Oil Pans & Components

How To Choose The Right Oil Pan For Your Engine

Choose your oil pan by engine family first, then by chassis clearance, sump location and how you drive. Small Block Chevy pans are split by year, with separate fits for 1980-1985 and 1986-up blocks because the rear main seal changed. Get this wrong, and your Small Block Chevy oil pan won't seal.

Next, check where the sump sits. Front-sump, center-sump and rear-sump pans each clear crossmembers, steering linkage and frame rails differently. Pan depth matters too, since a deeper sump adds capacity but costs ground clearance.

Then match the supporting parts. Your pan, pickup and pump work as a set, so choose oil pumps and pickups sized for your pan depth. A new pan can also move the dipstick location, so check engine dipsticks and tubes before you install.

For the bigger picture, read our guide on how engine oil systems work.

Street/Strip, Drag Race, Road Race And Marine Oil Pans

Pick a pan style based on where oil moves in your car under load. Street/strip pans handle mixed use, while race pans target one direction of g-force.

Moroso oil pans cover several of these uses. Moroso Street/Strip pans fit 1980-1985 and 1986-up Small Block Chevy and V8 Vega/Monza applications. For drag racing, the Moroso 20570 fits Ford Gen 4 5.0L Coyote and 5.2L Voodoo engines in Cobra kit cars.

Canton Racing Products adds the 13-766 drag race pan for Big Block Ford 429-460. Road racing pushes oil side to side, so a baffled oil pan matters more. Canton's 15-966 baffled road race pan fits the Honda S2000, and the Moroso 20152 fits LS Next skirted blocks.

For boats, Canton's 18-366 marine pan fits Big Block Chevy Mark V engines with a 1-piece rear seal.

For sustained high g-loads, compare wet sump vs. dry sump oil systems, then browse dry sump components when you're ready to step up.

Steel Vs. Aluminum Oil Pans

Steel pans cost less and suit stock rebuilds, while an aluminum oil pan adds rigidity and helps shed heat. Your choice comes down to budget, ground clearance and the look you want under the car.

Stamped steel is the factory-style choice for restorations and daily drivers. You'll find a black powdercoated steel stock-style pan for 1965-90 Big Block Chevy 396-454 engines. Steel pan flanges can flex under bolt torque, so Chevrolet Performance offers an oil pan reinforcement rail for 1986-up Small Block Chevy.

Aluminum pans come cast or fabricated. A finned aluminum pan for 1965-1990 Big Block Chevy adds cooling surface area. JEGS LS retrofit pans are cast aluminum, which gives you a stiff, solid base on swap builds.

Aluminum threads are softer than steel, so torque the drain plug carefully. Replace the drain plug washer at every oil change to protect the threads and stop drips.

Windage Trays, Stud Kits And Oil Pan Components

Oil pan components control oil movement, secure the pan and keep your shop floor clean. A windage tray separates the spinning crankshaft from the oil below, which helps reduce aeration and drag.

Here's what you'll find in this part of the category:

• Windage trays from Moroso for Small Block Chevy and from Chevrolet Performance for Big Block Chevy.
• Windage trays from Milodon for Oldsmobile 400/425/455, Ford FE 390/427/428 and Chrysler Wedge/Hemi engines.
• Oil pan stud kits, including the Moroso M6 kit, Canton kits and a 12-point kit.
• Drain plug washers from Canton that help seal the plug at every oil change.
• Absorbent engine diaper pads that catch oil drips under the car.

Stud kits make it easier to line up the gasket each time you pull the pan for inspection. Before you start, review the tools needed to change your oil so you have the right wrenches and drain pan.

LS Swap And Engine Swap Oil Pans

An LS swap oil pan solves the clearance problem of putting a GM LS engine into a chassis it wasn't built for. Factory LS pans can hit crossmembers or steering parts in older cars, so swap pans reshape the sump.

The Moroso 20107 Engine Swap Oil Pan is built for GM LS engines. JEGS LS retrofit pans and fabricated street & strip LS swap pans use trap-door baffling. Those trap-door baffles keep oil at the pickup during hard launches and cornering.

Swaps go beyond GM, too. Moroso also offers a K-Series swap pan for Acura/Honda engines. Each swap pan is built around a specific engine, so confirm your block family before you order.

Once the pan is sorted, round out the swap with the rest of your oil system parts. Add your vehicle to see swap pans that fit your project.