Looking for a no BS answer to an oil pan question
GM had extra paper and a bunch of enginners sitting around doing nothing, so they added that to manuals just for you. Of course its important, but if you were worried about the rigidity of the block, you'd be running a cast iron block. Did you ever notice, GM doesn't put 4L80e's behind aluminum blocks, so you think there might be a reason for that?
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,148
Likes: 12
From: Downers Grove, IL
From what I can tell it looks like the rigidity that they are talking about is that it bolts the engine/trans together more solidly and gets higher noise harshness and vibration ratings. From what I can tell, running without the cast aluminum oil pan doesn`t seem to weaken the motor (just ask my old iron block 5.3, that rod went through the block and the pan
) But running a different pan would lead to more noise harshness and vibration.......like any of us care about that stuff
) But running a different pan would lead to more noise harshness and vibration.......like any of us care about that stuff I would say that it is engineered into the the rigidity.. When you consider the span between the motor mount and the distance to the Rear trans mount and fpr a F-Body car that (or even a C5/C6 torgtube) uses a Torque Arm that is bolted to the Trans. Their are a lot of forces and torque between an aluminum Engine and Transmisstion that would have to stay solid.
With a Iron block, you might get away with out the extra pan/trans bolts. But even in the late 80's and 90's SBC trucks (maybe BBC too ?), they started to use braces on each side between the front engine mount and the lower Transmission Bell housing.
IMO, If you can keep them, use them. if not.. it may turn into a problem it may not...Depends !
With a Iron block, you might get away with out the extra pan/trans bolts. But even in the late 80's and 90's SBC trucks (maybe BBC too ?), they started to use braces on each side between the front engine mount and the lower Transmission Bell housing.
IMO, If you can keep them, use them. if not.. it may turn into a problem it may not...Depends !
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Originally Posted by G-Body
From what I can tell it looks like the rigidity that they are talking about is that it bolts the engine/trans together more solidly and gets higher noise harshness and vibration ratings. From what I can tell, running without the cast aluminum oil pan doesn`t seem to weaken the motor...
There are plenty of high horsepower aluminum block engines surviving just fine with sheet metal oil pans.
Ken
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Verdad Gallardo Http://www.southernperformancesystem...ecs_4l80e.html
http://www.southernperformancesystem...ecs_6l80e.html
Of course the 4l80e is good for an 18,000 vehicle, the 6l80e is only rated at half that
I don't see how the pan would do anything useful for rigidity. Glance up with the windage tray out- you have huge six bolt steel mains going along the block with plenty of webbing. I don't think the oilpan is going to do anything significant.
