I know that the plug on my 318 oil pan is leaking, and looks to have been replaced with a oversized one. It is still leaking. The way I see it I have 2 options, New oil pan, don't like this idea, weld in new plug I like this idea, but where to get a new plug and insert. Anyone else got a good fix for this?
A friend of ours welded a small crack in his oil pan after draining the oil over night. The remaining oil flash fired and blew the valve covers clean off the engine pulling the valve cover bolts right out of the aluminum heads! Don't weld the pan while still on the engine....... Joe
Did they drill and tap for OS plug? What about an external nylon washer rather than br***? When I worked at a Ford dealer we often repaired damaged oil pans in the body shop by draining and brazing a bolt / plate to it and then pulling it into shape. The br*** was then heated and plate removed. Br*** was then dressed (grinder) and pan painted. If it is leaking around oil pan plug, br*** could be sweated in around pan edge, be careful not to introduce it into threads?
We used to weld a 1/2in. fine thread nut to the pan. If I remember correctly the original drain plug screwed right in. Like Joe said, pull the pan off first.
My pan leaks at the drain nut as well. I have a new copper washer on it but I am afraid to tighten it too much out of fear of stripping the threads in the process of crushing the copper washer. How much torque can I put on a 1950 flathead oil pan drain plug?
Welded lots of pans on the car.. Disconnect the battery. .... Drain oil... Remove oil cap.. Flush oil residue from pan.. Weld away !!
Make a washer that will take an "O" ring pressing against the pan boss and the plug, use the same plug if the threads are decent.
I had the same problem. Dripping and stuck solid plug. Somebody tried to stop the dripping by overtightening the plug I guess. Here's what I did: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/fuel-pump.969363/page-2 Remove the pan, take the chance to clean throughly, dont forget the screen on the oil pump. Take the pan to a machinist. and have it re-threaded. New plug and copper washer. On re***embly I used a 3mm cork/rubber home cut gasket and a thin layer of sealant only on the outter rim of the pan rail and gasket. Dont forget to straighten the pan's rails with hammer or wood mallet and dolly. This is crucial for a good seal and do not overtighten the bolts holding the pan. Do it gradually from center to top and bottom ends. Leave room for a later snug if you get a leak at these spots. Hope you fix it. Regards
use the nylon or fibre style washers they make for them, the nylon ones are available in the help line at the box stores and some real autoparts stores , the fibre ones you make from thin leather . as for oversize bolts and replacement stuff , go to the Hardware store and find a 1/2 fine thread bolt and nut in grade 5 or grade 2 . or take the botched nut and find the tap 2 sizes up in fine thread and retap it ( coat the tap with grease to help pull some of the swarf out ) , when we do this we save the old oil from the pan and pour it back thru after the tapping to clear the swarf out of the pan and when you tighten the lug back down use a a short wrench as you do not need to strip it out and back off a half turn when it gets tightened it only needs 15 ft lbs of torque
Don't know if they are still available, last I bought was @ a Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts years ago, but I got by for lotta years on an OT DD '79 Mustang that I drove 75-100 miles a day. It was a push in, insert a pusher tool into middle and push on in all the way rubber plug, that you inserted into center and tool pushed in to stretch the plug inward and release to allow it to expand inside the pan. To remove, insert the push tool, and when pushed all the way in and turned slipped into a notch internally, holding the insert stretched and shrunk the OD, then you pulled it out as an ***embly Sounds crude, but I put about 150-200 K miles on it that way. That Mustang 302 had a deep section at each end of the pan, requiring pulling engine to get oil pan off. Never did do anything else to it before I wrecked it and s****ped. IIRC, the "HELP" display is where I found it. This could get you y till you need to pull pan for other reasons.
The good news is, is that the pan is off already, I just know I have to fix it. I have never even thought of just welding a new nut on the back. When I think about it I was going to see what Champ Pans had, and I figured I would have to buy a $30 plate with a nut on the back, shiiitttt I am going to weld a nut on. I should have this job done before a full beer falls. Thanks again everyone, should have thought of this one myself.
OK, thats good on ya, but do remember to straighten the pan rail before ***embly and follow the tightening sequence and easy torque, otherwise you might have a leak.
Put on a new washer boom done for 50 cents. If the thread is stripped use an oversize plug or a special rubber plug made for stripped holes.
Mine just went WOOSH! out the drain hole but it still scared the **** out of me lying on my back under the car.
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