Dana 20 oil pan

[Geiri]

Has anyone seen a oil pan for Ford Dana 20 at some vendor?
Something like this... I am looking.

 

[okie4570]

There are so many Dana 20s in use out there on Fords, Jeeps, Chevys and IH without a extra capacity pan that last forever, I can't imagine them actually making a difference. Not to mention it hanging lower. Maybe I'm missing something but seems like a sales gimmick. I guess I don't know what "dilemmas" they're referring too.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Thin warped pans? It is a healthy chunk of steel plate.
That extended depth box is way less rigid than the factory plate it.
Extended oil capacity. Why? The Dana 20 doesn't have issues that cause that. Any oiling issues are from running it low or flat towing with the output bearings being dry (basically running it low), but that isn't something an extra capacity sump would fix.

A solution looking for a problem.

FWI, years ago there was a member here who made plastic (Lexan?) covers. Sort of a gimick, you could inspect your oil/gears through the plastic. Don't remember ever hearing of any issues with those either.

 

[Master Chief]

Did you notice that it is NOT compatible with Bronco Dana 20’s?

 

[56f100bbw]

It looks good, but why do it like everybody else’s?

 

[Viperwolf1]

Did you notice that it is NOT compatible with Bronco Dana 20’s?

Bolt pattern is different on the other D20s.

 

[Geiri]

Now to clarify, I live in Iceland and we drive mostly in heavy snow.
So the Dana 20 heats up a lot. More oil would help with cooling and there are places in the D20 that don't take heat well.
Here in Iceland in the old days (before better transmissions and transfer cases), we did go as far as implementing an oil pump in the D20 to keep the parts in an oil bath all the time, as well as adding an oil cooler.

Some even built a new axle into it with O rings and bearings. Measurements are in MM. See attachment.
Such modifications are to much for me. But the extra oil would sure help.

 

[DirtDonk]

Cool stuff. Didn’t know you had been adding so many interesting modifications to the old Dana 20.
Good to hear that.

So the concept of the deeper cover might still be valid, but as it was pointed out, the one in your link will not work for a bronco transfer case. The shape of the cover is completely different between the jeep and the Ford.
I have never seen one either, so you may have to fab your own.

 

[thegreatjustino]

Did you notice that it is NOT compatible with Bronco Dana 20’s?

Hence the reason he was asking if there was a similar product available from the Bronco vendors.

 

[Wild horse 75]

Since the Dana 20 has a steel side plate it would be very easy to bend up a pan sand just weld it to the existing cover. You could add bungs or anything else you might need for an external pump or reservoir.

 

[Geiri]

Cool stuff. Didn’t know you had been adding so many interesting modifications to the old Dana 20.
Good to hear that.

So the concept of the deeper cover might still be valid, but as it was pointed out, the one in your link will not work for a bronco transfer case. The shape of the cover is completely different between the jeep and the Ford.
I have never seen one either, so you may have to fab your own.

That's the thing we wheel so different than you.
I did notice. That was why I used that picture
I was hoping for something more sophisticated than my own fabing

 

[Geiri]

Since the Dana 20 has a steel side plate it would be very easy to bend up a pan sand just weld it to the existing cover. You could add bungs or anything else you might need for an external pump or reservoir.

I was hoping for something more sophisticated

 

[Broncobowsher]

Well I have a Dana 20 PTO. You could hook that to a hydraulic pump to run oil through a cooler, dry sump system, and pressurize the bearings and gears for oiling. If you want to make it all fancy.

I'm amazed that it is an issue in Iceland while it has ran the baja for decades without needing help.

 

[Viperwolf1]

I'm amazed that it is an issue in Iceland while it has ran the baja for decades without needing help.

Exactly. Our racer has only gone through one input gear in it's racing career so far. A deeper sump and more oil capacity would probably be a requirement if the oiling was pressurized. They tend to leak enough with only gravity pulling on the oil.

 

[73azbronco]

View attachment 912604 Now to clarify, I live in Iceland and we drive mostly in heavy snow.
So the Dana 20 heats up a lot. More oil would help with cooling and there are places in the D20 that don't take heat well.
Here in Iceland in the old days (before better transmissions and transfer cases), we did go as far as implementing an oil pump in the D20 to keep the parts in an oil bath all the time, as well as adding an oil cooler.

Some even built a new axle into it with O rings and bearings. Measurements are in MM. See attachment.
Such modifications are to much for me. But the extra oil would sure help.

Define heats up? How much? Sounds like other localized issues of surface heating not oil heating. By definition, wouldn't driving in snow impart cooling from the snow hitting the d20? Which leads back to why is your d20 getting that hot? TRanny heat? I mean they raced these in Baja, never heard of heating there.

 

[DirtDonk]

Possibly due to 40 inch and larger tires maybe?
Big fat meets that float on top of the snow and are putting the engine and drive train under constant pressure. Possibly even higher rpm use for extended periods?
I’m only guessing based on what little I know of Icelandic off-road adventures, but that seems plausible.
Completely different type of stresses perhaps.
Although the part about the cooling aspect of the weather and the snow and ice itself, it does seem like it would overcoming any of the other obstacles.

 

[DirtDonk]

Maybe getting too close to that lava!

 

[okie4570]

How does one know the D20 temps and whether it's heating up? What is too hot? Infrared gun I guess? Would like to see the temp results after a Baja race vs playing in the snow vs 50 mile highway trip in 90⁰+ temps.

 

[Geiri]

Possibly due to 40 inch and larger tires maybe?
Big fat meets that float on top of the snow and are putting the engine and drive train under constant pressure. Possibly even higher rpm use for extended periods?
I’m only guessing based on what little I know of Icelandic off-road adventures, but that seems plausible.
Completely different type of stresses perhaps.
Although the part about the cooling aspect of the weather and the snow and ice itself, it does seem like it would overcoming any of the other obstacles.

Big tires and driving in Low range for longer periods. I actually don't know how this was found out but guy's started going out and under to touch the box.
The oil was boiling inside. The oil capacity is not much in the D20.
The parts that did give where the Roller Bearings and Thrust Washers around the Intermediate Shaft.
The Intermediate Shaft was swapped for the axle I posted above. Ball bearings did replace the Roller bearings.

 

[ntsqd]

More fluid capacity itself is rarely a problem and is usually a good idea. It's how that extra capacity is obtained that can be the problem. A simple solution would be to use the vent for filling and fill it above the usual fill port. Doing that may present other problems, dunno, but would be worth trying.

Thought about contacting that company to see if they'll make them to fit the Bronco's D20? Novak makes some interesting bits, they might be interested.
https://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/transfer-case-parts/dana-20-parts I would like to see what the interior of that part looks like. Is just an open cavity, or does it have some stiffening ribs?

I recall a Dana 18 mod from years ago where the idler gear was converted to tapered roller bearings using a new shaft much like the drawing above. People driving at modern highway speeds were killing the sized needle bearings in D18's, even the biggest Ø version wasn't enough, and this was a proposed solution. The idler shaft itself both set the bearing pre-load and took those side-load forces instead of it working to spread the case. As I recall Jack O'Brien was in the middle of all of that.