Oil pan

bowez

Registered User
While working on Drummers car my boss brought to my attention that we have the tools to make a new oil pan.

Curious if there is a demand and what material yall would want. Mild steel will be the easiest but Stainless or Aluminum could be possible.

Right now looking at a replica or close, to it anything to change?
 
Isn't the stock pan a structural member for the bottom of the motor?

If you went to a sheet metal pan then you'd have to have, at the very least, a solid perimeter girdle wouldn't you?
 
Isn't the stock pan a structural member for the bottom of the motor?

If you went to a sheet metal pan then you'd have to have, at the very least, a solid perimeter girdle wouldn't you?

No it is not structural.
 
A replica would be retarded, we need 7qts and baffling.

Yep on that. I know someone that is very interested in an oil pan project, and Canton Racing has shown interest to produce them. By all means try and see what you can come up with, its just that it will take time to develop correctly, and fit in the space provided.
 
Yep on that. I know someone that is very interested in an oil pan project, and Canton Racing has shown interest to produce them. By all means try and see what you can come up with, its just that it will take time to develop correctly, and fit in the space provided.


...and not add weight nor prohibit stock engine/oil cooling to the atmosphere attributes, etc, etc, etc.

Work on a windage tray instead :)
 
If increased capacity is what is wanted I'll see what can be done. As for structure I was thinking either 7 or 10 gauge, so I doubt would be any loss of structure.

I don't really see the room for more cap without getting in the way of ground clearance or bellhousing bolts.
 
A bit more capacity, but definitely baffles are needed to prevent starvation.... especially for the guys that like to road course or slalom their cars.

Fraser
 
Baffles are no problem.

As for capacity when say 7qts are you including the filter, or do you want the pan itself to hold 7qts?
 
I wouldn't mind a steel pan, simply from the aspect that they tend to dent first, rather than crack first if hit with road debris. Though I would want to make sure that we don't need a cast pan for some specific reason, i.e. block stability.

A baffle for the pickup and support to clear the ARP studs would all make it a good option for someone.
 
I'm looking only at sheet stock, cast is not even an option. Current goal is for it to a single piece which will be bent and welded. Our CNC programmers are busy for the rest of the year, so don't expect any real progress on this for a couple months.

What is the issue with ARP studs?
 
The forward part of the stock pan doesn't clear the stock length ARP studs on the #1 main journal. Typically you have to cut the stud close to flush with the nut to clear.

Correct. I did not know this when I first installed them and had to cut them on an assembled engine. Thank God for heavy duty trash bags.
 
Can some one take measurements for the studs and pickup so I can get a rough print done. Figure be best to take measurements off the rear of the block.
I have a crank and pan but no block so if anyone has access to a open block that would be helpful.
 
I will get you measurements. There is just enough clearance to the K-member to fit the ARP studs without trimming and a sheetmetal pan.

I have also built a sheetmetal pan that fit just fine and holds over 7 quarts in the pan at a lower level than stock.

A good pan design incorporates a kickout pouch to catch oil as it slings off the crank, baffling to reduce sloshing, and a windage tray to separate the crank from the oil itself.

Here is a good example:

mil-31167_af.jpg


Here is another:

mil-31514.jpg


These pans retail around $350-400 and I would be happy to pay that kind of price for a pan that incorporates these features.

I do think that a new pickup would be required to be effective though because the path the stock pickup takes interferes with proper baffling and windage tray action.
 
They also need screens across the whole length of the pan. The capillary action that the screen provides reduces the amount of oil that splashes back on the crank.

1495.jpg
 
I'm all about the oil pan. Oil pans on all block are structual to some extent. Perhaps more with the 3.8? Regardles you can definitetly stiffin up a steel pan to be even better than the stock cast aluminum. And dont let the pickup stop a good design. stock one can be modded
 
Dave, I nor the company I work for are in no way near experts in this area, but since my boss offered the use of our CNC plasma cutter and 100-ton brake press I will gladly take him up on it.

Price is unknown I asked my boss and won't have that for awhile either, after the drawings are done. I hope to keep them between $200-300 plus S/H--but there are a lot of variables there, most of which I have little influence on. Company time and tools Company gets to set price.

Since my car is lowered 1.5" I'll see how much clearance there actually is.

Location of the stock pick up and size will greatly help with getting the baffles right.

So what does everyone want 10gague or 7gauge, or the more standard 16?
 
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I didn't suggest making the pan any deeper than the stock one. I'm not big on having the pan hang below the stock K-member because lowered cars would be smacking it which is not good. My 7+ quart pan did not hang below the K member. There's a picture of it on here somewhere.

My comments about the stock pickup is not anything meant to complicate things, I just said that the way the stock pickup drops down at an angle, it gets in the way of a windage tray and baffling. Most HP oil pans have a matching oil pickup so that's not out of the ordinary there.

16ga is fine. The pan is not structural to the block. The cast aluminum design was meant to reduce noise is all.
 
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