My opion on securing the pickup is to braze, that is the way I have done it in the past. My reasoning is cast will distort or crack if to much heat is apllied. Cast iron needs to be heated evenly not just in one spot, I learned this splitting manifolds on 6's ahwile back, quite awhile!

Phil

tack it

"panther" and "ragtop" have it right. A "ZIT" with a good nickel rod to tack it will not create any harmful heat damage and keep your pressed-in pickup tube where you want it. If you are anal enough, you can go to the other, even more foolproof extremes. --- Jer

I like the new style pickup tubes that have a holddown bracket made on the pickup tube, if that is not an option then take out the spring and use a bronze rod with a propane torch, the key here is use as little heat as possible

H2Xmark you know were you can get them to fit in Stock motors?

Jon

If you have access to tig, that is the best way I have found. The heat is pretty local to the actual bead area, as Rob says do it on the side away from the cover. As Phil pointed out brazing is a good way to go on cast iron. The tig brazing is the best of both. Not trying to start an argument, but I have seen lots of pickups fall out over the years. It is a very embarrassing way to lose an engine. The built on brackets are great, but I have seen them crack without the attachment at the inlet/

For really extream applications, some people will even fabricate a bracket to help support the pickup. A boat bouncing can really crank on that tube. Hey, you can't will many races with 0 oil pressure.

I would weld a bracket to the tube and bolt it to the pump as well.I had a tube break where it is swaged up to stop going in the pump further.It left the small welded in piece in the pump and broke outbourd of it.I herd that this is usally a vibration problem that causes the tube to break.

I would agree. The broken one that I saw definetly broke from vibration fatigue.

312 stainless is also good for tig welding dissimilar metals Tripps