Milodon Road Race Pan - any surprises on installation?

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kielbasa

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Hi guys, planning to purchase the road race pan for my 360 - just wondering what to expect for surprises (if any), primarily as far as installation goes.
Engine is out of car, is 360 stroker (4.125 crank). The only surprise so far has been that I learned that that pan needs a windage tray. Well, I have the Hughes stud girdle - so no windage tray. So ended up buying crank scraper. Anything else that someone that's been down this road has to offer?
I've read older threads that mention engine install in the car is a pain with this pan (will be going into an Ebody).....will also be running headers. Thanks for any input!!
 
Not sure about an E-body, haven't done that one yet. I'm guessing it will be quite a bit easier.

On my '74 Duster there were a couple issues that came up. The engine had to be lowered pretty much straight down because of the spool mount K frame. So, I couldn't install it with the transmission attached from the top. It was so tight I actually had to remove the flywheel and install that afterward. The other was it came into contact with the bottom of one of the engine mounts. I notched it for clearance and welded in a replacement section. But, both of those issues were because I have a spool mount K A-body. The mount clearance issue wouldn't come up with the earlier mounts, and I think the engine can still be installed from the top with the transmission, but I may be wrong about that. At any rate, you wouldn't have those issue with an E-body K anyway because they didn't have spool mounts. It does make header installation even harder than it was before on an A-body, but again, an E-body would be a different story. I still managed to install my Doug's D453's without any dents for the pan, it just took a little more work to get them into place.

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kielbasa said:
Hi guys, planning to purchase the road race pan for my 360 - just wondering what to expect for surprises (if any), primarily as far as installation goes.
Engine is out of car, is 360 stroker (4.125 crank). The only surprise so far has been that I learned that that pan needs a windage tray. Well, I have the Hughes stud girdle - so no windage tray. So ended up buying crank scraper. Anything else that someone that's been down this road has to offer?
I've read older threads that mention engine install in the car is a pain with this pan (will be going into an Ebody).....will also be running headers. Thanks for any input!!
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Check the clearance between the main studs and the pan kick up. Since you are not running and windage tray, you'll most likely be ok. I had to dimple mine with my 4" stroker crank. No big deal.
 
autoxcuda said:
Check the clearance between the main studs and the pan kick up. Since you are not running and windage tray, you'll most likely be ok. I had to dimple mine with my 4" stroker crank. No big deal.
Click to expand...


I too am looking to installing the Milodon Road Race Oil Pans #31590 (On Summit Racing)....I have a 408 stroker kit in the Engine which was built about 4 years ago in a 69 Dart. I don't remember the stroke...

Actually set up wit an HDK cross member ! Have not had the car on the road yet....Its a project still in process....but its looking like my 10 inch deep Moroso pan is too close to the ground. I am using the 2 inch drop spindle kit from Wilwood.

AutoXcuda........is this the same pan your talking about and you say you had to massage the pan a bit?
 
Update....I had two surprises.
1: HV oil pump interferes with pan. I ground away approx. 1/8" from pump body edge in order to seat the pan.
2: After installing the engine this past weekend, I noticed there is zero clearance between pan and gusset of steering support box (part of k member). I took the engine back out and cut off what I felt was all I could cut off of the gusset before getting into a structural portion of the steering box support.
There is about 1/4~3/8 inch of clearance between the "kickout" portion of the pan and bottom side of the steering box support. I do have a mancini mag mount, which in theory allows no movement of the engine, but I have a sneaky suspicion she's gonna make contact when things get active.......it's definitely a tighter fit than I was led to believe, even with the "big" area of an ebody.
 
kielbasa said:
Hi guys, planning to purchase the road race pan for my 360 - just wondering what to expect for surprises (if any), primarily as far as installation goes.
Engine is out of car, is 360 stroker (4.125 crank). The only surprise so far has been that I learned that that pan needs a windage tray. Well, I have the Hughes stud girdle - so no windage tray. So ended up buying crank scraper. Anything else that someone that's been down this road has to offer?
I've read older threads that mention engine install in the car is a pain with this pan (will be going into an Ebody).....will also be running headers. Thanks for any input!!
Click to expand...
For what it's worth and not knowing your engine components my 421 stroker produced considerably more hp and torque with 1 3/4" Hooker Super Comps than with my unbranded 1 5/8" headers. Would have wanted to use 1 7/8" but unless you go custom I don't believe there are any available.Dan
 
Fabman said:
I too am looking to installing the Milodon Road Race Oil Pans #31590 (On Summit Racing)....I have a 408 stroker kit in the Engine which was built about 4 years ago in a 69 Dart. I don't remember the stroke...

