The reason no one does it is probably because they don't want the liability. Encouraging the cutting of a cross member is probably a little bit dicey in the litigious society we live in these days.

 

Dear Sir, I would like* to do the same thing. I was wondering what welder did you use.

 

 

I would have to crawl under my truck to get a better look but could you just drill out the rivets, twist the cross member out then bolt it back in? There must be something on the frame keeping that from happening.

 

Or... Maybe...

You could just do it right and pull the damn motor.

 

Fine I will use rivets instead of bolts

 

Again... Still completely backward and dumb to try and replace an oil pan that way. It WILL leak again, because you will never stop the oil from leaking into your sealant as you try to reassemble it.

Do it right, once.

 

Interesting..... I really expected to find something embedded when I opened this comment.

Welcome to FTE.

 

Ok for those of you who are not welders... He used a mig welder and went down hill! That's stupid and obviously no one has a clue what a good weld should look like! I agree with the OP the weld looks like crap obviously he was in a rush. And anyone who is going to do this know well enough that you don't go down when you weld something that has to hold always go up!!!!!

 

Welder was a Miller from what I remember, a large MIG welder at that.

GonzoCSU- Cross member cannot be "twisted" out, its to wide to be manipulated enough to come out.

I can tell you right now there is NOT alot of stress put on that crossmember, other than the engine and drag link. I had the suspension maxed, rock-crawling, mud-holes....even an accident involving a front end collision. The original welds looked the same as the day it was welded up.

Since I replaced the pan, last year I had to cut the crossmember out again and replace the "brand new" pot metal(CRAP!!) dipstick tube flang with a one off. Two ***large*** washers, 4 machine screws and some thick rubber gasket and clamp it all down. It will outlast the pan.

There are no oil pan leaks to speak of even after two removals this way. I dont know if im lucky, or its the manner I prep the bottom of the block....or both.

do NOT get the aftermarket pans....pay and wait the extra bit and get it from Ford or get the ford pan from another supplier.

 

Thanks and I like this site.

 

welding down hill with mig [ wirefeed ] is not as much of a sin as arc welders you dont have flux to fall into your weld with the gas shield.

 

Ok.... Let's talk strength.... Tell me you think mig welding down hill is half as strong and welding up.....

 

John2001
You’re wasting your time trying to tell folks how things should be welded. Those that know…. Know, and some will never know. Anyone can run a bead that doesn’t make you a welder. I don’t know any welder that would post those pics & admit to doing that job. Also they just made that truck unsellable.
Dave ( Union Ironworker 32 yrs)

 

I just jack up the motors to change a pan.