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

[Miq Millman]

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
Tualatin, OR  Big Llama Productions
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