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12/25/06 – Modifying the oil pan 

Now, the first step was to remove the oil pan. I could buy the RB25 pan, but I don't want to for the following reasons:
a) it's 280 bucks
b) rb26 pan is cast aluminum, it's stronger and has better heat transfer. 1
c) rb26 pan has sick baffling, as well as kickouts
d) rb26 pan bolts to transmission. Rb25 does not
e) rb25 pan needs to be modified to work with the rb26 oil pickup. A substantial amount of the rb25 windage tray needs to be removed to facilitate fitment. 

This is what a stock unit looks like: 

Step one was to remove the differential and all the bearing races. A good portion of the remaining casting was removed with a sawzall.

 

 Then we took it to the mill. The remaining material was hogged out with a 2" 8 carbide face tool. This is a fringe benefit of my job...

  

 

The result:

 

 Then i used a sander and dynafile to smooth the sharp edges and blend some of the steps from machining:

 

 The result:

 

 

 The final step will be to plug weld the two holes where the transaxle pierced the pan.

 

 At this point in time, I am still happy with my decision to use a modified RB26 pan.  Currently, the motor is sitting on the floor of innovative tuning, right on the oil pan.  I doubt that the stamped pan would still be in one piece.


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(1)       It’s also substantially heavier…