Kevko Oil Pan Pickup Mount Stud — Anyone Actually Running This?

Sleddogg · Nov 22, 2025

I’m trying to get some real-world input on the Kevko small-block pans that use their pickup-mount main cap stud. I’m at the point in my 360 build where I need to pick a pan, and this one detail is throwing me off.

Kevko says the stud is an ARP part, but the number they reference (HARJ3.250-1) doesn’t appear anywhere in the ARP catalog. The only solid trace I’ve found is in a Summit Racing Q&A on the ARP 154-5201 Ford 351W main bolt kit, where a Summit tech said the individual pickup-stud bolt from that kit is ARP HARJ3-250-1.

So, potentially, this Kevko “Mopar” pickup stud is actually a Ford 351W main bolt with the threaded extension. Several other online retailers list HARJ3.250-1 as a “universal” stud, not Mopar-specific, which adds to the confusion.

Normally I wouldn’t care, but ARP’s own installation sheet for their main bolts says that switching from factory bolts to a high-strength fastener changes the clamping force and may require checking the main bores and possibly align-honing using the same hardware that’s going into the final assembly.

So now I’m looking at replacing one factory main bolt with an ARP Ford/universal stud… and mixing fasteners on a main cap doesn’t really sit right with me.

I’m not trying to stir up controversy or bash Kevko — their pans look great for the money. But on paper, this setup seems a little sketchy, and I’m trying to understand what I’d actually be bolting into my engine.

Questions for anyone who has actually run the Kevko pan:

Did you use their stud as-is?
When you torqued that ARP stud down, did the main cap pull, twist, or feel any different compared to the factory bolts?
How did the crank feel afterward — any tight spots or drag during rotation?
Any long-term issues like uneven bearing wear, oil pressure changes, or the pickup moving?
Has anyone torn an engine down later and noticed anything strange with that main after using their stud?

For context: this is a street 360 with a stock-ish bottom end and factory main bolts. I just want a stock-ish pan with some baffling without creating a new problem.

I’ve reached out to Kevko and ARP directly for clarification. I’ll update the thread with whatever they tell me.

Thanks — just trying to avoid another rabbit hole on this build.

ValiantRacing · Nov 22, 2025

I run their pan and pickup with eye to bolt to stud, i order the stud but it came as a bolt, i have the stud already for a windage tray, i cut it down and used for the pickup.

Great pan! fits perfect.

Sleddogg · Nov 22, 2025

Thanks for the reply — I’ve heard nothing but good about the Kevko pans themselves. My only hesitation has been the pickup-mounting setup and what hardware they’re actually supplying for the main-cap location. That’s the part I’m trying to get clear on before I commit.

Sleddogg · Nov 28, 2025

Quick update — I heard back from Kevko earlier in the week (they’re always fast to respond). I had asked whether this stud needed a different torque than the stock main-cap bolt, whether it was okay to run it next to an OEM bolt, and if there were any install notes.

Their answer was basically: it’s an ARP stud, you can run it beside a factory bolt, and to torque it using the normal ARP spec for that size.

Just to be clear, I’m not trying to throw shade at Kevko here. I really like their pans, and they’re one of the few companies still making a reasonably priced baffled SB Mopar pan. I want to run one. I just also know ARP hardware is usually a different alloy/thread/lube setup than stock bolts, so I’m not totally convinced mixing an ARP stud with an OEM bolt on the same cap is ideal without checking clamp load.

I’ll update the thread once I hear back.