How to straighten warped sump flange?

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Hi there.I've recently made a new sump for my 4x4 and after I finished welding it all, there is a bit of warpage through it. I should have bolted it to my old sump but didn't realise until after.As I was welding it, I tried to weld at different spots to try and not put too much heat into the 1 spot.How can I straighten it out? Doesn't sit true on my block atm.Was thinking of bolting it to my old sump and using a blow torch to heat it and cool it?Any suggestions would be great!Thanks!
Reply:How far off is it? Silicon can cover a multitude of errors here. Otherwise clamp it to the table and smack it with a hammer.
Reply:clamp it to a flat surface and strategically heat it.....where you heat it is pretty important, and its not something that can really be told over a computer.or....thick flat piece of material, stick it on another thick flat surface in a press and take it to tonnage  repeat all sidesor.... use a crescent wrench to bend the ears/flange till you can't see daylight on a flat surface. Warpage always needs to be taken into account before welding anything that needs to remain flat. live and learn'14 HTP invertig 221Thermal Arc 201ts'15 HTP 2400'13 Hypertherm Powermax 30Esab 875Esab 251Clark Metal Servicespecializing in stainless steel exhaust systems
Reply:It's about 3-4mm. I used my MIG to weld it all. I was going to belt it, but the whole thing is welded up and am not sure if it will work or not? I've made some gaskets out of cork that I was going to use.Would tightening the warped sump to the block put unneccessary stress on the block?
Reply:Originally Posted by sausage450rclamp it to a flat surface and strategically heat it.....where you heat it is pretty important, and its not something that can really be told over a computer.or....thick flat piece of material, stick it on another thick flat surface in a press and take it to tonnage  repeat all sidesor.... use a crescent wrench to bend the ears/flange till you can't see daylight on a flat surface. Warpage always needs to be taken into account before welding anything that needs to remain flat. live and learn
Reply:damn! that is a serious flange! is that 3/8" steel?'14 HTP invertig 221Thermal Arc 201ts'15 HTP 2400'13 Hypertherm Powermax 30Esab 875Esab 251Clark Metal Servicespecializing in stainless steel exhaust systems
Reply:Originally Posted by sausage450rdamn! that is a serious flange! is that 3/8" steel?
Reply:I think you're screwed buddy! Back stepping your welds, and skipping around is one trick to prevent warpage.I would try bolting it down to a thick plate, shim the high spots, and try to pull equal the low spots with some heat. You may need some small dogs and wedges for this. Don't rule out having it machined.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:It looks like a gradual curve with the high point in the middle. the easy straighten is to bolt it to the old, torch heat to just red around the flange, might take more than one heat/cool cycle. the down side of this is it will shorten the flange. If you can't live with this, you'll have to cut it crossways most of the way in a couple places, bend the flange past straight, re weld.Jody Collier did a video about using heat to un warp, somewhere else I've read a good article about straightening with heat not to soften, then bend but to take advantage of shrinkage. I've used the technique many times, they are amazing.Last edited by Willie B; 05-01-2014 at 07:20 AM.
Reply:I'm probably talking out of my "arss" right now with this possible suggestion, but..... "Jody" said in one of his most recent videos that he knew of a company that was using some big 7024's to literally lay beads across some big "I-beams" (IIRC) that were being used for 18-wheeler tractor trailer frames.  He explained how the welds were simply strung out on one side to create the typical heat and metal shrinkage in order to produce a bend or curve to the steel.  He explained that this process was done to give the steel beams their distinct "arch" that flatbed trailer frames have for carrying heavy loads.  The 7024's produced the perfect heat and warpage necessary to get the perfect "bends" in the steel.   Don't know if that idea would work or not for the OP's issue.I've been playing around and laying both 1/8" and 5/32" 7024 beads across one side of a 16" piece  of heavy (scrap) 1/2" thick channel iron and it's bending the chit out of  the steel.   If I keep it up with additional beads, the piece is soon to be the perfect "rainbow" arch.Perhaps laying down some thick hot weld beads (7024's) on one side of the flange  (IF feasible) as described above would bend (warp) the steel  in the op's favor???  As you guys know,  the weld bead shrinks as it cools, thus pulling the base metal (warping) to one side.  I dunno, just a thought.Then again, I'm just a hack amateur welder and not a pro.Last edited by SuperArc; 05-01-2014 at 09:05 AM.Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:I've tried heat straightening a 10mm plate and it's easy to get it to bend but not easy to get it straight The problem with the sump is that it is already welded up. And it's 3-4mm thick so it is not just a matter of straightening the flange.The normal way to heat it would be with a real oxy torch. It is possible to heat by welding as well and then grinding off the welds if needed. A lot more work though. Since it has warped from welding it is usually on the opposite side of the welds that you need to heat. But heat may also pull in the sides and since it is already drilled that's not ideal.I'm not a pro but since I have a little experience heat straightening I would have tried a little heat with an oxytorch to see if it would move at all. If possible I would take out a little of the warping this way. Then I would have the flange surface milled so it's straight. Milling will make it perfect but since it's already a few millimeters warped it would be best to get it a little less warped before milling or else the flange will become a lot thinner.Last edited by Pete.S.; 05-01-2014 at 09:46 AM.
Reply:cut the weld around the flange out, bot flange to something big and flat, tack sump back to flange and weld it back up with the flange bolted down. That'll let you get things straight anyway, it's gonna be up to you to weld it in a way that will minimize twisting.
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArc"Jody" said in one of his most recent videos that he knew of a company that was using some big 7024's to literally lay beads across some big "I-beams" (IIRC) that were being used for 18-wheeler tractor trailer frames.  He explained how the welds were simply strung out on one side to create the typical heat and metal shrinkage in order to produce a bend or curve to the steel.  He explained that this process was done to give the steel beams their distinct "arch" that flatbed trailer frames have for carrying heavy loads.  The 7024's produced the perfect heat and warpage necessary to get the perfect "bends" in the steel.
Reply:Can you take it to an automotive machine shop and have them run it across a surface grinder?
Reply:lol holy hell man your engine shouldn't be used as a rock crushing battering ram. You're probably going to have to get it sanded flat with a big belt sander or mill it. It doesn't need to be perfect, there's a ton of bolts pulling it flat and a gasket.Welding/Fab Pics: www.UtahWeld.com
Reply:CEP has the answer. The trouble is you undoubtedly built the flange the length it needed to be. Shrinking it now will make your bolts fail to line up. I think you have to cut the pan to straighten the flange. Two or three lateral cuts left to right from the bottom of the pan to the flange will allow you to straighten it. As you weld up your cuts it will again shrink, so straighten past straight. The new shrinkage will pull it back some. I would have built it from aluminum on a trash engine block. As you weld aluminum, it leaves it annealed and easily ductile. As it shrinks creating tension, it stretches. The net result is a less distorted pan.
Reply:The problem with flame straightening/bending is there is a learning curve............  Once you've done a variety, had some successes and failures then you can tackle just about anything. Your 1st few attempts are very likely to include an "awwchit" or two."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPEnough heat in the proper spot, amazing what it will do. This picture is right out of Lincoln's procedure Handbook.