Installing a new Canton pan - Do I still need the windage tray???

[55312]

FIW - When I put a Canton RR "T" pan on my 427, it came with the windage tray and the appropriate pickup that went with the tray and pan. It leaked but I blamed the Canton stud and nut kit that I bought for it not the double gaskets. Never could keep the nuts tight so I went back to ARP bolts and no more leaks.

Tim

[mjhcobra]

Thanks for the comments. I bought the Canton pickup when I bought the 820 pan several months ago. I pulled the motor to take care of some other issues and figured it would be a good time to install the pan. I picked up a Mellings M57HV oil pump today since the pan is off and I had the stock pump. Prior to this, I ran the stock pan, windage tray, and stock pan bolts with no leaks. Looks like I will continue with this setup with the new pump, pan, pickup, and stock bolts.

Martin

[blykins]

Measure the pickup/pan clearance while you're in there, just for giggles.

[mjhcobra]

How would you measure the clearance? I assume it would be what was required since Canton made the pan and the pickup.

[blykins]

Never assume that it's right, always assume it's wrong...

You measure by taking a straightedge and tape measure....measure from the pan rail (with gasket) to the pickup. Then measure from the rail on the pan down to the pans sump. Subtract the two and that's your measurement.

[Dwight]

I use Playdough. I put it inside a plastic bag and place it onto the pickup. Install pan. Or just pressure the pan down real hard.
Remove pan, very carefully remove Playdough from bag, take a razor blade and cut thru the center of the Playdough. Then measure.

Dwight

make sure the pickup is parallel with the pan. You don't want one side of the pickup higher than the other. Crooked!

[mjhcobra]

I measured the pickup from the block face and measured the pan to the bottom from the pan face with the windge tray and 2 gaskets and the diff was 3/8".

[blykins]

3/8" is good. The gaskets will compress a little when it's all bolted together.

If you're doing this with the engine in the car, I would get about 4-6 5/16" studs and place them strategically around the pan rail. Glue your gaskets on with Right Stuff or your favorite gasket sealer. Smear a thin layer in between each part of the sandwich to seal. Don't lay beads, as beads will find their way into the crankcase.

On the gasket that goes on closest to the block, look at the rear main cap and make sure the gasket doesn't cover the rear main seal drain. If it does, it could help the chance of a rear main seal leak. Take an X-Acto knife or razor blade and cut out around it. Also, if you're using ARP main studs (and some main bolts), make sure that they don't stick down below the cap far enough to keep the oil pan from sitting against the block. Make sure the windage tray doesn't block the drain or hit on any fasteners as well.

Let everything seal up over night and don't put any oil in it until you're confident it's sealed and dry.