Welding AN fitting on oil pan.

[Gamble97]

You guys have any tips or tricks for doing this?
My friend brought me his oil pan fresh off the car, filthy. I used a wire wheel on an angle grinder and then acetone and a rag and got it cleaned up nice. Took the 10an fitting and sanded down 2 of the edges to give me a little more space to work. Tacked it in with the tig and did the bottom and sides with no problems at all. Welded up beautifully. The top was an issue, I couldn't get the torch in there so I stuck it out over and inch and cranked up the argon to about 35cfh. Gas lens and #8 cup. Didn't work well, couldn't get the angles still. So I used the mig welder and er70s wire. Still a bi*** to get in there, anyway some splatter got on the threads but I think it will be ok after some sanding, at least I hope so.
You guys have any tips/tricks? I didn't even charge him because I hate how it came out. I told him to fill the pan with oil and see if it leaks and if the threads work. If so I told him to give me $10, because I am still mad out it.

 

[Hal]

Where splatter is an issue try coating the area (in this case the threads) with tip "snot".

 

[turbosax2]

The guy that did my pan welded the fitting from the inside of the pan, and a couple tacks on the outside.

 

[Gamble97]

What is tip snot?
Maybe next time I will drill a large hole and do it from the inside?

 

[bastarddsm]

When I did mine I drilled the hole in the pan bigger than the fitting and welded around it. MY old man suggested turning a step onto the bung, drilling a holein the pan to match the step, then welding from the inside. Finish it up by brazing the front side.

 

[Gamble97]

Just heard back and he said it leaks at the top where I thought, so I ordered him a new 10an bung and a cap. I'm going to use a cut off wheel and cut it off and start over.

 

[gixrman]

I've done three pans first one I did from the outside like you did and ran into the same problems you did. Second one I did from the inside, third one I welded the bung on to a 2x2 1/8" plate first and then welded it to the pan.

 

[TSITurbo95]

When I did mine, I mig welded it. I put on an old fitting on the threads, then welded around it. Very little splatter towards the top where I could not get the torch close enough. . .

 

[99gst_racer]

Paul, which bung are you trying to use?

The vibrant ones seem to have a smaller OD than many others, and it helps make it easier to get around the top side of the bung. Also, if you swap out to an oversized gas lens, you can hang the tungsten way out and still get good gas coverage. Another option at least...

 

[Hal]

You can also turn down the flange of the bung on a lathe or use a power drill and an angle grinder

 

[lowell]

I've used silver brazing on gas tanks, oil pans etc. and it will braze damn near anything to anything.

TM Technologies - Silver Brazing Rod