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Corvette pans used a center rear drain. The $50-$100 side drain pans, available through most Corvettes vendors, are an acceptable replacement.
Keen Parts makes a correct 63-79 4 quart (5 qt system) pan, with the center rear drain, that's available direct from them, or from many of the Corvette vendors. The correct repro pan sells for about $250.
Cast aluminum pans look pretty cool, but they're not practical for a Corvette that's regularly driven on the street. Have you ever looked at the sump of your typical Corvette oil pan? Most Corvette pans have experienced a few dents, because the car is so low, and the engine is mounted so low in the frame.
A friend of mine use to have a beautiful 66 big block custom, with an aluminum pan. He always drove it to shows. He cracked two different aluminum pans, one on a man hole cover and the other on a speed bump, before he switched to a chrome plated stamped steel pan.
This is the same pan and stay away from it.......
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SB-Chevy-Finned-Aluminum-Oil-Pan-W-Bolts-283-327-350-1979-86-P-S-Dipstick-V-8-/131753494857?hash=item1ead1ec949 http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ca...make/chevrolet
Click on the 360 degree view.
This one in Summit is black you get the idea.....just an open pan. Same casting.
It has been around since the 80's and is a nice looking piece but has ZERO internal baffling.....when you hit the brake....all the oil flows right up to the front of the spinning crankshaft.....the little cast dam makes little if no difference....
The only way to use it is to somehow make or buy a baffle for it....and i know of none you can purchase...
A friend of mine has one that he is going to use on his 32' Ford Coupe...but he is going to duplicate GM's baffle and TIG it in....
If you can swing it....the original 6 quart Corvette pan is an excellent piece.....it has excellent oil control....some even have trap doors.
Any of the above 5 quart pans will work well.....not sure what they are talking about on the power steering as the original Vette pan sump is even larger.
I'm seeing many small block replacement pans that state they will not fit a power steering car without modification.
What modifications?
Anybody do this?
Where can I buy one that fits, reasonably priced?
1972 Base 350, 4-speed, power steering.
Thanks!
What I did on my 73 L48 (don't think your 72 SB is any different) with power steering was removed the two idler arm bolts from the frame. This allows the power steering linkage to sag down enough for the pan to clear for easy removal and installation. The reason for removal was to remove/ repair a plug that a previous owner had put in the pan. There shouldn't been any reason to modify an oem pan. I made sure to mark where the idler arm was bolted up. BTW this job is a bear if you don't have a lift. I had the car up on jackstands. I would suggest using an OEM pan and a one piece Fel Pro gasket. This is a job you only want to do once.
Hope this helps,
Jim
..., before he switched to a chrome plated stamped steel pan.
Meh, I can't stand chrome. Polished aluminum get a nice sheen over time that is hard to beat. Another car of mine is low, the aluminum oil pan is right there close to the ground, and it never got scratched.
Corvette pans used a center rear drain. The $50-$100 side drain pans, available through most Corvettes vendors, are an acceptable replacement.
Keen Parts makes a correct 63-79 4 quart (5 qt system) pan, with the center rear drain, that's available direct from them, or from many of the Corvette vendors. The correct repro pan sells for about $250.Cast aluminum pans look pretty cool, but they're not practical for a Corvette that's regularly driven on the street. Have you ever looked at the sump of your typical Corvette oil pan? Most Corvette pans have experienced a few dents, because the car is so low, and the engine is mounted so low in the frame.
A friend of mine use to have a beautiful 66 big block custom, with an aluminum pan. He always drove it to shows. He cracked two different aluminum pans, one on a man hole cover and the other on a speed bump, before he switched to a chrome plated stamped steel pan.
This $250 correct pan is what I'm trying to avoid. Too much $. I'm building a motor on the side and don't want to drop the motor in only to find out the pan needs "modification"
I'll use the correct pan for the rebuild on the original, numbers matching, motor.
Thanks for all the links and advice. I have plenty to research now.
05-09-2016, 08:51 PM
Oil pan replacement.
