7 Quart oil pan vs Stock

[BARRACUDA1968]

I'm getting ready to start re-assembly and was just curious what the general consensus was about using a larger oil pan. I can't imagine down side but I don't see many guy's using them.

I run 7 or 8 quart oil pans on my other 2 performance motors and I guess I change the oil about as often as I do the GN which is 1500 miles ish. I debating on buying one from RJC mainly because I see my oil pressure drop at idle in gear after a long cruise or spirited driving in hotter weather. Just wondering how much an extra couple quarts of oil may or may not help? I am not using the factory oil cooler either.

I spoke with RJC a while back about the pan and I was told they were having bearing issues with motors turning above stock rpm's due to lack of oil. Basically most of the oil was at the top of the engine. The problem went away after going to the larger pan. I'm not worried about that but I am looking for cooler oil temps.

Just looking for opinions.

 

[robzombie]

It sounds like all you need is an external oil cooler. I'm like you and change my oil every 1,000 miles or so.

I run to six g all the time and have never uncovered the pickup with a stock pan. Pressure drop at temp in these motors is normal due to the design of the oil pump/cover and the dissimilar metals expanding at different rates.

Unless you're below 15/20psi hot [idle] you have no worries and around 60/70 cold is about the norm depending on oil viscosity and bearing clearances.

Adding an extra quart or two with a larger pan will only delay the pressure drop by a minute or two and shouldn't be the basis of buying one. The added volume may bring you 1 or 2 psi when hot due to it running a little cooler but might not even be measurable on the gauge.

Investing in an oil cooler would do more to keep pressure higher when warm as it will drop temps more than just adding oil volume. It is also cheaper unless you add a fan to the cooler which is a good idea if you know you're running your oil to hot. You need to have the oil at a minimum temp as well to burn off moisture and other contaminants so don't think that cooler is always better.

If you're worried or would like to know the temp of the oil hot hook up a gauge and go from there even if it's just temporary to give you piece of mind knowing the psi and at what temp it correlates to.

 

[robzombie]

I spoke with RJC a while back about the pan and I was told they were having bearing issues with motors turning above stock rpm's due to lack of oil. Basically most of the oil was at the top of the engine. The problem went away after going to the larger pan. I'm not worried about that but I am looking for cooler oil temps.

I call BS on that one. The cure to slow drain back is to open the oil drain holes in the head [especially the back ones] not add a bigger pan.

If that much oil was in the heads you would have other issues that slow drain back would cause.


Having a bigger pan isn't a problem unless you end up with ground clearance issues or bottoming out on it. On a street car [not street outlaw BS] it's not needed but the choice is up to you in the end on whether you think it's worth the expense on a street car.

 

[Pronto]

The oil drain back on stock heads is pretty lame. When I ran Cometics they blocked half the drain to boot.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

Good points made. I'll put the money toward something else.

 

[BOOST N]

I thought the reason to use a deep eng oil pan to keep the crank out of the oil not to run extra capacity.

 

[robzombie]

I thought the reason to use a deep eng oil pan to keep the crank out of the oil not to run extra capacity.

That's what a windage tray or crank scraper is for.

Now you're talking where race only stuff is used.

 

[BOOST N]

That's what a windage tray or crank scraper is for.

You may want to rethink that.

 

[robzombie]

You may want to rethink that.

I'm sorry I didn't know that you run a pan without a baffle in it.

You might want to rethink it yourself. Are you saying that if you run a pan with more capacity it will change where the oil level is???

Only if you put five/six quarts in that 7 quart pan will the oil be lower than if you use a stock pan there skippy.

 

[BOOST N]

You have no idea what I run. Which appears to be the only thing you don't know.

 

[robzombie]

You have no idea what I run. Which appears to be the only thing you don't know.

I don't know it all and never claimed to.

If you look at how you worded this post ;

I thought the reason to use a deep eng oil pan to keep the crank out of the oil not to run extra capacity.

you make no sense.

You added volume and changed nothing else, if you put 7 quarts in a 7 quart pan and 5 in a 5 quart pan what have you changed. VOLUME, that's it!!!
I'm done with you and I'm not going to crap his thread arguing with you.
You're to obtuse to even realize what you're saying.
If you have a point to prove start your own thread and see what replies you get.

P.S. Read what you write before posting so you don't feel attacked when you get schooled on what you say, not what you think.

 

[1KWIKSIX]

I've got the RJC deep oil pan in my car. Jason supplies 2 deep oil pick up extensions that lowers the pick up point. One for use with a girdle and the other without.

 

[BARRACUDA1968]

My motivation for the deeper pan is oil capacity. I've always used higher capacity oil pans on my V8's. Just made sense to me so I thought I would see what the TB community thought of it.

 

[TURBOELKY]

I have a higher capacity pan I want to use also, it was given to me by a pretty cool member here. Only concern is ground clearance because my car is pretty low. Anyone running a deep pan have a pic?

 

[Jerryl]

You guys have access to much better resources so . . .

If oil volime is the concern, why not simly extend the bottom of the pan to one side?
This will:
1-Add volume.
2-Not impact the dipstick or pickup height or location.
3-Keep the rest of the pan intact.
4-Will allow oil drain relocation to drain ALL the oil. Lol

Should be very simple.

 

[1KWIKSIX]

Here's a picture of my car with RJC's deep oil pan. Also have a Hughes deep transmission pan installed.
You can clearly see that the Hughes cast aluminum transmission pan is much lower than the RJC deep oil pan.
Had em both powder coated black (at least on the outside).
No ground clearance issues here .

 

[TURBOELKY]

That's my concern is hitting a bump or something crazy and knocking the drain bolt off. I for sure would bottom that pan out

 

[1KWIKSIX]

How is your car sitting? i.e. adjusted suspension height?

Believe that my car is approximately 26 1/4" from ground to centre of front wheel opening molding.

Have not even come close to scraping it and have had this on for several years now.

 

[TURBOELKY]

Well, I can't really measure until I get the engine in there but I have a pro touring suspension in there. Without weight it's hard to say but the rear sits really low. It should be about 2" lower than stock

 

[TURBOELKY]

My el Camino sits 25" with qa1 coil over's with 450lb springs installed and if I had that trans pan on the 700r4, it would probably just drag lol