Big block oil pan question…

[jwalk]

I think there was two different oil pans for a big block. A five quart pan for most cars and a seven or eight quart pan for trucks. My question is, is there a way to tell which one I have in my truck? To me it looks small like a five quart pan, but I'm not positive. Didn't know if the drain plug was in the same spot on both pans, or if a guy could measure the dimensions and tell…

Thanks,
Justin

[CE20934]

I believe the sump area of the seven-quart pan extends farther forward than the five-quart. I know I had to massage my seven-quart pan to clear the crossmember.

[jwalk]

Thanks CE20934. Does anybody else know the differences in pans?

Thanks,
Justin

[orneryolbiker]

The eight quart pan (Chevy truck) is approx eight inches deep and requires a deeper pick up tube, I use the 1985 gmc 3500 specs for engine parts reference, If the eight quart pan hits the cross member there is a problem in the motor mount area, I have three 1971's all with bbc and eight quart pans with the right motor mounts there is about an inch clearence between the back cross member lip and the front of the curved part of the pan.

[John Pasinski]

If I may ask a question. I'm searching for this exact item in the GM Chassis & Body parts catalog. There are a couple of abbreviations I'm unable to figure out. They are: D-D & MHC. Does anyone know what they stand for? I have a 402 & I'm trying find the correct oil pan size & dip stick length. I'm wondering if I'm running my engine crankcase low on oil. I'm putting in 5 qts including filter. Maybe it's possible that it's an 8 quart?
orneryolbiker I'm gonna measure my pan & see if the sump's 8". Do you or anyone else know the depth of a standard oil pan?

[orneryolbiker]

Ok, I went to the shop with old rusty tape measure, eight quart pan is just shy of 9 inches from lip to bottom, the 402 pan I have is chrome so I'm not sure if it has same as stock demension, it is however, just over 7 inches in depth. None of my pans seem to have a stamped number. I don't know if the 402 truck pan was 5 or 8, there are guys on this forum that would know that info, some of the smartest people I know drive ol chevy trucks

[CE20934]

Originally Posted by orneryolbiker

The eight quart pan (Chevy truck) is approx eight inches deep and requires a deeper pick up tube, I use the 1985 gmc 3500 specs for engine parts reference, If the eight quart pan hits the cross member there is a problem in the motor mount area, I have three 1971's all with bbc and eight quart pans with the right motor mounts there is about an inch clearence between the back cross member lip and the front of the curved part of the pan.

Are your engine stands in the V8 or I6 holes?

[orneryolbiker]

It's been 20 years since I had a running six in a truck, but If I remember correctly the six motor mount holes are the back ones and the v-8 are the forward ones mine are in the forward holes. all three of my 71's were 307 three speed fleet trucks. I put the factory big block towers and motor mounts
in them. Believe it or not I got all of those mounts and towers directy from GM about 15 years ago.

[CE20934]

The '72-only mount is a hybrid of the two styles: same bolt holes for the frame as the '68-71, looks similar to the '73-87, and uses the clamshell mount like the latter. They pop up on the parts board from time-to-time.

After more research, I might have found another strike against me: I used the bellhousing mounts as my fixed point to locate the engine mounts. Supposedly there were three different locations for that thing too: I6, SB, BB. The SB location is about an inch forward of the BB location, so since my truck was a 327/4spd originally, that puts my 427 an inch farther forward than it should've been.

Meh, it runs well. That's what I care most about.

[orneryolbiker]

I love my big blocks I have had them from 396 to 540 cubic inches. Lately I have been oogling the ls engines. I bought my wife a ws6 trans-am and I am very impressed with it. maybe on the next truck