Brother in law has a CAT 3406 S/N 1MM0155 and one of the drain plugs is leaking. He had it drilled and taped but now even this one is leaking. The pan has two drain plugs on it so even if there is a way to seal it up permanent would be ok. The pan (cat # 152-1713) is cast aluminum and no one is willing to weld on it. Have any ideas other then buying a new one from CAT at $1016
If you have room, drop the pan and get it steam cleaned. Take it to a real welder that does aluminum welding regularly. Pull the leaking plug and have an oversized pipe nipple welded around the drain hole and get a new pipe plug. That should put you in business. Good luck.
Steel threads on aluminum are an invitation for a gorilla (Or mech with no finesse) to strip them. A couple of ideas ... A bulkhead fitting. You'll have to drop the pan to install the internal nut. A valve & cap so the aluminum/steel interface is not disturbed. (after you get the pan welded). You didn't mention a sealing washer ... Do your plugs have a sealing washer ? If not get one.
I was thinking of an aluminum nipple and plug like what would be welded on a built-in fuel tank on a work skiff or other marine use.
Some good thoughts, thanks From my reading it would take a real good welder which has done it before. Read in a welding forum is getting all the oil out of the aluminum pores is the issue for many. Some call for lots of acetone. It can be done, just finding someone good enough to do it. He has contacted all his local shops and no one will touch it. From what he tells me getting the pan off the semi is easy enough (40 pounds easy). I do like the idea of remove and make a bolt, washer and seals on each side, or something like that.
I would think you could put something like JB weld on one of them then get one of those Valves that gos in the oil pan for wrench less oil draining and JB it in.I am aginst the bolt seal it may not work and the pan would have to come back off. I have also had good luck useing teflon tape even on plugs with washers.I taped a Honda car oil plug that uses a washer and it leaked now we drain the oil and silicon the plug if i was mine i would have taped it for pipe threads then it wouldnt have to be perfectly flat for a washer. I like the oil pan valves how is a thread going to hold up to the use that a drain will get after alot of years.
If you can pull the pan just weld the hole shut its not hard at all Check salvage yards for a used pan, sometimes you just have to buy the right part put it on a go make money 20 to 30 thousand to overhaul that engine I wouldn't fool to much with a plug that might come out
Call a engine core/ truck salvage yard. Ebay can also be your friend. I don't see you getting much done for less than this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Caterpillar...329640?hash=item23733e79e8:g:SX4AAOSwqfNXpJgW $275 to your door.
Second both of these ideas. I would never take an oil pan off for something that can be done just as well without it. What part of the plug is leaking now and what style does it have? an aluminum sealing washer or rubber, or pipe plug? A pipe plug with teflon tape would be my first choice, if you didn't want to try a different washer and/or teflon on the same plug first.
Maybe I'm missing something here but the pan #152-1713 has one drain plug(magnetic) on the bottom with an oring (#53&54) to seal it. Original poster says there are two drain plugs according to SIS there is only one. SIS does show two 1 inch pipe plugs( #52) on the sides of the pan. Could be that someone has been using the pipe plugs to drain the oil? Maybe remove the leaking plug and clean things very good with brake cleaner and then coat plug with Epoxy and reinstall. Then use the bottom drain plug. Only problem is some day some one is going to decide to remove it and have the problem all over!
Thanks for the ebay link, this could work if its the same number. He has tried different ways of sealing it up but they come back and start leaking again. Will let him know all the different ideas. I was looking at the pan in SIS and also noticed the pipe plugs, and assumed this is what he was talking about with other drains. I'm guessing is he has been using the pipe plug to drain since he started having the main drain start leaking. Will talk to him later and verify.
