Who has ran the drilled, punched and tapped oil returns that were common on the oil fed superchargers or even turbos?

What was your process to install? What size fitting did you use?

Did the return fitting ever cause leaks? How sturdy did it feel going in?

What did you do to avoid metal contamination in the oil (fill/drain/fill, grease tap, etc.)?

All stories and details are welcome, even if they come from your brother in laws dads best friend. I'm just trying to get a feel for how reliable this setup can be. I know welding is the best, but when you're trying to sell a bolt on kit to someone, welding in a drain bung really ruins it.

 

Hello! Cool Sami you have there. I read a little bit on it and have to read some more. It is interesting. On my project, I used a Mitsubishi 14B turbo and the factory return tube for it. I cut the tube after the bellows on the tube. The turbo side of the tube, I bolted to the turbo. The oil pan side has a flange that mated to the Mitsubishi oil pan. Using the gasket, I transferred the bolt pattern and return inlet hole to the Toyota oil pan and also to a 1/4" thick piece of 316 stainless steel. It was slightly larger than the gasket, rectangular, and laid out so the piece would fit on the inside of the oil pan sidewall and not interfere with anything. I tapped the holes to accept bolts. I took the pan off, cleaned it inside and out, welded the 1/4" piece inside the oil pan, sand blasted and painted it, and bolted it back on the engine. Now I have a much stronger way to mount the return tube to the pan. I put a gasket between the pan and the tube flange (just like it is on the DSM). I machined some couplers to press fit onto the tube OD. I took tubing and routed it where it needs to go. I took the couplers and silver soldered them to the tubes so it won't leak. I have not had any issues with it yet. A friend says I should have just welded an A/N fitting on it, but that is how I did mine. No issues.

 

I did mine with the pan in the car. I drained most of the oil into a bucket punched the pan, used a 1/2npt tap, I coated the tip of the tap in thick marine grease to catch any shavings as I tapped by hand, with the punched in material I was able to get 2-3 solid threads and grease worked great at grabbing most of the shavings. I then took a magnet and ran it all around the hole inside the pan. After that I drained the remaining oil in the pan and discarded it. I then poured the previously drained clean oil from the beginning back in let it settle in the pan and the drained all of that. Then ran the magnet around to see if I could find anything which I did not. Used a 1/2npt to 10an male to male fitting put a thick ring of black rtv around the npt side of the fitting and tightened it down till the fitting was almost flush and the rtv ring was solid between the pan and the fitting. Put some cheap o walmart dino oil in and ran the car for a couple hundred miles and then drained and replaced with good oil and new filter. Didn't have any issues with it leaking etc. It wasn't fun but it wasn't that hard. Now that I use oil-less turbo's I'm glad I will never have to do it again and worry about oil seals and running turbo specific oil etc.

 

thanks guys. Cheapcheap thats an interesting way to mount but I'd rather avoid selling a kit with pan removal and weldin

 

I did mine in the car using a punch set. Then used a 1/2 tap with bearing grease on it to tap the hole. Then applied a liberal amount of RTV to the threads of the 1/2in-10an fitting and screwd it in the pan. As far as location (on a mustang) mine was on the passenger side between the 2nd and 3rd bolt back and measured down 1 1/2 inchs.

 

good to know. How sturdy did the fitting feel when driving it in? Could it handle some torque or did it feel delicate?

 

No, I do not think it could have handled any torque. In fact I kept a very close eye on it for about a week because I was afraid that it may leak. It threaded in fine, but with the pan so thin even with the fitting screwed all the way in as far as it will go there is only enough materail on the pan for 2 or 3 threads. Hope this discription makes sense?

 

yup thanks. Any worries about it lately? When you have to break the return line off, does it feel like its gonna take the npt fitting with it? Or have you not had to dick with removeing the return line at the pan yet?

 

I have removed it once and it does feel like it could pull the fitting out so I use a back up wrench on the fitting so it does not move. Dont worry about it anymore, it has not gave me any problems what so ever.

 

I have a spare pan or 2 with an engine on the stand. I guess I'll just have to shove one in there and see how it feels. Since it'll be on a stand I can see how much metal actually makes it into the pan. thanks again

 

Punch it. Gives more area for the threads to bite. I use a 9/16 tapered punch and my air hammer to punch the holes. Then a 1/2npt coated in grease. Do 1-2 turns, remove, clean, repeat. Ive done literally hundreds with no problems to report. Every sammy pan I've done this way

 

nice. Thanks

 

I have punched them , used liberal amount of grease on tap, I always have magnet in the pan. I only tapped as far as required to get the fitting started (couple threads). After a tap I ran a magnet around the pan best I could. I then ran cleanser (mineral spirits) and then oil through as a flush method. I'm sure I didn't get all the material but never had an issue. I used silicone around the fitting as others have stated.

the ideal method is to pull the pan. That said old procharger kits instructions listed this method as an option (using the punch, tap method). Try to match the return to a main cap so you don't run return oil into the moving crank/rods. I used 2 punches 1 small to start then a second one that I cut the end off of (as it was hitting main cap) so I could open the hole a little larger before tapping.

good luck