Fabricated Oil Pan

Mike E

Mr. Badwrench
Joined
Oct 9, 2006
I've put this in my build thread (link in sig) but I think this section gets more traffic. Maybe my whole car build thread should be moved here.

Anyway, I finished building my sheetmetal oil pan last night. I cut the flange for it many months ago when I built the stage 2 valve covers, but I haven't had time to work on the oil pan until now. I'm running a belt drive external oil pump with a -16 inlet. I had bought a peterson -16 in line filter/ screen, but there is limited room around the pan to put it in line. And using the screen in line would mean I would need two more rediculously expensive -16 hose ends. So I decided to hack up the screen and use part of it as my pickup.

The pan also has a trap door that should help under braking on the big end of the track. The pan is made with a 3/8" flange and .090 3003 aluminum sheet. I bent everything using a 2x4 and my welding bench. I would have like to have used a break, but the 2x4 did a decent job. I still have to add a turbo drain back fitting and a couple cylinder head drain backs, but I need the assembled motor to do to that.

raw materials.
CIMG1023.jpg


Bent up and welded main components of the pan.
CIMG1029.jpg


The two halves have not been welded together at this point because I still had to install the pickup and trap door.
CIMG1028.jpg


Finished Pan
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The pan holds just over 7 quarts to the top of the sump, but I could fill it to within an inch or so of the flange.
CIMG1041.jpg


Internal pickup and trap door. If you look at the reflection under the tube, you can see the slots that actually pickup the oil.
CIMG1042.jpg


Modified peterson filter turned into a filter outlet fitting.
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Total cost. About $150 in material including the peterson filter. Roughly 18 hours of fabbing and welding.
 
Amazing! I never get tired of looking at your work. As cheesy as it sounds, you are frickin' inspiring! I can tell my wife it is your fault I just ordered a TIG welder and Plasma cutter. ;)
 
Amazing! I never get tired of looking at your work. As cheesy as it sounds, you are frickin' inspiring! I can tell my wife it is your fault I just ordered a TIG welder and Plasma cutter. ;)

Thanks. :)

Once you get used to the tools, you'll wonder how you ever got along without them. The out of pocket money I saved on this oil pan would have payed for half my welder. As you can see, my stuff isn't perfect, but it gets the job done and It's very satifying to be able to say I made it. I'm not going to be putting Steffs, Moroso or Billet Fabrication out of business anytime soon.
 
As usual Mike...very nice work!!! Only asking about the flange as I have had so much aluminum shift. I have even done welding with spacing out the welds and even went as far as jigs
 
Very nice work !! I keep telling myself I need to buy a nice welder and teach myself how to make my own stuff. What kind of equipment do you use?

Bryan
 
very nice work! Nice idea on the filter . Have you checked the pan to block surface for warpage?

It warped a little, maybe a little over a 1/16" at the worst spot. The machine shop thats doing my engine work is going to touch up the surface on a big sanding belt type head surfacer.

Very nice work !! I keep telling myself I need to buy a nice welder and teach myself how to make my own stuff. What kind of equipment do you use?

I use a miller diversion 165 for welding. I've got a whole machine shop full of equipment in my garage to do the cutting and fabbing.

Bryan
 
I built another oil pan. Now that I have a sheetmetal brake I can make nice crisp corners and better gaps to weld. The welding turns out better with better sheetmetal fitment.
This one is somewhere over 7 quarts plus filter.
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That's badass. Good job. Unfortunately, when sold my shop and moved to IL, my Bridgeport, hi freq tig, box pan brake, 10' Chicago brake and lathe went with it. I'm slowly building my arsenal of shop equipment back up. As soon as I get my new welder for aluminum and brake I will be making a oil pan, valve covers, and trans pan. Im sure ill be copying your design on this one.
 
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