In this day and age of automation it’s not unreasonable to just expect most of our aftermarket parts are whittled out of metal, welded, and finished by the cold life-less pincers of robots. Specialized skills, time, experience and a human touch add overhead to a business, but the added value of knowing another true enthusiast handled and inspected a part shows a pride in craftsmanship most gearheads will appreciate.

We came across this video from Peterson Fluid Systems that follows the production of a dry sump tank from raw materials to completion. These skill sets are widely known to be endangered among the American workforce, a large slump in skilled labor means many companies have to outsource their production. By retaining the value of these craftsmen in their business model, Peterson not only invests in the quality of their products, but in the identity of domestic goods as skillfully produced and dependable.

Starting at the horizontal bandsaw, the raw aluminum tubing is cut to length to suit the desired fluid capacity of the tank. Moving to a manual lathe, the tube is chucked-up for a quick turn-down of the cut edge. This early care will ensure proper fitment of end caps later in the production process. The last operation on the lather is a quick brushed surface treatment for an even appearance.

Not shown in the video but important to the process, the aluminum tube is spun into shape, beginning to close off one of the ends. The vessel is mounted back in the lathe chuck but rather than turning the work, live tooling descends to bore holes for the plumbing bungs to later mate up with. The fabricator then deburrs the interior and exterior of the window.

A similar process is repeated to create the inner baffling of the tank from another piece of smaller aluminum tubing. All the parts are thoroughly cleaned of grease cutting fluid or any other contaminants before heading to the welder.

The welder uses a part rotator to help make consistent TIG welds.

Using lathe chucks and turn tables he welder lays down consistent TIG beads on these finished aluminum parts. All that’s left is to assemble the parts, a V-band clamp and a cap seal the finished tank.

Fabrication skills are an integral part to racecar fabrication, on the engine side, chassis, suspension and safety. If these skills are often undervalued to the point of extinction we will have a real problem on our hands. If you have ever wanted to learn to weld, work with metal or any other valuable trade, check out a local community college for courses.

The next time you are looking for engine parts or a dry sump system specifically, think about the care that those who made the part put into it.

The finished welding is very clean and even.