Finned Aluminium Oil Pan

[Clois Harlan]

I have a 428 CJ engine and I purchased an Aluminium oil pan. Has anyone installed one of iether Tony Branda or Finishlines Cobra Lettered 6 1/2 quart oil pan? If so did you have to replace your pick tube on your oil pump? My pan will not clear the pickup tube. Tube seems to be too far towards the rear of the engine. I am using a Melling High Vol oil pump. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Clois Harlan

[Steve Jones]

Clois,

I'm using the Tony B. cast aluminum COBRA T-pan and the Melling pump as well. It's been several years since I built my engine, but if memory serves me correctly, this setup uses the stock pickup tube.
I later bought a Canton pan that did require a special pickup, but have never installed it.
The pickup tube just presses into the pump, maybe you just need to rotate it a couple of degrees. Whatever you do, tack weld the tube to the pump housing before the final installation of the pan. If the pickup comes out it could cost you the engine. Also, make sure you have an acceptable amount of clearance from the pickup screen and the bottom of the pan, you don't want to restrict the pickup.
I'm also using a windage tray that sandwiches between the oil pan and the block (with an additional gasket)and this assembly spaces the oil pan down an additional 1/8 inch.

Hope this helps,
Steve

[Clois Harlan]

I ordered a stock melling hv pickup from summit and everything works just fine. And as the Tony Branda folks say "It looks real cool".

Thanks

[Geary L. Sarno]

The big block T-pan from Tony Branda works with the stock pickup.
The only problem I had with my FE was that T-pan would not clear the ARP main bearing studs. I did some creative clearancing(grinding) on the pan and studs.

[SCOBRAC]

Mine did not clear my pick-up tube either.. I ended up using a standard sealed power pick up tube. It woked great.. I have a photo of the pan in my gallery..