OIL Pans The good, the bad and ugly

R

racprops

Well-Known Member
So I have three pans two are too short for the BBC Oil pump and the one that fits has NO oil control baffles...

The short ones have a oil control baffle, these seem like a great idea.

And are these a kind of wind-age trays?? if so is it worth my time to put one on to my engine??
OR would my low RPM lugger get any use out of a full windage tray?

RichBaffel 2.jpgPan 1.jpgPan 2.jpg
 
can you change the oil pump pick-up angle, or swap to a different oil pump pick-up and get the required clearance?

61cSaiJAmTL._SL1500_.jpg


a dial caliper. a pad of paper, a magic marker, some fabrication skills ,
and owning a drill press and a decent welder or ideally a milling machine
can allow you to do amazing things in the correct hands,
especially when getting what you need is not available off the shelf
 
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The pan os hitting the pump its self.

I can use the blue pan it is a little lower/deeper and has about 1/2 an inch clearance, BUT no oil control baffles.

How important are those oil baffles?

My machine shop is looking though the stock of oil pans for a deep one matching the pan with a oil baffles.

I hope they can find one.

Also what about the windage trays, good, bad, wastes of time??

Or should I looking into a full real windage tray?? Would such help with my low RPM engine?

Rich
 
if the oil pumps hitting the oil pan interior, find out where its hitting
most oil pumps are of similar depth, but different brands of oil pump pick-ups vary a great deal in design and lateral clearance against the pans interior vertical walls,
you can add a windage screen and oil control baffles if you have a mig/tig welder , a decent 12" caliper, some masking tape and cardboard to use as a pattern, and test fitting the cardboard/taped parts, and basic welding skills, once you fabricate the steel parts required, very easily
but you might want to just buy a new aftermarket oil pan already modified if you don't feel up to the challenge of custom fabrication,
well designed oil control baffles do help keep the oil pump pick-up covered in oil,
especially under hard acceleration, hard breaking and hard turns, all those momentary lapses in full oil pressure, to the bearings that the oil pump pick-up being momentarily uncovered, thus sucking air vs oil, that a non-baffled oil pan sees,
tends to result in, more accelerated bearing wear, but unless consistent and frequent, those dips in oil flow rate/pressure are rarely critical on a street car that rarely sees consistent abuse at high stress and high rpms.


building a custom wet sump oil pan

The question comes up rather frequently when I suggest buying or modifying oil pans as to "WHY BOTHER?" well its simply the fact that most stock oil pans were designed simply to be the cheapest to manufacture component that would function on an engine that would rarely be spinning over 3500rpm...
garage.grumpysperformance.com

whats a windage tray do?

"OK GRUMPYVETTE< I have dumb question? What is a windage tray and whats it for?" windage trays don,t provide a huge boost in horse power, the purpose is mostly in providing much improved oil control, thus they can, if properly designed provide a much more consistent oil supply, and enhanced...
garage.grumpysperformance.com

oil system mods that help

heres a short list REMEMBER the object or goal in building and maintaining the lubrication system is too maintain a 100% dependable pressurized cooling flow of lubricant to the bearings, rockers ,valves etc. your most important tool, is your ability to think about how things are supposed to...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
 
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Grumpy said:
if the oil pumps hitting the oil pan interior, find out where its hitting
most oil pumps are of similar depth, but different brands of oil pump pick-ups vary a great deal in design and lateral clearance against the pans interior vertical walls,
you can add a windage screen and oil control baffles if you have a mig/tig welder , a decent 12" caliper, some masking tape and cardboard to use as a pattern, and test fitting the cardboard/taped parts, and basic welding skills, once you fabricate the steel parts required, very easily
but you might want to just buy a new aftermarket oil pan already modified if you don't feel up to the challenge of custom fabrication,
well designed oil control baffles do help keep the oil pump pick-up covered in oil,
especially under hard acceleration, hard breaking and hard turns, all those momentary lapses in full oil pressure, to the bearings that the oil pump pick-up being momentarily uncovered, thus sucking air vs oil, that a non-baffled oil pan sees,
tends to result in, more accelerated bearing wear, but unless consistent and frequent, those dips in oil flow rate/pressure are rarely critical on a street car that rarely sees consistent abuse at high stress and high rpms.


building a custom wet sump oil pan

The question comes up rather frequently when I suggest buying or modifying oil pans as to "WHY BOTHER?" well its simply the fact that most stock oil pans were designed simply to be the cheapest to manufacture component that would function on an engine that would rarely be spinning over 3500rpm...
garage.grumpysperformance.com

whats a windage tray do?

"OK GRUMPYVETTE< I have dumb question? What is a windage tray and whats it for?" windage trays don,t provide a huge boost in horse power, the purpose is mostly in providing much improved oil control, thus they can, if properly designed provide a much more consistent oil supply, and enhanced...
garage.grumpysperformance.com

oil system mods that help

heres a short list REMEMBER the object or goal in building and maintaining the lubrication system is too maintain a 100% dependable pressurized cooling flow of lubricant to the bearings, rockers ,valves etc. your most important tool, is your ability to think about how things are supposed to...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
Click to expand...

Thanks, I feel a pan with bottom baffles is best the others less.

Rich
 
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I just found the main cap bolts to mount this long plate.

As it seems to be on two of my engines even with the baffle in the pan it seems like a good idea to put it on my engine??

Yes?? No?? Why??

