[sailor]

Moving this to General Tech Chat for the most looks, even though folks looking in "forced induction" might have more experience with the setup.

Can you see enough of the old fitting to be SURE it's the same type you bought?

I've seen some pictured that were into the pan & used a nut on the inside with sealing washers for the seal...

 

[jflash]

I can only see about a thread or two. There isn't much room down there and there is a 90deg fitting on the other end. I found the instructions online and bought the same fitting that was listed. The instructions just say to use the fitting and don't mention a nut in the pan.

 

[sailor]

Pipe thread nipple into fairly thin aluminum casting is a quick, easy & fairly typical half assed aftermarket solution IMHO.

If it didn't tighten up with a slight turn I've got to imagine it's been wiggling & wearing loose for a while now & the hole is in poor condition.

If the original nipple is brass you may have a chance that there's more wear to the nipple than the hole & a replacement could work.

Dropping the pan would be a good idea, cutting that apart for removal would make a mess you don't want in the pan. If you can grip the nipple & get the elbow off it would make it easier. I think you may need to cut through one or both sides of the nipple from the inside of it to collapse it enough to get it out.


Any of this should be AFTER the car is parked until repair is finished of course.

Steel nipple & mangled hole, you want to find a fitting that will work as a replacement before digging in. One that had a nut on the back & sealed with washers would be better than a larger hole, don't think you have much room to spare there.

Look it over closer & see what will work best.

Luck

 

[amc49]

X2, all I can say is that is one chickensh-t way to install a drain hole and you'll be very lucky if any aluminum thread left there to reuse on new fitting. The aluminum girdle material there is WAY too thin to be pipe threading there. That can be clearly seen in the pics there.

 

[jflash]

Yeah, I agree there is not much thread there. Are there any specialty fittings that I could use for that?

 

[amc49]

I can think of none. If the hole plane there is curved rather than flat pretty much impossible to like a nut/washer with a gasket under it...................pan is coming off at a minimum and possibly the girdle too. Maybe heliarc up the hole to make another fitting boss.

On another project a while back I took note of fact that 3/8 NPT used same thread as 9/16, or 18 fine, if one has a 9/16-18 die you can thread a 3/8 pipe outlet to straight thread and easy. That could allow for buying like 9/16-18 nut to make a holding point inside pan if hole is flat to be able to put a washer with made up gasket. But the hole there must be flat, it looks curved and not doable there.

 

[1turbofocus]

Who ever came up with that at vortech was a total moron , stop wasting your time , cover the hole and go to the oil pan and and drill a hole , have a bung welded in and put the fitting in that you need and do it right

When you have the pan off use 2 washers with silicone on the sides of the washers that contact the Alum and a nylock nut , put a washer on each side of the hole with silicone and tighten them up covering the hole , then smear some silicone on the outside good and that hole is covered and I have never had one leak , it isnt easy to get to , to do but it can be done

Tom

 

[jflash]

If I go into the oil pan, does it matter where I go in at? What can I use to fill the old hole? Will jb weld work? I don't have any welding equipment.

 

[elsolo]

Take the pan off, drive it to a welding shop.

 

[jflash]

The original hole I need to fill is not in the oil pan. I would just buy a new one if it was.

 

[sailor]

Tom had a decent suggestion for plugging the current hole & doing a new one where it's easier to do right in the pan:http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7492266&postcount=8

I was looking at some fuel fittings last night, as are used for tanks in boats for example - most too small for your application. If that area is curved it would take that option pretty well off the table anyways. (sandwich fitting)

 

[jflash]

Before tom responded I ordered a Russell fitting that has a larger nut attached to it than the npt fittings. I was going to put the attached nut on the inside with a washer and gasket or rtv, then another washer with rtv on the outside and "sandwich" the hole hopefully sealing it from the inside. I guess kind of like what Tom was saying. That way I don't need to depend on the thin tapped area with 3 threads.

 

[sailor]

That makes sense, it's just a matter of finding a setup to fit.

 

[amc49]

I would be using a really premium silicone there, there IS a difference.............

 

[jflash]

Like what? I bought a tube of black rtv.

 

[jflash]

I just got a sheet of high temp gasket material. I'll use that on both sides instead of silicone.

 

[amc49]

The reason the silicone is suggested is that it will fill voids you may have due to non flat surfaces that don't squeeze the gasket material whatsoever. It will leak in that case. If your surface there is curved you are moving to that scenario. Any threads you have there will not be sealing with just gasket material either. They will seep oil out the threads.

By premium silicone I mean that super dense stuff like the Permatex mechanic grey that comes in applicator, very expensive but it works where common silicones fear to tread. I had some blue once that was the same way, it cures to a HARD firm rubber and not like normal silicone at all. Where normal silicone pops loose pretty easy at disassembly the dense stuff you can wreck part trying to get it apart if not careful.

 

[elsolo]

That grey stuff is a whole different league than regular RTV.

 

[amc49]

Yeah, buddy! Best of the best!