where to tap oil pan

[randybunctious]

i have a -8 an elbow fitting and my engine is being rebuilt. where should i get the fitting welded in the oil pan? i know on the exaust side but where exactly? i need help!thanks

[LongIsland240]

I tapped mine- well rather welded on a pipe fitting to the upper portion of the sump- there are two creases in the side of the panand i put it pretty much centered between them, but you could move it a bit to either side i suppose to fit your application better.Anyways, i marked the pan on the car, then removed it and drilled the hole just under the bottom of the tray and welded it on (with 4 qts in the pan it still is above the oil level). I'll post pics of my project soon as it is nearing completion and ill include a pic of the pan.

[huguetpj]

Where will your turbo be located? Where will you route your oil return line? Throught the engine mount? To a side?

I welded up a nut where I though I would have my return... then I figured out it was way to much to the front. So I welded an elbow to the nut at an angle and still had issues with my 5/8" return line to clear the engine mount.

Just some things to take into consideration. I have some pics in my site.

[Jonny 290]

Let's just say theoretically that a guy doesn't have a welder or a friend he trusts enough with one, and he would want an oil return flange put in...doesn't want to pay the shop the $125 quoted though...and he lives in an apartment complex and will be doing his install in the back parking lot.

can the pan be just drilled and tapped? I've got an idea about supporting the engine with a hoist and dropping the pan, drilling, tapping, remounting in 30 minutes or so. will that work? will i have to remove the crossmember or any other stuff?

this is going to be the biggest pain in the butt of the whole install, i swear. grrr!

[huguetpj]

can the pan be just drilled and tapped? I've got an idea about supporting the engine with a hoist and dropping the pan, drilling, tapping, remounting in 30 minutes or so. will that work?

Some people use JB weld (name?) or such. Plus the oil pan is a pain to weld since it's some sucky metal. So it's a way of doing it.Quote » will i have to remove the crossmember or any other stuff? [/quote]You do have to lower your sway bar so you can slide the oil pan off. Although I would recommend removing it completely to remove the oil pan by lowering it. If you try and slide it, remember that it uses a RTV sealant gasket so it gets messy... trust me.Quote » this is going to be the biggest pain in the butt of the whole install, i swear. grrr! [/quote]

Yes :pface

[Jonny 290]

Thanks for the info

Can I do this job beforehand and just run the line up and cap it somehow, clipped to something? I wouldn't see where it would pose any problem while I'm still running n/a.

I wanna get oil pan, electronics, injectors, IC and piping done before I go in for my downpipe install, so i can drive away turbo.

[Nathan]

Good lord, they quoted you 125 dollars? That's a 10 dollar job, greedy a-holes.

[Jonny 290]

yeah, that was the auto shop job, where they stuck it on a lift and pulled the pan for me.

screw that. i can bust out the jack stands and get this done in an afternoon.

So, should I consider the drill/tap method (which i'm kinda sketchy about), or can I JB-Weld a flange on around the hole and leave it at that?

Sorry, just don't get to usually hash out these details, and none of my friends are into cars at all, let alone 240's

[huguetpj]

Thanks for the info

No probQuote »Can I do this job beforehand and just run the line up and cap it somehow, clipped to something? I wouldn't see where it would pose any problem while I'm still running n/a.[/quote]Sure u can. I had the nut welded when rebuilding my motor and runned NA for like 3 months. I just used a bolt to close it up with some teflon tape.Quote »I wanna get oil pan, electronics, injectors, IC and piping done before I go in for my downpipe install, so i can drive away turbo. [/quote]

Sounds like a plan... my plan... jeje

[huguetpj]

yeah, that was the auto shop job, where they stuck it on a lift and pulled the pan for me.

screw that. i can bust out the jack stands and get this done in an afternoon.

So, should I consider the drill/tap method (which i'm kinda sketchy about), or can I JB-Weld a flange on around the hole and leave it at that?

Sorry, just don't get to usually hash out these details, and none of my friends are into cars at all, let alone 240's

I welded the elbow at the muffler shop where I was having my downpipe, mani and cooler piping made so they kinda didn't charge me for that. That could be an idea.

Or get the car on jack stands, remove the oil pan and take it to some one who can weld well and not charge you that much

If you use JB weld, don't just use flange, but something like a hollow bolt and nut (so you can screw it to the oil pan) and just use the JB weld to make sure it doesn't leak.

[Jonny 290]

What about using a bulkhead adapter such as this one with some sealant on both sides?

http://store.summitracing.com/...83206

Seems like it should work for me. And it'd be a no-weld job that i would feel comfortable with.

[Nathan]

Ahhh, I was thinking of what the price should be if you just bring them the pan, flange and tell em' to weld her on. I'm going to try to get that done tomorrow...

[daniel240]

i drilled mine while it was still on the engine. after i drilled it i sprayed carb cleaner down towards the drain and then dumped a couple courts of oil through it to clean all the shavings out. when i drilled it used a lot of grease on the bit and i put magnets around it. i welded on a flange and i didnt do a good job because the metal was kinda hard to weld, so i used jb weld to make sure it was sealed up good. i think if you tapped it and then use jb weld, that would be strong enough. but i wouldnt just tap it or just use jb weld.

