oil pan

I need some feedback an a oil pan leak. I just pulled the pan and found some warp to the flange. An alloy one costs $400. Is it that much better? Are new originals still available? Can my old one be straightened at the frange? If so, how? The bottom is dented anyway but servicable (I've already been warned to not remove these dents due to metal fatigue).
Thanks,
Rich

Good morning, Tahoe Healey, I managed to straighten out the flange on my oil pan years ago. Don't remember too much about process, but was careful and took my time using straight, flat surfaces to tap. Additionally, I had a small crack in the pan (previous owner evidently hit something....) sealed effectively by brazing. It has held since 1971.. I think the main features of the alloy pan are: attractiveness, cooling fins (if I recall properly) and reduced engine noise. I don't think this is worth $400 - unless you have a few extra bucks just burning a hole in your pocket. Also, there are some companies around that deal in used Healey parts - probably have sump pans available there. I solved my oil pan leak problem by straightening the flange and coating both sides of a new gasket with high quality gasket sealant. Worked also with the very troublesome lifter side plate gasket, too. Good luck. Steve

Rich

The Alloy pans also have the ability to insert baffles to prevent oil surge during enthusiastic cornering....

They are also considerably stronger than the standard item,and look really neat!....When I undertake another engine rebuild I will use one together with the uprated oil pump.

Cheers
Alan

Rich,

Consider this method for straightening the flanges. Take several pieces of steel bar stock long enough to span a few holes, narrow enough to fit inside the flange and thick enough to stand above the flange (hardware or metal supply store for the bar stock). Put one piece of bar stock on each side of the area to staighten and use a bench vise, vise grips,clamps to apply pressure. Check with a flat surface to gauge the progress. Usually the distortion is around the hole areas from over tightening and this will flatten things out.

G'luck,
John

Rich,

If I had known in June, I would have brought you up my old one. I replaced it with a aluminum pan, which has all the positive attributes mentioned earlier, but most of all it stiffens the bottom end. If you will be the Concord area or at the Palo Alto show, mine has those same dents in the bottom, but it didn't leak. I think someone set the engine down on it, although the whole bottom of my frame is dented too. (It came that way; I only scrape the muffle now.)

John

Thanks John and all. I've ordered some gaskets and will attempt to straighten out the flange first. If that doesent work I'll have to pop for the alloy one. Ain't that what weekends are for? Dreams of crusing the byways can wait another week. How come maintance never happens on rainy days?
Rich

I took all the suggestions and sealed the existing oil pan after some careful straightening and now the drip is a "controlled" 50 cent (hey, what happened to the cent sign on my keyboard?) size. I can live with that. Thanks for all the help!!!!!
Some guy on Ebay is selling a "RARE" 1964 BJ8 Mark III Phase one. He says they made only 124 of them. Mine is also the same model. What's so rare and/or special? I've also woundered what a phase one was.

Tahoe,

Phase one has the single running/diretional light and I believe it didn't have the updated rear suspension, but had the new wood dash. As for one of 124, that could be a particular color (like the pink and black cars for that ladies club on Long Island in NY) or it came ordered with disc wheels. It could be any number of things. My car is a one of one special order.

SB