Welding an oil pan on a 3-53 diesel

I have a 3-53 diesel, whose pan was damaged slightly because I dragged it 8 feet on concrete and that slightly damaged the oil pan. The corer slightly "folded" and I tink that it caused a crack to develop. There is a minute crack now, through which oil drippred slowly. To give you an idea, in about 10 days the bottom pan leaked about two quarts of oil (which I contained, being a green and environmentally friendly person).

Anyway, I took the oil pan off today, and cleaned it to the extent possible, with pretty much no oil remaining on the inside or outside near the crack.

So, now I have a question of what is the best way to weld it. It is stamped sheet metal, I would say 16 gauge or so (just guessing). The crack, or abrasion, is in a corner.

I am thinking, use 1/8" of 6013, at 100 amps, and weld from inside?

Or should I use some fun rod like Nickel 55 or Nickel 99? Cost of rod is not material, as I have a bucketful of it.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus5997
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Unless great strength is needed, I would simply silver braze the crack shut. Or even soft solder it.

Joe Gwinn

Reply to
Joseph Gwinn

Brazing is harder than making a couple of passes with a welding rod.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus5997

I would recommend brazing it rather than welding. You could easily burn holes in it unless you are skilled in welding thin metal. The braze will work fine for that application.

John

Reply to
John

Really? With brazing there is no danger of burnthrough, even if one isn't that careful, and the braze will be leakproof.

Although I suppose that welding steel with nickel rod is probably closer to brazing than to welding. But silver probably has better penetration of the crack.

What is the standard way to repair such cracks? This cannot be the first time the issue has come up in the history of the internal combustion engine.

Joe Gwinn

Reply to
Joseph Gwinn

That'd be my choice too . Cover everything but the area you're brazing with wet cloths to control heat and minimize distortion . A twisted oil pan can be a bitch to get sealed against the block ... -- Snag Learning keeps you young !

Reply to
Snag

Assuming youve the oxy propane/acetylene kit, brazing is the safest way to repair it. you will need obviously the right flux and brazing rod. Dont try to arc weld it.unless youve the tig? kit. Rod and mig is too crude with poor heat imput control.If you dont have the right gas kit get someone to do it for you who has. With brazing your after putting a 1/8in thick layer of brass over the cracked area. with a bit of overlap. do it from the outside.from the inside it will be much more difficult to avoid burning yourself. A skilled brazer will take only 10 mins to fix it. Ive brazed up all sorts of repairs from cast iron to s/steel to ordinary steel. Dont try to gas weld it as on cooling it willshrink then crack. Let us know how you got on. Ted. In Dorset UK.

Reply to
Ted Frater

Joe and Gunner, just for your information, I ended up brazing it with a flux coated brass brazing rod. It my first time I was brazing, and it is truly a great process for filling cracks! I am very impressed, it is like a little miracle.

Thanks guys.

The pan is now filled with water, I will wait a while to see if any water comes out anywhere.

The next question is, is there some way to filter 3 gallons of oil. The old oil ain't so bad looking, just got some dirt and stuff in the pan. Not critical but would be nice to reuse and recycle.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus5997

It won't twist. Anyway, I did braze it, it is a great process.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus5997

You have already done the deed but I would suggest that brazing is the only way to go. It flows nicely into the cracks, seals the unit. Welding thin material tends to burn through at the worst or leave an oxidized material with much porosity.

If the oil is relatively clear but has large chunks of crud, simply put a paper towel folded into a cone in a funnel. Or use a piece of a decent quality bed sheet. High quality sheets have thread counts up to

1000/> Joe and Gunner, just for your information, I ended up brazing it with a
Reply to
RoyJ

Yep.

I have a rag that I will use.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus5997

Yep.

I have a rag that I will use.

i

coffee filter.

Reply to
Califbill

Braze it from the outside.

Reply to
Steve W.

this is the kind of thing I always gas weld - too hard to do with an arc

Reply to
Bill Noble

Oh yeah! They work just fine. Takes a little time, but they do one hell of a job.

Harold

Reply to
Harold & Susan Vordos

Neither. Acetylene/ Oxygen or Tig is the plan. A/O has the advantage of assisting the correction of the shape first. 100 amps is way too hot. 50-60 amps with Tig is about right. Steve

Reply to
Steve Lusardi

I wouldn't use electricity on it, even if you're good. I'd use an OA process, and someone who is more knowledgeable about it than me will recommend one.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

Successively finer paper paint filters.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

Ah, you loin new process, Grasshoppa!

Velly useful, this brazing. Many thing.

Steve ;-)

Reply to
Steve B

Don't do it unless you want to wait a week. It will fill up with fine gunk, and then won't flow. Successively finer paper cone paint filters, I tell ya.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

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