Got a question about the return line. Has anyone tapped their pan with the motor in the truck. I'm thinking its gonna be pretty hard. Also it needs to be tapped above the oil level in the pan correct. Thanks

 

heres my pan that I got from thunder550...

 

Thanks. Anybody else

 

Yes, the return needs to be as high as possible on the pan. Make sure you check that you can still gain easy access to the pan bolts before picking a location.

Before you contemplate drilling/tapping your pan while still on the motor ask yourself this question, would I rather pull the pan off and install the fitting the right way or potentially have to pull the whole motor and rebuild it after sending aluminum pieces through it from drilling/tapping??

I also highly recommend getting the fitting TIG welded on vs threading it in. You'll never have a welded fitting leak, EVER. Last most important thing is line size. You need at least -10 return to avoid issues.

 

Like Metal Man said, pulling the pan and having someone tig a fitting is by far the best way. That being said, I've read dozens of posts with people drilling and tapping their pans in the engine bay and did it that way myself.

I took my time, used plenty of grease and low RPM's. I used a 3/8 NPT tap and the corresponding drill bit (required a 37/64's but I used a 9/16). I used low speed to drill both holes and kept cleaning and re-packing the bit with grease. Same thing with the tap but you have to clean it a bunch of times. When I finished tapping both holes, I cleaned up the grease and then flushed out the holes with a couple old, open quarts of oil in case a chip got it the pan. Then I did an full oil/filter change. I used a little bit of pipe sealant on the threads before I inserted the 3/8 NPT 2" brass fittings. They were the perfect size for the Goodyear hi-temp tubing (1/2" I think). In fact, once I put it on, I couldn't get it back off without cutting the tubing so it's definetely a tight fit. Threw on a couple clamps and haven't looked back. Doesn't look all that clean in the picture but it hasn't leaked a drop in 10k miles.

In hindsight I should have made the holes about an 1/8" lower but I was trying to stay as high as I could. It looks too close in the pictures but there is a solid 1/8" gap between the harmonic balancer and the hoses. Not a scratch on the hoses so it hasn't been an issue. Someday I may just add a couple extensions and elbows to the brass piping and hardline it up the sides of the block.

 

OK what are the benefit's of doing a returned oil line

 

these are pics of oil return lines for turbochargers...

 

Without them my turbo's would pump oil out the seals and into the exhaust...

Turbo's and some Centrifugals use engine oil for lubrication so you have to be able to drain it back in to the oil pan.

Rick

 

cool i guess now i know a little more about turbos

 

Thanks for the help guys. Rick did you say you had the motor in the truck when you drilled and tapped it