MTFCA Forum

I have an oil pan that looks to have sat in water for a very long time. The drain hole threads are pretty much gone. Is there any repair kit for this problem?

I was planning to use electrolysis to remove the rust, paint it and move on, but I may need to find a replacement oil pan.

I search the forum and not found the same issue.

Thanks in advance.

Scott

There is someone selling a repair oil drain plug in the FS parts section.

RecklessKelly wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 20, 2024 6:22 pm

There is someone selling a repair oil drain plug in the FS parts section.

That could be a good option, but if the repair plug uses the same threads in the pan, (that are now apparently corroded away), as the original plug, then you're left with needing to possibly braze the repair plug in place.

You mentioned that your pan sat in water for a long time. How is the overall condition of the pan besides the oil drain hole that is rusted pretty bad. If the rest of the pan is not severely rusted and pitted on the inside it’s a good usable pan. Check out the rest of the pan closely for any other severely rusted areas. Pretty common to find a T pan left out in a pile of iron and rusted up. But in the long run it may be better to find one in overall better shape if yours is pitted and rusted up fairly rough. That’s a T item that still be found in pretty decent shape.
You did mention using electrolysis to clean it up. The crankcase arms and the front insert of the pan is brazed in. I’ve never used electrolysis to clean anything up maybe others on the forum can answer if it would attack the brazed areas of the pan.

Here are two telling pictures of the pan.

If you want to drive to Washington, I'd give you a better 3 dip pan !!!

Also check the threads for the petcocks to check the oil. Especially check for any cracks or rusted out places on the ears which mount to the frame. it is also possible there are pin hole rusted out places at the bottom of the crankcase which will allow oil to leak out. Anyway, if you can find a better one, it might be worthwhile to replace it.
Norm

Lang’s makes this adaptor to go into bad threads in the pan drain.

There also could be some Model T chapters fairly close to you that may help you with finding a good pan.

From the classifieds section viewtopic.php?f=5&t=42622 Jim

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 20, 2024 8:56 pm

Lang’s makes this adaptor to go into bad threads in the pan drain.


IMG_7785.jpeg

Dan,

These adapters confuse me a bit. If the threads are bad enough that they can't be used to hold the original drain plug, how will they hold this adapter any better? I understand that the adapter has the ability to recut damaged threads, but if the threads are stripped, no amount of recutting will replace them. Do they maybe recut to some oversize thread?

That pan looks too far gone to salvage. There is one deep rust spot near the flange. By the time the rust was removed there wouldnt be anything left of it. Rust would leach out into the oil and the oil would be seeping out everywhere due to porisity.

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 21, 2024 6:37 am

Dan,

These adapters confuse me a bit. If the threads are bad enough that they can't be used to hold the original drain plug, how will they hold this adapter any better? I understand that the adapter has the ability to recut damaged threads, but if the threads are stripped, no amunt of recutting will replace them. Do they maybe recut to some oversize thread?

Jerry. Haven’t used that plug insert, believe it self taps, but has instructions that are followed. Another member has used it, seems you use epoxy to seal the piece to the pan too.

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 21, 2024 8:41 am

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 21, 2024 6:37 am

Dan,

These adapters confuse me a bit. If the threads are bad enough that they can't be used to hold the original drain plug, how will they hold this adapter any better? I understand that the adapter has the ability to recut damaged threads, but if the threads are stripped, no amount of recutting will replace them. Do they maybe recut to some oversize thread?

Jerry. Haven’t used that plug insert, believe it self taps, but has instructions that are followed. Another member has used it, seems you use epoxy to seal the piece to the pan too.


IMG_1322.jpeg

Thank you Dan. That clears things up a bit.


As to the pan in question, it does look pretty far gone. Before I'd put any time or expense into it, I'd stab at some of those deep pits with an awl to see just how much steel is left. If you can poke a hole in it, there's no sense going any further.

Get a better one. Those pans need to be very strong.

Problem using that pan, is that if it starts dripping when you are on a tour, you could run out of oil and damage the entire engine and transmission. Some leaks seem just like a small drip, but unless you check the oil often, even several times a day, it could all leak out. Similar to a water leak which I had. I checked the radiator and it was full. I loaded it onto a trailer and pulled it all day and took off the trailer. Two days later, I started on a tour and it had leaked enough to seize the engine. Unfortunately, I did not check it two days after I loaded it onto the trailer because I hadn't been driving it. Similarly to an oil leak. You might check it and then the car sets a few days and you set out on a tour. Between the time you check oil and when you start the tour, enough drips out that it ruins the engine. If it had been parked on dirt of grass, you might not even notice that it has been dripping. And if you glue an oil drain plug with epoxy, it could come off while driving. and drain the oil. Just not worth the risk of ruining the engine and transmission.
Norm

Something to keep in mind is that the pan is the support for the fourth main bearing & wishbone mounting point as well as the engine mounts.
I would spend as much time looking for a better pan than you will repairing this one.
Craig.

Speaking of pans, most of the ones that Ive seen photos of had braze rundown at the frame mounts. Is that factory or a repair?

You’re looking at Fords factory brazing. When that was done Ford was building the pans in production. By todays standards it a slop job of brazing. Some aren’t as bad as others but that’s the way Ford did it. You’re not the first to see that and think what’s going on here!
More than a few have small lumps of brass down the sides.

Mine has sloppy brazing, lumpy, running downward. I thought it was someones old repair.

RecklessKelly wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 21, 2024 2:04 pm

Mine has sloppy brazing, lumpy, running downward. I thought it was someones old repair.

It was a factory job, as John stated. Also, the solder at the front of the pan, to seal the joint at the end plate, (the plate where the front packing seal goes).

Factory to stop the rivets from weeping.

All,

I have posted a wanted ad in the parts section. I think this is the best route forward.

Thanks for all the input.

Scott