[Shop-talk] Drilling a hole in aluminum oil pan

[Mark Miller]

Personally I try to avoid any possibility of having to call myself an 
idiot after I do something that in retrospect seems questionable 
enough.  But you do you.

That said: do you actually need a 1/2" return line for the oil? Will 
running the line into the existing 3/8" port via a reducer still give 
you sufficient flow? That would be way simpler.

Regards,

Mark Miller   707-490-5834
markmiller at threeboysfarm.com


> On 2020-10-03 11:56 a.m., Miq Millman wrote:
>> Here's what I want to do:
>>
>> Drill a 23/32' hole in the side of the oil pan for the (1/2 NPT-AN10
>> steel braided line that allows the oil from the turbo back into the
>> block.? I have the NPT tap ready.
>>
>> Here are the complications:
>>
>> 1) pan is bolted and sealed to the block -- I would rather not remove it
>> 2) oil pan is aluminum not steel
>> 3) there is already a threaded hole for 3/8 NPT
>> 4) engine is newly built long block, with most of the ancillaries still
>> to be attached, on an engine stand.
>> 5) there is an additional hole on the opposite side of the pan for an
>> oil temp sensor
>>
>> Here is what I am thinking:
>>
>> 1) coat the drill bit in some red grease to collect aluminum shavings
>> 2) seal off water and vacuum?passages with tape
>> 3) set air compressor to something very low, like 20 psi, and thread
>> into the oil sensor hole (1/8 NPT)
>> 4) fabricobble up a reduced hose to the shop vac line and point that at
>> the drilling point
>> 5) drill in short bursts, possibly cleaning the bit and grease each
>> time, and reapplying grease
>> 6) after I tap the hole (also a challenge due to the length of the tap
>> and the baffle inside the pan) dump 5-6 quarts of the cheapest 10 w oil
>> at the FLAPS and kind of "slosh" it around by slightly rotating the
>> engine on the stand, drain and repeat again
>> 7) check second pot of drained oil for metal shavings, if found try gas
>> or diesel followed by 3rd round of cheap oil flush
>>
>> Open to options and opinions.? Including telling me not to be an idiot
>> with my $8000 engine and just pull the pan.
>>
>> --
>> __
>> Miq Millman?? miq at bigllama.com <mailto:miq at bigllama.com>
>> Tualatin, OR? Big Llama Productions
>>
>>