Anyone here a qualified oil pan surgeon???

I need to have my oil pan modified for increased ch***is clearance...but I don't want it modified with a sledgehammer, log or truck tire (attatched to a truck!)...I would prefer a nice cut & weld job!

Naturally, the engine doesn't leak oil now... and I don't want it to after the pan is reworked, either!!

It would be a nice bonus to locate someone in the Detroit-Metro area who can do the job, but I'm not above sending the pan out-of-state if need be.

Anyone here do this sort of thing???

 

Steel or aluminum pan? what motor?

I'll do it if ya know what and where to cut.

Leaks and fingerprints are free of charge!!!

Would be nice to work on one that didn't have things try to escape thru it!!!

 

It's a stock steel pan for a 390 Ford. A typical front sump style like the one pictured below.

I need the area indicated by the black lines "flattened" to give me more room for the streering rack.

 

that looks real easy.

 

Probably even easier than it looks in that picture! My pan isn't EXACTLY like the one pictured, but real close. I think mine would be even simpler to modify as needed, actually...but I'm no welder!

Doesn't have to be SUPER pretty...but I don't want it to leak, either!!

 

Bolt it to an old block or a piece of steel plate , make sure the intended modification to the pan will allow the crank/rods room. Cut it and bend up a patch to fit out of 18 gauge and weld it in. After welding fill pan with oil/etc. to a level above weld if it leaks mark spot and reweld.
Remember,check twice cut once.
I plan to do something like this to a Nailhead, move the sump to the rear, in the near future.

 

Hey boss. Make sure that modification's not gonna get in the way of those connecting rods

 

If you can find a way to get it to Bay City I'd be glad to fix it up for you. Just putting it out there in case you don't find anyone local.
No matter who does it I find it makes a better job if you have a block to bolt it to while doing the welding. If not ,clamping it to a thick plate will do.

Frank

 

Ha Ha...it shouldn't, but I will check that out for certain tomorrow morning when I pull the pan off! The FE motors are a "Y" block design, so I think the rods tuck up into the block for the most part. I'll turn the motor over and see how it looks, though.

 

Wow! You had a couple of responces while I was typing. Glad to see there are others here who have experience doing this. Welding on a pan that's not tied down usually results in a leaker.
Also the advice about making sure you have enough clearance for the crank and rods is critical. Why modify it only tobeat it to death with a hammer to make it clear.

Frank

 

Ha Ha...yeah...that WOULD sorta defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?!

(Sorta like jumping off a tall building only to climb back up the fire escape because you forgot your parachute the first time! )

 

I have a 360 fe on the stand. It has a clean front sump pan on it. I also have a made China front sump chrome pan in the shop. It is not a big deal to mod an oil pan on the car. It is nice to have the car on a lift. Welding a pan on an engine stand is real nice too.

 

Years ago I had a steel oil pan with a crack in it at the bottom. I worked at a sign shop at the time and never touched a welder before. I showed the pan to the welder there and he was telling me he doubted it could be welded because the metal becomes so "oil soaked" that it would be very difficult. He talked about I'd have to have it boiled and even then he wasn't confident.

Knowing what I do now, I find this a lot harder to believe. I would think heating it with a torch for a while to clean the surface before trying to weld it would be sufficient.

Any truth to what the guy was telling me? I wouldn't hes***ate for a second to do it now days. Worst I could have is another leak.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42320

I've done it, and it worked out real well. I would only trust a TIG for sheet metal welds that are liquid tight. I suppose for thicker steel you could lay into it with a MIG, gas shielded, not flux-core. It does depend on whose hands it's in though.

I wish I could help you out on this. Since I've done it I've lost my access to the TIG at my former school's machine shop. I may be getting it back soon though. If you're still looking for someone to do the job, shoot me a PM sometime next week when I can find out more.

 

Though there may be some truth, it was a non-issue when I TIGed my pan together. Just as with any oily surface, I cleaned it with laquer thinner prior to welding and had no problems.

For something delicate like this, I recommend using a TIG with a foot pedal or other means of stopping the arc without removing the flow of Argon. I turned the postflow to about 5 seconds on the Synchowave 250 to prevent the weld from bubbling up at the end and creating a leak.

 

"that looks real easy."

Translation: It isn't actually impossible.

 

I put a small block on a 425 front wheel drive ****** several years back, had to graft the bottom of an Olds pan onto the top half of a chevy pan. Welded it all with a torch. I was pleasantly surprised when it didnt leak.

 

I've MIGed them but would caution against it - too much risk for spatter causing a problem. TIG or GAS is the way to go with TIG preferred IMHO. So whomever you decide on doing it - do yourself a favor and have them TIG it.

 

Buy a new oil pan and send me yours to make you a bbq grill out of. I am ***uming this isn't the modification you are looking for though.

 

Joe did an excellent job with his. He even used part of a Y-block pan on his mopar pan. Even though we all bet him it would leak and he'd blow his motor, he blew the motor for other reasons. I'll give Joe an A+, though I'd never trust him with a scalpel.

 

I have a 110V mig welder you can use if you wanna try it yourself, G.

Not like it's getting any use here.

Jay

 

Ha Ha Ha...THAT would truly be a disaster in the making, wouldn't it?!

 

As long as I don't do the welding, no.

Jay

 

Ha Ha...uhhh...you've never seen me handle torches and stuff, have you???

(of course not...your house is still standing!!!)

 

I oxy-acetylene welded my deep-sump pan for my BB MoPar in one of my cars... doesn't leak a bit. Just tack it in several spots and then fill in between the tacks.

 

Those of you that can not weld an oil pan without leaking with a mig need to do a lot more practice. As long as it has the oil drained out and has been properly cleaned there is no reason it shouldn't work. I won't try to do one still on a motor again though. Gene

 

It'll be TIG,, I have no MIG.

Guess that lets the cat outa the bag on who's performng the surgery.

Any interest on a tech???

 

Heck yeah! Personally, I'd like to see it done with a MIG, but beggars can't be choosers.

 

does emergency surgery count?






haha shook the car like a god damn 50 cal machine gun. but at least we could move it around.

 

That kinda looks like what I'm used to repairing. Only they are usually aluminum, saturated with oil, windage trays and trap doors. No access to the back side unless you cut more holes in it!