Anyone used the Speed Engineering oil pan in a GM A-body?

[brrymnvette]

Looking at the pan and it's much cheaper than the Holley. Does it interfere with the steering at all? How about crossmember clearance? Does it hand down to low?





https://www.speed-engineering.com/ls...2-ls3-ls6.html

[Hotwire]

DO NOT USE THAT PAN!!!

That is a reverse engineered Holley 302-1 oil pan, hell, Holley may have sold that casting due to it being unusable.. Compare the looks / measurements: https://www.holley.com/products/oil_...ns/parts/302-1

Nobody is using that pan due to tie rod clearance and pinion angle issues. It sits the engine way too high in the engine bay. #1 reason there's a Holly 302-2 pan...

I'm running a Spectra GMP77A F-body pan in my 64. It's a f-body pan, everyone wanted way too much for a used stock pan, found that brand new, much cheaper. My engine is set back so that the heads/intake are almost touching the firewall. I didn't necessarily have to notch, have seen where people just heat up the crossmember near the edges of the f-body pan and push them in w/ a BFH. The pan is not perfect, I had to massage one bolt hole in my trans bellhousing to get a bolt threaded, but other than that, no issues..
also need:
GM Z28 dipstick 12551581
GM Z28 dipstick tube 12551577

Not a good angle but you can see how close the pan gets to the curved edges of the cross member. F-body pan does not hang below crossmember.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...unds&crop=fill

Bottom of pan / lip of notch in crossmember
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...unds&crop=fill

Finished notch, I'm a grinder, not a welder.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...unds&crop=fill

Do yourself a solid. If you take the front end off the car while doing the LS swap, either keep the front end on tires, on the ground OR put jack stands under the a-arms. I had jackstands back by the door hinges/firewall so I could swing the engine hoist around. Our frames are wet noodles. My frame sagged so bad I thought I had room for days until I jacked the front end up to move it and all my room disappeared. The frame was sagging after the jackstands.. For fun, jack your front up, put jackstands back by the door hinges, have someone lower the jack and watch how much the front flexes. I was shocked.

[brrymnvette]

Thanks for that! I have seen how badly these things flex, it's nuts. I ran into the same issues

[stab6902]

Thanks for that! I have seen how badly these things flex, it's nuts.

X3... It's kind of amazing that we can get these things to ride and handle as well as they do with such a flimsy foundation. It's not just A-bodies either - basically any old school body on frame car does the same thing.