Just got my spare oilpan back from the welder

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

Hmmm, I didn't think about it until after I got it back but;

Couldn't you technically have a welder tig weld a bunch of aluminum onto the pan in all the right places to prevent stress cracks and to reinforce the pan walls?

Pics provided for your entertainment, this is normal on all my pans:

[LINUS]

So something like this?

[golde30]

i think if yer hitting something hard enough to break it, then even if you reinforce the problem areas, it will just crack elsewhere on the pan where it is not enforced...something has to take all the blunt force.

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

So something like this?

Do you think maybe that would just put more stress on where the guard sits at the welds?

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

This isn't my only solution, by the way. I just want to guarantee myself that this shit doesn't happen anymore. I'm also getting coilovers with much stiffer springs

[LINUS]

Do you think maybe that would just put more stress on where the guard sits at the welds?

Not really. The whole plate sits flat on all the heat sinks, event the contour up front. I left the front unwelded on purpose in case a frontal hit caused any issues, but also to allow air to circulate through the whole piece.

I found out after doing it that the drain plug is really where people have problems, but to be honest since I do all my own work I'll wait until I kill it & then I'll weld the drain plug area shut if I crack it.

I use one of those oil vacuums you put down the dipstick hole anyhow, so I don't really care about having a drainplug.

If you care to see the other side of it, I can drop some other shots on here.

My main point was just to have the 1/4" plate take the brunt of getting hit & hopefully save cracking the pan & loosing oil on the road. If I destroy my plate my oilpan will be toast too. I'll worry about that then since that would be a call to AAA & getting a flatbed towtruck anyhow.

[george graves]

I'll mention this since someone hasn't - how about a m20 STEAL oil pan? Didn't they come on early e34's?

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

I'll mention this since someone hasn't - how about a m20 STEAL oil pan? Didn't they come on early e34's?

I like how you ninja edited your post, and you still misspelled STEEL
:rofl:

Anyway, I thought they were steel too but I keep hearing both yes and no.

Something else I remember being told is that it's better for the aluminum pan to crack, than for the steel pan to bend inward and hit the crank/oil pump

[LINUS]

I'll mention this since someone hasn't - how about a m20 STEAL oil pan? Didn't they come on early e34's?

I'd kill for a steel pan for a 24v - did they ever make any?

[Teaguer]

In all my years I've never heard of or come across a stell M20 pan until Ryan-G sorta dropped mention of one a few months ago .
But I'm sure he was mistaken and has not posted about it since .

Also I'm inlcined to think that the steel pan would be worse as Jon mentioned .

Hahah ...Linus is that you that welded up that pan last year ??
I remember laughing my ass off when those build pics were posted . :D

Jon , have you done any preventative things like maybe shim the engine up as much as you can ?

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

In all my years I've never heard of or come across a stell M20 pan until Ryan-G sorta dropped mention of one a few months ago .
But I'm sure he was mistaken and has not posted about it since .

Also I'm inlcined to think that the steel pan would be worse as Jon mentioned .

Hahah ...Linus is that you that welded up that pan last year ??
I remember laughing my ass off when those build pics were posted . :D

Jon , have you done any preventative things like maybe shim the engine up as much as you can ?

I can only shim it up so far, the accelerator cable is already having enough trouble binding up on the strut bar.

[LINUS]

Hahah ...Linus is that you that welded up that pan last year ??
I remember laughing my ass off when those build pics were posted . :D

Yup Yup - that is mine. I thought it was going to do a lot of good since the only other pan that anyone had welded on was just the first couple inches of the breakover up front, and I think I saw 1/8" on theirs.

Were you the one who brought up that they appearantly tater out on the drainplug?

The stubborn side of me is still going to run it until it fails, and re-weld it then. Oh well, at least I'm trying something.

I've had lowered cars before, so who knows - I may never even smack something. I'm only on H&R races, not like I'm dumped.

[eyagel]

nice, i destroy pans on a daily basis

[Farbin Kaiber]

nice, i destroy pans on a daily basis

Bummer, if that was the case for some of us, we would have replaced like 600 or more by now. You must have the engine removal thing down. Care to share your method?

[AlarmedBread]

I may have access to a 'steel' oil pan for an m20, its in an e21 or something of the sort in the junk yard, the pan looks different from every other m20 pan I've ever seen. I was not in the mood to pull it however I could at least get pictures.

I wouldn't waste time welding up the pans, it isn't really effective.

1/8" steel skid plate ftmfw.