"The Bat" out of hell
Member
How low a pan can be found? for low motor sbc
lowist I found so far was 8.25 #30900
lowist I found so far was 8.25 #30900
low motor oilpan
- Thread starter "The Bat" out of hell
- Start date
Mike
Well-Known Member
Milodon offers a pan that is 7.500" sump depth. But I think that's fairly close to stock sump depth.
31503 fits the 1979 and earlier models with a LH dipstick
31502 fits 1980-1985 blocks with 2 piece rear main seals and RH dipstick
31501 fits all the 1986 and later blocks with one piece rear main seals and RH dipstick
The pan with work with a 3.750" crank and stock rods. If you're using an aftermarket rod, you're going to need to do some work. There is an internal windage tray that might also create some clearance issues with a long stroke and an aftermarket rod.
You can see an image of the pan HERE, about the 4th pan listed on the page.
Yes, yes, I know, it's only a 5 quart pan, but with a standard oil pump (M-55 Melling), it will work out just fine.
Be forewarned - before getting the pan gaskets and end seals all siliconed up, trial fit the pan. The odds are that it will need a bit of adjustment to get all the pan bolts to start. It's a lot easier to do this beforehand, rather than having to go back in a clean silicone off everything. Once you know you can start all the bolts, tighten a few of them and then bar the motor over a full revolution, to see if everything clears. Turn the stereo down as you're doing this, so you can hear if something is too close.
31503 fits the 1979 and earlier models with a LH dipstick
31502 fits 1980-1985 blocks with 2 piece rear main seals and RH dipstick
31501 fits all the 1986 and later blocks with one piece rear main seals and RH dipstick
The pan with work with a 3.750" crank and stock rods. If you're using an aftermarket rod, you're going to need to do some work. There is an internal windage tray that might also create some clearance issues with a long stroke and an aftermarket rod.
You can see an image of the pan HERE, about the 4th pan listed on the page.
Yes, yes, I know, it's only a 5 quart pan, but with a standard oil pump (M-55 Melling), it will work out just fine.
Be forewarned - before getting the pan gaskets and end seals all siliconed up, trial fit the pan. The odds are that it will need a bit of adjustment to get all the pan bolts to start. It's a lot easier to do this beforehand, rather than having to go back in a clean silicone off everything. Once you know you can start all the bolts, tighten a few of them and then bar the motor over a full revolution, to see if everything clears. Turn the stereo down as you're doing this, so you can hear if something is too close.
putz
Member
Here is another option people have used so you don't have to worry quite so much about hitting bottom.Slam guard.
jegs slam guard oil pan
jegs slam guard oil pan
I got tired of removing and replacing my pan, so made my own slamgard with pipe and plate. And to ease install, replaced bolts with studs and nuts. Just slip pan onto studs and add the nuts. Note that even with slamgard, a hard hit can buckle and crack sides of pan; I've done it. I have less than 2" under oil pan, flywheel and tranny pan, so am raising the whole mess an inch or two. Lotsa work and less room in cockpit, but it beats scraping bottom all the time.
"The Bat" out of hell
Member
Thanks guys,good ideas.
Ted Brown
Member
My slamguard has done its job on several occasions (3-1/2" clearance)...
NOTE!!! Drain plug is on the wrong side, just lucky it did not loosen and work it's way off, seen that happen way too many times, I move it to the other side or to the rear of the pan... Engines need to be mounted higher in the frame. Get over trying to make a flat floor...
"The Bat" out of hell
Member
Great point about the plug!
My stock SBC pan looks tobe 7.625 from gasket rail to very bottom of plug bolt lowist point.
I guess stock is about the same no matter what year as for deep.
Seems that one could be made 7in. or even 6.75 and still clear the stock oilpump,but with a custom pickup.\ I razed motor mounts up with 1/2in. spacers and got some,but was looking for at lest a full 1 in. extra,with out having to rebuild the floor.
I liked the slamguard one,but was thinking if I'm going to weld a 3/16in. slamguard on,i may as well cut some off deep and buld a pick up as well.
Keeper
Active Member
On the risk of sounding stupid. What does the side of the pan have to do with the drain plug falling out? Is it just that you could catch the bolt and loosen it?
one finger john
Active Member
Could anyone tell me what the depth of the trans sump (say a 350) is and what the depth of the flywheel/with cover is in relation to these stock(?) oil pans? I would think that crunching the flywheel would be worse. Also, IIRC a trans with deep sump will hang lower than the engine pan will. No? Correct me if I am wrong.
John
Or does the oil pan run block for the flywheel cover?
John
Or does the oil pan run block for the flywheel cover?
EX JUNK
Moderator
If you place a straight edge across the bottom of the guard and in line with the drain plug, you will see that the guard is BELOW the drain plug thus protecting the drain plug.
Jim
When I crawl under the pickup and look the stock oil pan is a bout an inch or so lower than the flex plate.
blownt
Member
As Jim says, the drain plug on the Slamquard is higher than the steel plate. You will not spin the drain plug if you hit sumptin with the Slamguard. Believe me I have hit many things with the Slamguard and ain't spun it yet. Before I got the Slamquard I spun the drain plug on the old pan numerous times. Once I was on a night cruise and pulled over for an ambulance to pass. Drove about another 3 miles to my friends house and had a trail of oil the whole way to his house (after I found the puddle of oil widening on his driveway).
My 350 oil pan, flywheel and 400 tranny pan are all same clearance, and all three have been banged. I took off the flywheel cover because it kept getting hit and bent up to touch the flywheel.
Little known fact: the TH400 came from the factory with one of two pans; a shallow one on cars and a deeper one on trucks. I was always banging mine until I found out it was the deep truck pan. Each pan has a matching pickup.
Little known fact: the TH400 came from the factory with one of two pans; a shallow one on cars and a deeper one on trucks. I was always banging mine until I found out it was the deep truck pan. Each pan has a matching pickup.
blownt
Member
"Little known fact: the TH400 came from the factory with one of two pans; a shallow one on cars and a deeper one on trucks. I was always banging mine until I found out it was the deep truck pan. Each pan has a matching pickup."
Yeap, you can go to the Chevy dealer and get the deeper pan and there is a longer plastic tube between the valve body and filter. That was the trick back in the 70's and 80's before the deep cast aluminum pans.
Yeap, you can go to the Chevy dealer and get the deeper pan and there is a longer plastic tube between the valve body and filter. That was the trick back in the 70's and 80's before the deep cast aluminum pans.
Similar threads