Rich
 

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that's a simple factory windage tray,
that in theory reduces the spinning crank assembly's tendency to cause oil to foam or get oil/air mix,
thus reducing oil pressure as oil a fluid won't compress but oil containing air bubble's
it surely helps but you have better options

oil system mods that help

heres a short list REMEMBER the object or goal in building and maintaining the lubrication system is too maintain a 100% dependable pressurized cooling flow of lubricant to the bearings, rockers ,valves etc. your most important tool, is your ability to think about how things are supposed to...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
greatly reduces the engine oils ability to lubricate
much more effective aftermarket designs are available
mil-32250.jpg

whats a windage tray do?

"OK GRUMPYVETTE< I have dumb question? What is a windage tray and whats it for?" windage trays don,t provide a huge boost in horse power, the purpose is mostly in providing much improved oil control, thus they can, if properly designed provide a much more consistent oil supply, and enhanced...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
 
the real question is.....is it worth it if there's a 1-in-50 chance it prevents a burnt bearing
 
Grumpy said:
the real question is.....is it worth it if there's a 1-in-50 chance it prevents a burnt bearing
Click to expand...
Which are you talking about, the baffles or the Windage Trays??

I have the long factory tray...so on that is the tray i considering on ebay worth the $60.00 VS the factory tray??

Rich
 
both windage trays and baffles used in conjunction to control oil return rates,
provide a noticeable improvement in potential engine durability
theres only a minimal improvement if you use the aftermarket version vs the factory windage tray WITH a baffled oil pan,
but I would do so EVERY time I had the choice
now a days you spend $60 on taking yourself and a buddy or two for coffee and a few subs,
in my opinion , swapping too the aftermarket windage tray,
is almost a no-brainer as far as an engine build goes as to benefit vs cost.
yeah this hobbys a bottomless money pit!
oil_cutter-en.jpg
 
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Damn it is hard to find a low cost 8 inch pan, or even a baffle that we can well into one....

Any one have one to spare?

Rich
 
I've generally used poster board and tape to , cut, and test fit and make patterns for baffles then use sheet steel a few small cabinet hinges and a mig or TIG welder to install baffles in existing oil pans, but on many occasions I've modified and cut oil pans and modified 30 caliber ammo cans to make extended or higher volume oil sumps.

building a custom wet sump oil pan

The question comes up rather frequently when I suggest buying or modifying oil pans as to "WHY BOTHER?" well its simply the fact that most stock oil pans were designed simply to be the cheapest to manufacture component that would function on an engine that would rarely be spinning over 3500rpm...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
 
I am aware of the better oil pans and windage trays even the ones that can scrape off the oil on the counter weights.

But other than full power burn all the way to 4500 /5000 my engine will spend most of its life running between 1500 and 2500RPMs...

So at this point all I feel I need is a baffle in the pan to help hold oil there under hard breaking, and turns, and a simple factory windage tray.

SO I think I will be fine with a oil pan with a baffle like this and the windage tray like this.

Problem is the dumb ass pan IS deep enough in the front part of the slump, but it angles upward in the back and there it hits the BBC Pump.

I think even a 7.5 inch pan would work IF its bottom is FLAT.

Rich
 

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there should be several aftermarket options,
if you use a different oil pump pick-up,
will the oil pump fit one of the existing oil pans
what year is the block/
what side is the dip stick?
is it a two piece rear seal?

Id start by removing the existing oil pump pick-up and trying to see if the baffled oil pan you have will fit,
without the current oil pump pick-up, if it does, you need to find a more compatible pick-up

 
It seemed to hitting on the pump its self.

I was able to test it without a pickup. It still hit the pan.

It is a stock Milling BBC pump.

1992 350 passenger side dip stick

One piece rear seal.

Rich
 
@racprops

How much does the pan need to change to fit the pump??? If it's only a little, I had the same problem, You can modify the pan like I did by heating a small area and beating a small bubble in just the right area to clear the pump. Check out my problem/solution blow.

Oil Pan Damage !

I made some studs so I could see better just how far I was from getting the pan to fit. The clearance I needed was really very small , maybe 1/16". So I ground as much as I thought prudent from that corner of the oil pump. With the studs and some longer hex head bolts I was able to bolt the...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
.
 
RICKS correct put a thin layer of play-do clay around the pump, and inside the oil pan in the suspected area of contact,
and test fit the pump in it, to locate the area needing to be modified
heat with propane torch and careful use of a ballpeen hammer should easily rectify the clearance issues
I know I keep several pounds in my tool chest for similar test fit clearance checking issues,
like checking piston to valve clearances

(I wish you were close locally, stuff like this can be fun,(modifying or building a new oil pan)

But it requires careful , and repeated hands on, physical contact/measuring test fitting etc.
of the oil pan in the actual car its to be used in, to verify the oil filter, oil pump, oil pump pick-up, exhaust system, windage screen, baffles and other components fit the modified oil pan correctly

Valve To Piston Clearance??

A buddy of mine is about to drop off a set of fresh 215 closed chambered heads that I’m getting for next to nothing. Question here is does anyone know if the 2349 speed pro ls6 closed chamber replacement piston will work with them? I have a short block sitting here with those pistons ready to go...
garage.grumpysperformance.com

checking piston to valve clearances

this is an old post I got asked to repost, naturally the first step is to install and correctly degree in your cam, http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/measuring-piston-dome-volume.17255/...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
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Discover a modeling clay that's a classic favorite amongst sculptors, clay animators, and artists of all ages! Plastalina Modeling Clay is renowned for its smooth consistency and reusability. The clay never hardens, making it ideal for use in claymation, figurines, and school projects. Create...
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