Automotive Oil Pans

A high-quality oil pan and gasket installed on your engine provides a leak-free sump for oil. The purpose of the oil pan is to collect oil that has drained from the engine and provide enough for the oil pump pickup to draw it in and transfer it back to the top of the motor without running out of oil. Circle track and drag racing oil pans also incorporate optional baffles and trap doors to keep oil from moving away from the oil pump pickup.

On high performance engines often exceeding 6500 rpms, deeper performance oil pans are very beneficial. They allow more oil to be available for high volume oil pumps, to move great amount of oil to all areas of the engine. More oil also allows for extra cooling, as the heat is spread out further. Aluminum oil pans with fins also allow better heat dissipation.

Depending on the year, make, and model of the vehicle, the possibility to remove a car or truck oil pan without removing the engine will change. If the vehicle doesn't have a crossmember, rack and pinion, or any other obstacles below the oil pan, removal is simple. However, if there are chassis components in the way that can't be removed, at a minimum, the engine will have to be disconnected from the motor mounts and raised to allow enough room for the pan to clear the crankshaft and oil pump pickup screen during removal.

In most cases involving lifting the engine in order to allow changing the oil pan gasket, an engine hoist is the best option rather than jacking the engine up with a floor jack from below. In some cases, the hood will need to be removed in order to allow the space required by the engine hoist. Proper engine attachment points will need to be identified and used, typically at the front and rear of the engine block or cylinder heads. Any components that will be in the way or that could get damaged during engine lifting need to be disconnected or removed as well.

Oil pans typically don't need to be replaced unless they have been damaged or have excessive corrosion that will cause leaking or loss of structural integrity. Oil pan gasket life can vary, and doesn't need changed until oil leaking occurs.