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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ suby engine oil pan shortened

Posted by: scott thacher Feb 19 2005, 12:00 AM

okay short version of it:

i cut 2 inches out of the oil pan for more ground clearance, and added 2 boxes to make up for the capacity, sticking out of the front and rear of the oil pan.

i welded it all up, used a flood light to look for holes found 3 pin holes that way, welded the pin holes up. then did a water test and it leaked, well more like seeped, i could see the water spreading on the out side, not dripping jet wetting it. so i ground down the first area and brazed it. well i did this about to about 10 places, and some of them more than once ( brazed a larger area )

and still have the seepage problem, could i just por 15 the oil pan to seal the holes or should i keep brazing and looking. and if not por 15 is there anything else i could use.

i so far have used a 3 foot flux coated rod brazing this thing up, so now what

Posted by: Hydra Feb 19 2005, 04:41 AM

I think i've read somewhere that por 15 withstands temperatures of 600 degrees f.
so for an oil pan application i think you are on the safe side.

p.s: what subaru engine are you fitting?

Posted by: MecGen Feb 19 2005, 07:29 AM

Hey
I've been there, not with a Suby but...
You need to bolt it to the motor upside down, this helps with the distortion, I had to make temperary bracing inside to try to help expansion and contraction from the welding heat. I suspect its when it cools, that you develope stress cracks in the weld causing the seeping.
Grind down all you previous welds to a minnimum, and braze the whole deal again. Here we have rad shops that can dipp a pan with a high temp resin to seal it al up. You still need to make sure the pan is 100% before the dip, its not realy reliable on it own, resin cracks with time, looks nice.
Hope this helps, I'm waiting to see the final product
WBR
Joe

Posted by: skline Feb 19 2005, 07:41 AM

Well, it is going into a 914 and we all know, 914's leak oil eventually, its normal.

Posted by: Tom Perso Feb 19 2005, 07:57 AM

I welded a 1/8" NPT bung to my taco plate for a VDO oil temp sensor and it seeped as well. I took come JB weld and smeared it around the weld line - sealed it right up. Hasn't leaked since.

Might be a try... It worked for me.

Good Luck!
Tom

Posted by: rick 918-S Feb 19 2005, 08:15 AM

It may be too late but I wouldn't use brass on an oil pan. It tends to stress crack. IMHO Around a fitting maybe, but in long seams it's not the best application. I would use mild steel and gas weld it. Use mineral spirits to check for leaks. It will help clean things up and won't cause oxidation. You can pour it out and use a blow gun to dry things up fast. Take your time. The life of youe engine depends on it.

Posted by: rick 918-S Feb 19 2005, 08:20 AM

I bought a BMW 533I with a JB weld patch on the oil pan. I knew it was there and planned on changing the pan. A week later my wife came in to the shop and said something was wrong with the Bimmer and the oil level light was on. Ya, you guessed it.... Jb was gone along with the oil and the lower end! Take your time. If you can't get it. Bring it to a pro. You engine is too valuable.

Posted by: Type 4 Feb 19 2005, 09:51 AM

Scott,
John has built a few custom Subaru oil pans for buggy conversions.
How much did you shorten it?
They are a cast alloy piece I can see if they are the depth you need.

Posted by: dmenche914 Feb 19 2005, 11:46 AM

Flux filled welding rod is not the best for pin hole free welding, but it is possible. To locate the leaks, fill the pan with water, or better still, paint thinner, and let it seepfor a while, then dump the liquid, and wipe dry the exterior of the pan, then spinkle crushed chauk (athletic chauk for gymnists of rock climbers) or use baby powder, or other fine powder. Spinkle on the out side of the freshly wiped dried pan. The leaks will still have paintthinner in the nooks and crannies, and will be drawn out by the powder, and moisten it. You will be able to see the moist powder Wait a few minutes,a dn shake off the excess powder , where it got wet, it will stick, and that is the point of the leak(s)

There are points that are made ecspecially for inside engine blocks (used to smooth out the insides of cast iron blocks, so that the oil runs back to the pan faster) These paints should be heat, and oil proof enough to work for you. Check out the American hotrod stores for this.

Posted by: scott thacher Feb 19 2005, 09:34 PM

i did not use flux filled rod, i used 1/16 copper coated steel. i did manage to seal it up tonight. i used about 8 feet of flux coated brass rod, its welded for the strength, and brazed for leak proofing. i ground down every weld and the brazed over it. a few welds i could not get a grinder in to so i wire brushed em then brazed. there are about 6 to 8 feet of welding on the pan 3 pin holes is not bad, but quite a few more weeping spots. i did lose about a 1/2 quart of capacity, but that i can live with for 2 more inches of ground clearence on the oil pan.

and the motor is a 98 2.5 from a legacy