Actually set up wit an HDK cross member ! Have not had the car on the road yet....Its a project still in process....but its looking like my 10 inch deep Moroso pan is too close to the ground. I am using the 2 inch drop spindle kit from Wilwood.

AutoXcuda........is this the same pan your talking about and you say you had to massage the pan a bit?
Click to expand...

You have a 4" stroke.

Yes I had to check the main stud clearances of the main cap one from the rear, #4, under the center upkick in the pan when running a windage tray with main studs that had an adjustable height feature. Basically when there is extra bolt material sticking up past the nut that fastens the windage tray.

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Fabman said:
Ok...Great Info !!!!! and EXCELLENT PICS !!!
Thank You !
Click to expand...

My stuff was early first run. That pickup tube is pre production. But I'm pretty sure the formed tube production pieces still have the screw in oil pump connection made of thicker stronger machined stock welded to the formed tube.
 
I misspoke about interference with the steering box support, the interference is with the motor mount support (drivers side).....
 
autoxcuda said:
My stuff was early first run. That pickup tube is pre production. But I'm pretty sure the formed tube production pieces still have the screw in oil pump connection made of thicker stronger machined stock welded to the formed tube.
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Parts came. Installing new main cap rods and windage tray. Looks like in the 7 years or so these pans have been on the market - Milodon has not made changes to correct the too long of stud, lack of clearance with these pans. Trimmed the ends of the tray studs and dimpled the pan.

Now have to deal with the pick up tube. Doesn't seem to extend far enough front to eliminate interference with lip inside pan.
 
It's a shame to have bang up new expensive parts to fit. Had a vendor tell me " you Mopar guys should be used to it". I told him I would have made my own pan mods if you would have put a foot note about the fitment. Dan
Dan
 
75Sport said:
It's a shame to have bang up new expensive parts to fit. Had a vendor tell me " you Mopar guys should be used to it". I told him I would have made my own pan mods if you would have put a foot note about the fitment. Dan
Dan
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It does suck.. A company as big as they are and as long as they have been providing it and at such a high cost and still no improvements.
 
Fabman said:
It does suck.. A company as big as they are and as long as they have been providing it and at such a high cost and still no improvements.
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The center is tucked up there for a reason. It keeps oil in the sump!

You see the depth of rear section of a small block Chrysler pan is only to clear the oil pump. And you can see from other posts, when you put a taller than stock oil pump it will rub stock pan.

Well, the lower the rear section the shorter the rear wall of the sump is. Think a short dam. And short dams spill over. We don't want oil to spill out of the sump. We want max performance.

So you need to do some "fitting".
 
Nice explanation AutoX.
I do understand the engineering behind the construction. That's not my issue.
Milodon should include some type of communication with the product that says there maybe be some "fitting" / modifications needed to get this pan and tray installed properly.
 
ok, found another issue - TTI headers interfere with this oil pan (even though claimed to fit this oil pan).....guess I'll be bashing my $900 headers for clearance........and I also have to enlarge passenger side fastener holes, can get the front and rear screws in, nothing in between - cmon, I paid a premium price to minimize headaches - I guess when things aren't stock all bets are off.........still though.......
 
Kielbasa
I'm running a block save plate with my steel bell and I too have the same issues with lining the bolt holes up for the pan. I did not have issues with the TTI headers though. What side?

I am running an HDK K member so I do not have the stock K member running under my pan...so I am modifying the pan to remove the flat section that interferes with the windage tray bolts towards the rear of the engine and rewilding a lower plate on the pan.
 
kielbasa said:
ok, found another issue - TTI headers interfere with this oil pan (even though claimed to fit this oil pan).....guess I'll be bashing my $900 headers for clearance........and I also have to enlarge passenger side fastener holes, can get the front and rear screws in, nothing in between - cmon, I paid a premium price to minimize headaches - I guess when things aren't stock all bets are off.........still though.......
Click to expand...

I have TTI header and it fits with plenty of clearance.

Which TTI headers? Size?

What heads are you running?

Where is it hitting?

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