Im working on a gen4 5.3L for a silverado 4X2 truck. I have 2 different oil pickup tubes. one has a 6 1/4 " drop from the bracket and the other has a 7 1/4 " drop from the bracket. when i look through the drain bolt hole i can see that the longer pickup tube has about 1/2" clearance from the bottom of the pan. what is the minimum clearance for the oil pickup ? Is that enough or is it better to be a little higher to not suck dirt from the bottom of the pan later on ?

 

½" is just about right. Send it.

 

3/8” to 1/2” is typical numbers. I feel that the aluminum LS pans have enough rigidity to allow the pickup to be even closer than 3/8”. With the thinwall stamped steel oil pans, a bigger clearance is wanted to allow for pan flex, or pan damage that could close the distance. Use modeling clay and a razor blade to figure the exact difference if your concerned.

 

Thanks I like the clay idea.