Just talked to Bo, and he does use the plugs on the side. The drain lug on the bottom is up higher on the pan so when it is pulled there is only about a gallon of oil that comes out. He has to remove the side plug to drain all the oil. The side plug was originally 1 inch, and he removed the pan and had it tapped for 1 1/4 pipe because of the leak. When this was done the pan was off, cleaned out and reinstalled using JB weld. Let it sit for 3 days, and reinstalled. Says after another 3 days it started leaking again. Mentioned the after market pan on ebay, and he says he won't use it because they are not made right. When the pan is bolted into position it cracks the pan. Has discussed this issue with several others in the trucking world and they stopped making them. My guess is this is one of the left overs. Sure appreciate all the thoughts
I have had to used a 1/2 impact to remove pan plugs on cat engines because people don't know what snug means. People who over tighten drain plugs should have their ears twisted. On our trucks or customers rigs I install Fumoto drain valves, they also use these on air craft. Truck Shop
Agree and thanks Truck Stop, Bo plans on installing a similar drain if not that one, if he can ever get this one fixed or gets a new one.
If it's pipe thread, there is probably a hairline crack the tapered plug opens up when its tightened. Those can be a pain to find and fix. Its possible to weld a patch over the area and tap the patch plate but I would use a straight thread with a gasket or O-ring. Pipe thread is no Bueno in aluminum pans due to the taper. Just my opinion.
Talked some more with Bo. After some more discussion, I think the guy (CAT dealer repair guy) drilled and then used a 1 1/4 pipe tape and threaded it to far into the pan. Reason being is the pipe which threads into the pan goes all the way in and doesn't stop unit it gets to the 90 degree elbow. That said, this is why he cannot seal it. I mentioned to Bo to go look for a rubber freeze plug and see if that will fit and seal it up, and he plans to try it. Said if the oil does get to it and start to leak again, it should be some time before it starts.
Ah.... This makes sense now. Try a slightly longer nipple and use Locktite gasket eliminator to seal it to the pan. Maybe test fit a few high quality pipe bushings from a hydraulic supply shop and see how those fit. Going from 1 1/4' down to 1" isn't going to hurt draining.
I would like to see these threaded for a safety plug that could be snugged at least. 2 years ago a customer smoked a 3406B when a tumbleweed opened the valve. Of course the dimwit driving should have caught the pressure loss. I later found out that "their guy" had disabled the shutdown system. He's unemployed AGAIN just recently.
That's the plan Bo is going to try, see if he can find one a bit longer.
If you can't find one that fits, it's pretty easy to make your own. Pipe threads are all the same pitch in that range, and tapered, so you could have a plug 6" long that would have one inch, inch and a quarter, and inch and a half threads on it. Pipe threaders adjust for those different sizes and I'd bet you can make most of them thread that universal plug from one inch to inch and a half. You just need a plug threaded for a fat 1 1/4" now, before you needed a fat 1".
He found a longer nipple and so far no leaks.
They do make them with threaded outlet, for a hose nipple. Safety plug would be a good idea. Still, I have a hard time believing anything can open those valves accidentally they're pretty secure.
Yeah, bothers me that some folks don't know when to stop with a pipe tap and run her all the way home, oops. Also, JB weld has another product, JB weld marine, its a little higher temp but is oil and gas resistant. Package looks identical save that it says marine on it.
My mother was indelicate. Her solution was nail their balls to a stump, push them over backwards. Willie
Honestly... After almost 40 years in the field... there isn't much that doesn't surprise me anymore. Logs/limbs jammed into places they shouldn't be, rocks rolled into truck oil pans... etc. You ever see any of that??
Oh absolutely, all kinds of crazy damage, most of which elicited responses like "How the hell did the operator manage to do THAT???" but to have something open one of those valves with the spring and lock they have without shearing it off or the like, that's a head scratcher for me. ****e happens though yeah?
We had a few operators that would have no problem knocking one of those off. Never could get some to understand that that pan under the back of the WA600 Komatsu was the fuel tank and NOT a skid plate. One guy actually managed to knock the fuel drain valve off while pushing off a waste pile! This even had a steel loop guard around it for protection Gave him a rag and told him to hold it in the hole while I went to find something to jam in enough to get loader back to the shop! I did take my time getting back to him!