[Jonny 290]

I think I'm going to try the bulkhead -AN fitting, with double nuts on each side and RTV to seal.

I'll drill a very closely-sized hole and possibly run JB-weld on the threads of the bulkhead fitting only where it goes through the oil pan. I think that setup should work well, and should hold for a long time.

[Xero]

go to your local technical school that has a welding program and see how much the'll charge you to get it welded on,

[rco8786]

i drilled mine while it was still on the engine. after i drilled it i sprayed carb cleaner down towards the drain and then dumped a couple courts of oil through it to clean all the shavings out. when i drilled it used a lot of grease on the bit and i put magnets around it. i welded on a flange and i didnt do a good job because the metal was kinda hard to weld, so i used jb weld to make sure it was sealed up good. i think if you tapped it and then use jb weld, that would be strong enough. but i wouldnt just tap it or just use jb weld.

That sounds really dangerous...does anyone know if they make magnetic drill bits?

[huguetpj]

What about using a bulkhead adapter such as this one with some sealant on both sides?

http://store.summitracing.com/...83206

Seems like it should work for me. And it'd be a no-weld job that i would feel comfortable with.

Yep, that is what I was refering to. But you need something bigger.

[Jonny 290]

What size fitting should I be looking for? I know the turbo will have a 1/2 NPT outlet (brand new Garrett), correct?

[huguetpj]

What size fitting should I be looking for? I know the turbo will have a 1/2 NPT outlet (brand new Garrett), correct?

Since you have a 1/2" outlet, use a 1/2" line and try to use a 1/2" bulkhead wacthamacalit. Or bigger. But don't go too big or routing your line will become a PITA.

[WAbernethy]

I used -10 AN fittings for my drain. The "bulkhead adapter" on Summit is only a -6. I got a bunch of that crap when I was in the military. It looks real purdy, with that anodized blue finish, too bad the damn thing leaks.

try these, you can even buy little caps to put on until you get all set up.

fitting fitting nuts caps

[daniel240]

That sounds really dangerous...does anyone know if they make magnetic drill bits?

dangerous? ive heard of quit a few people who did it this way. i used a drilling magnet that has a hole the size of the bit. that along w/ the grease catches 95% of the shavings. after i drilled i rinsed it thourghly. and when im finished i will change the oil after a couple min of running. i dont think it is dangerous if you do it right.

[C-Kwik]

Just an FYI about the location, XS-Engineering has their 240sx install manual somewhere on their website. It gives you a usable location for the return line entry to the oil pan. Realistically, anywhere above the oil line is good. But some of the considerations are how the oil line is routed.

As far as easy ways to attach a fitting, a lot of Supercharger geekssay you can use a punch and basically hammer the punch in until the desired diameter is obtained. Then the hole is tapped and the fitting attached. A punch would provide a round hole and the metal that is pushed in stays attached to the oil pan and provides some depth for the threading when you tap it. They do recommend a teflon tape or sealer though. Just make sure you do not run into anything critical on the inside. Some cranks hang into the oil pan and the oil pump pick-up may be there as well. I see no reason why this wouldn't work though.

[Jonny 290]

I just decided to go the safe route and try to get a spare oil pan out of the junkyard, and drill and tap it (as well as cleaning and painting it ) before i even touch the car.

That way I can have a nice looking oil pan with a pro paintjob up to the fitting, i don't have to worry about screwing up my only oil pan, and i won't have to have my car in an unusable state for more than a couple of hours.

[rco8786]

dangerous? ive heard of quit a few people who did it this way. i used a drilling magnet that has a hole the size of the bit. that along w/ the grease catches 95% of the shavings. after i drilled i rinsed it thourghly. and when im finished i will change the oil after a couple min of running. i dont think it is dangerous if you do it right.

ya man i wasnt trying to say you like did it wrong or whatever, i actually think im gonna be doing it that way myself. I was really just wondering what kind of precautions you took b/c metal shavings in the motor = bad.

Sorry for the n00b question, but could you direct me somewhere where i could find out what a drilling magnet is?

[daniel240]

ya man i wasnt trying to say you like did it wrong or whatever, i actually think im gonna be doing it that way myself. I was really just wondering what kind of precautions you took b/c metal shavings in the motor = bad.

Sorry for the n00b question, but could you direct me somewhere where i could find out what a drilling magnet is?

i would just go to an auto parts store or hardaware store and look around for a magnitized bit. im sure you could find one. and if you dont you could just put a bunch of magnets on the oil pan and on the bit. that will magnatize everything. also, i used a unibit. i drilled a small pilot hole first and then made it bigger w/ the unibit. use a lot of grease too, that will help.

[scotty-2-forty]

Here's how I did mine using chromoly tubing on an angle to allow the line to run in front of the engine mount. I had a longtime friend do the welding. In this pic, it's the upper port ... the lower is for the oil temp sensor. Just a note: I had to cut and reweld the return tube for a better angle away from the engine mount (gotta love trial-n-error).