Club Cobra - Oil Pan Question

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Oil Pan Question

I'm more than likely going to build a Cleveland for my car. Question is what type oil pan do I use, front sump or rear sump. Or does it matter ?

On my Cleveland, I am using a stock front sump pan with Boss style baffles and a MPG windage tray at this time, but I am considering buying a road race type pan. The front sump pan seems to be working fine. After all, Ford Motor Co. has built a many front sump pans, including 427s Boss 302s and others and they seem to be fine over the years, but rear or full sump is probably better if you have the clearance. Later, David Shelton.

I'm looking for maximum ground clearance here. How deep is a factory oil pan. I've been looking at Pantera stuff trying to get some ideas. :3DSMILE:

The Pantera used a stock front-sump 351 Cleveland oil pan. Any pan that is no deeper than the stock Ford pan should work with adequate ground clearance.

I am using a Canton road-race pan on the 351 Cleveland in my ERA FIA. The depth of the pan is fine, with no clearance problems. My Canton pan is a "T" style pan, with extensions on each side. I DID run into a clearance problem at the right front corner of the pan. It would have contacted a frame brace on that corner, so I had the front corner of my pan cut off and modified. After having it welded back up, I had it replated cad gold.

I also found a slight problem with the oil dipstick - seems the dipstick hit a flange on the inside of the Canton pan. I discovered this when the dipstick would not go down into the pan through the original dipstick tube. I had to remove the pan, and drill a clearance hole in the flange.

What pans will fit will depend on the layout of the frame and suspension on your kit. Most Cobra kits are pretty open under the engine, with room for most any pan. Most "road-race" "T" style pans will fit, and give you sufficient ground clearance. A "drag-race" deep-sump style pan will likely get you into trouble with ground clearance.

Regards,

Jeff

Stock pan is approx. 7.75" deep at sump.

Armondos racing pans

I would go with a pan from Armondo. After ripping open the stock front sump pan I got a little tired of the lowest part of my car being the oil pan on my Cleveland. I got a road racing pan from Armondo. My stock pan was deeper than the 7.75 inches mentioned here. The new pan is 6 inches deep across the whole length. Even shallower I beleive than the canton pan. Even Aviad. It holds eight quarts. The pan included a full windage tray, new pick up to place the pick up in the center of the pan, and baffles with trap doors that only allow the oil to go towards the pickup. $389.00. The only way you could get a less deep pan is full dry sump system, if you care to spend the bucks for maybe another inch. If that is the case, Armondo can make on for you to!

Pick a chassis manufacturer before you hog wild spending $ on parts that may not be compatable with the car you eventually buy.

Oil pan question

After reading some posts on sumps for road racing, some guys swear by accusumps as well as a good Armando or Aviaid sump, I am starting to think I should consider dry sump, but the cost goes up a heap. Surely a good road race sump like the small block Cobra style sump Aviaid make which goes quite long under the block, wouldn't oil surge?

Having said that I am going to run slicks!

Dry sump is of course the ultimate but probably overkill. The rail type pan from Aviad or Armondo as used on the orignals are being made with a central pickup, pan divided into five parts with the pickup in the center and one way doors helping to keep oil in the central sump plus a baffle tray and a 'windage' rail. I run road race tires on the car (all the time) and have no issues with pressure. Now the previous pan was a stock pan with NO baffles. Oil pressure was scary at best. I picked up at least 2" of ground clearence when I switched from my stock front sump pan to the Armondo center sump rail type pan. Couldn't be happier. Seems to me if you want to dry sump later you can still use their pan but verify to be sure.
Rick