Kevko oil pickup tube tab, run it or cut it?

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snailpower

snailpower

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Im assembling my 99 5.9L with a kevko pan and their pickup for mostly street, some strip use. The mains and pistons are already in and I am reusing stock main bolts.

The problem I am having is that the kevko pickup has the tab attached to it but there is nothing for me to attach it to since I am not using aftermarket main studs.

I called kevko and asked about just cutting this tab off and running it, he advised against it as the pickup would probably break off. This seems unlikely to me as the stock pickup doesn't use this type of setup even if the kevko pickup is longer.

The other option would be to get a single stud from Napa and use that but I would prefer not to remove the main again if avoidable.

What does FABO say about how to handle this ?
 
snailpower said:
Im assembling my 99 5.9L with a kevko pan and their pickup for mostly street, some strip use. The mains and pistons are already in and I am reusing stock main bolts.

The problem I am having is that the kevko pickup has the tab attached to it but there is nothing for me to attach it to since I am not using aftermarket main studs.

I called kevko and asked about just cutting this tab off and running it, he advised against it as the pickup would probably break off. This seems unlikely to me as the stock pickup doesn't use this type of setup even if the kevko pickup is longer.

The other option would be to get a single stud from Napa and use that but I would prefer not to remove the main again if avoidable.

What does FABO say about how to handle this ?
Click to expand...
I bolt my pickup under the factory main bolt. Had to touch up the hole in tab as it would not clear the 1/2" bolt.
 
i put kevco pan on magnum 318 and called kevco about pick up tube bolt , they sold me stud and nut, worked fine.
 
I don't think you are going to get away with not removing that main bolt (but I don't see the issue there any way). There is just nothing else nearby. I'd be sure to take the torque off of both sides in steps and then re-torque both sides.

As for not using it, it might work out fine, or it might not; you are pretty much on your own there and that is the real message from Kevco. Who knows what vibrations might set up on that long tube and worry the weld or tube apart....

Whatever stud and nut you get, get grade 8 or higher and non-plated threads. And you may want to add a hardened washer between the nut and tab so the nut does not twist the tab when torquing down. (Plating effects the clamping force that results from a given torque.) The Kevco item might be a better part.... but I have not checked it out.
 
All good advice from everyone.

nm9stheham said:
I don't think you are going to get away with not removing that main bolt (but I don't see the issue there any way). There is just nothing else nearby. I'd be sure to take the torque off of both sides in steps and then re-torque both sides.

As for not using it, it might work out fine, or it might not; you are pretty much on your own there and that is the real message from Kevco. Who knows what vibrations might set up on that long tube and worry the weld or tube apart....

Whatever stud and nut you get, get grade 8 or higher and non-plated threads. And you may want to add a hardened washer between the nut and tab so the nut does not twist the tab when torquing down. (Plating effects the clamping force that results from a given torque.) The Kevco item might be a better part.... but I have not checked it out.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think you are spot on with all of this. The main reason I don't want to use a stud is worrying about changing clamping force. I talked with a couple builders on how to do it right and it sounds possible, but not ideal.

I also worry about welding a stud on for it changing the bolt integrity. After having a stock rod bolt give up on me I'm not too keen on messing with welds on a main bolt.

I did cut the little bracket off thinking it would probably be fine after talking with some builders. I put some teflon tape on the threads and it is pretty tight in the pump and feels good.

After doing it though and thinking about it I am considering just selling this pan and using a stock pickup / tube. It really isn't giving me piece of mind any route using it which was the original goal of having it. Knowing the stock pickup is supported by the bottom of the pan and this thing could get some weird harmonic vibrations and cause cracks isn't great.

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Yeah, unless you mount a camera in side the pan, you'll never know about any vibrations! I personally would not worry overly much about a stud versus a bolt; the record of success with studs is quite high, and if the threads are similar, the pitch is the same, and the lube (if any) is the same, then the clamp force ought to be very similar.

And FWIW (which may not be much), my one test of block distortion versus torque years ago showed that most of the distortion/movement occurred in the 1st 25-35 ft lbs of torque, or thereabouts. But it was different block type so that is purely anecdotal, and YMMV.
 
I would not run it as it is. I would buy their bolt and put the tab back.
 
You're overthinking this deal.... That main cap won't care if it's unbolted. Top fuel guys rebuild their engines after every run!
 
snailpower said:
Im assembling my 99 5.9L with a kevko pan and their pickup for mostly street, some strip use. The mains and pistons are already in and I am reusing stock main bolts.

The problem I am having is that the kevko pickup has the tab attached to it but there is nothing for me to attach it to since I am not using aftermarket main studs.

I called kevko and asked about just cutting this tab off and running it, he advised against it as the pickup would probably break off. This seems unlikely to me as the stock pickup doesn't use this type of setup even if the kevko pickup is longer.

The other option would be to get a single stud from Napa and use that but I would prefer not to remove the main again if avoidable.

What does FABO say about how to handle this ?
Click to expand...
 
It may have been mentioned but the hole in the Kevko tab is too small to fit over a stud or thru a bolt. Without a windage tray bolt you need to tig weld a larger tab on the pickup tube or just make a new tab if you want to weld it on to whats left on your tube. Like others have said I wouldn't run without the tab. The pickup is a long arm with a lot of leverage.
Dan
 
The stock pan does nothing to control oil under acceleration so that Kevco pan is a real nice upgrade for making an engine live longer. I'd do what's needed to make it work. The suggestion by a couple others to use a windage tray style bolt to bolt the tab to sounds like the easiest to me.
 
Well, I had a stud welded on and going to give it a shot at the advice of pretty much everyone here haha

Also for what its worth the pickup tube I ordered appears to have the bracket in the right spot. M101-1 I believe.

IMG_3343.jpg
 
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Well, the saga continues. Haha

So I had the stud welded on and tightened it to around 20 ft lb with some loc tite and a lock nut. I came out the next morning to sweep the garage to find the nut and half of the stud on the floor. :( I thought a grade 5 or similar would be ok but not so much.

So I got a new bolt / stud from kevko that he had said was a Mopar part assumably from the 340 windage. It’s a little longer though, and no shoulder like stock. hoping that’s ok. Any thoughts?

F8BDFDD4-9189-4B6C-8431-D031127DCE10.jpeg
 
LOL.... that is crazy. I have welded I don't know how many grade 5 nuts and bolts to things with no issues. What weld process was used? Maybe just 5 ft-lbs this time with loctite!

The only thing questoin about the new bolt is the lack of a narrowed shank; I always wonder if that could slightly misalign the main cap; the narrowed shank allows the cap to freely align to the block. But I don't know how snug the new bolt's shank is to the hole in the cap, so it is probably not any issue.
 
Yeah, I was definitely surprised it snapped.

I talked to a couple people about the new bolt and one suggestion was to torque down the other side and put the new bolt in and see if it hangs up or wants to shift the cap. I didn’t go all the way to 85 ft lb but I did it to 60 and it felt like the new bolt didn’t hang up so I think I’m going to give it a shot and torque in sequence and see what happens.

Another option is to try and get a new stud welded to that bolt. Prefer not to do that after this experience.
 
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Yeah no kidding right?! Would have been a nightmare had it happened later on.

I put the new bolt in yesterday and it went in smooth as butter. It even placed the pickup tube perfectly without any washers as checked with some silly putty.

For anyone reading this thread with the same problem in the future, don’t mess around and just get the Mopar bolt from kevko, it’s about $18 and will save you some potential head aches.
 
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