnt even ignite, maybe just cook the oil a little
just kicking around thoughts
Jesse
just kicking around thoughts
Jesse
the only worry I'd have is the scale that will form on the inside of the weld and any sparks that made it in the pan would leave small chunks of metal for the oil pump. if that dont bother you, drain the oil and weld it. to get the oxygen out of the crankcase purge it with CO2 mix before you make sparks fly.
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Thread Starter
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thanks for the feedback guys. i have been told that i shouldnt have a problem using a punch and a 1/2'' tap and thread a male fitting in there. the punch dents the metal to creat more area for the threads i guess. i may give that a shot first and resort to welding if it leaks
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thanks for the feedback guys. i have been told that i shouldnt have a problem using a punch and a 1/2'' tap and thread a male fitting in there. the punch dents the metal to creat more area for the threads i guess. i may give that a shot first and resort to welding if it leaks
On another note....that is going to be a FUN ride when it's all done
I gas brazed a bung to the bottom of a steel Ford
(Lincoln) pan after the quickie-lube clowns stripped
the internal threads. I don't trust my sheet metal
welding (lack of) skills.
(Lincoln) pan after the quickie-lube clowns stripped
the internal threads. I don't trust my sheet metal
welding (lack of) skills.
Another idea, I did on my turboed 2.8 S-10 was I made a fitting that I could drill a hole in the pan and use a couple of sheet medal screw and some silicone to hold it on. Here is a pic. I put 10k miles on it and it never leaked.
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kb i may try that if the punch and tap doesnt work
thanks that was what i needed to hear. since that seems to be a tried and true method, it looks like i will go that route
yes it should be quite fun. i am shooting for around 300 hp, should be fun on a truck that weighs around 3000 lbs. i am considering posting a thread on here documenting my progress and to seek any help. its got a custom MPFI fuel injection and should take a while to tune. there is a wealth of knowledge on this forum
but who wants to here about some dinky turbo v6??
lol
edit: do you have a link to the vortec instructions on how to do that? or can you walk me through it? i'm wondering if i will have to drill a pilot hole then punch it through or just punch it in?
Originally Posted by RICE ETR
This is what i did when i had my vortech on my mustang as per their instructions. This has been and is still done for everyone of their kits with a steel pan... i think you should be alright.
On another note....that is going to be a FUN ride when it's all done
On another note....that is going to be a FUN ride when it's all done
thanks that was what i needed to hear. since that seems to be a tried and true method, it looks like i will go that route
yes it should be quite fun. i am shooting for around 300 hp, should be fun on a truck that weighs around 3000 lbs. i am considering posting a thread on here documenting my progress and to seek any help. its got a custom MPFI fuel injection and should take a while to tune. there is a wealth of knowledge on this forum
but who wants to here about some dinky turbo v6??
loledit: do you have a link to the vortec instructions on how to do that? or can you walk me through it? i'm wondering if i will have to drill a pilot hole then punch it through or just punch it in?
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From: Norn Iron
Originally Posted by kbracing96
Another idea, I did on my turboed 2.8 S-10 was I made a fitting that I could drill a hole in the pan and use a couple of sheet medal screw and some silicone to hold it on. Here is a pic. I put 10k miles on it and it never leaked.
Generally the return line should be above the level of oil in the pan, so oil cannot back up in the turbocharger.
I'd drain and try and clean the pan as much as possible inside where you intend to weld.
Ive only tried to weld a pan once while it was on the car, and that was from damge underneath. I made a mess, as oil kept contanimating things.
Then again, my welding is pretty crap too.
Originally Posted by stevieturbo
Surprised you got away with the drain being installed so low in the pan.
Generally the return line should be above the level of oil in the pan, so oil cannot back up in the turbocharger.
Generally the return line should be above the level of oil in the pan, so oil cannot back up in the turbocharger.
See the damper. 