Oil Pickup Setup

[mario03srt]

All,

I swapping over a car oil pan to my LA 360 which had a truck pan on it.

I pulled the pump and removed the old pickup and screwed in the new one until snug.

What is the recommended oil pan pickup distance from the bottom. Also how is that measured or calculated? I have seen several distances to no distance. This is a street car and 6k or less rpms.

Thanks,

Marion

 

[mguner]

Usually a 1/8" to 1/4" is adequate. If the engine is on a stand just flip it upside down and clay strip it and take the gasket into consideration. This is for the factory type pickup. If it is like the Milodon or some other aftermarket bottom feeder with no toe section you want at least 1/4".

 

[krazykuda]

I tape 2 or 3 nickles together on the bottom of the pick-up tube. Then place the oil pan on the engine block without a gasket to set the pick-up tube height.

Don't forget to remove the nickles before installing the oil pan and gasket...

 

[mario03srt]

Hi,

So to adjust the clearance, rotate the pickup or bend it?

Sorry I'm paranoid about this and am new to muscle V8's. Seems if the face of the pickup is parallel to the pan bottom that would be optimum, so my first inclination was to do it that way. That's the way the pickup came factory.

The guy I bought the engine had is loose as hell in the oil pump and was probably on the bottom sideways.

Thanks,

Marion

 

[mario03srt]

All,

How does this sound? As I'm afraid or dropping anything in the motor.

Rotate up the pickup till it interferes with the pan, press down the pan, take off pan, rotate the pickup another 1/4 CW away as the gasket is already on the block?

Maybe Yes or Maybe No?

Thanks,

Marion

 

[mario03srt]

All,

Found some putty and it worked great! I rotated the p/u till it the putty ball was about 1/4" This site is great!

Thanks,

Marion

 

[Rapid Robert]

Agreed, pickup clearance is very hard to work with. with your street app I would want the pickup touching the bottom with a slight bit of interference. this keeps the pickup supported rather than dangling which can possibly let it crack over time tho many have done it that way with no cracking. For a perf app/oil mods yes I would want it off the bottom & I weld washers to the bottom to get that slight interference and to get the clearance I want. I think you will be fine either way but I want to throw a few ideas out there & you might check the angle of the inside (top) of the pan bottom metal & alter the pickup so it is parallel IF it is way off.

 

[krazykuda]

Agreed, pickup clearance is very hard to work with. with your street app I would want the pickup touching the bottom with a slight bit of interference. this keeps the pickup supported rather than dangling which can possibly let it crack over time tho many have done it that way with no cracking. For a perf app/oil mods yes I would want it off the bottom & I weld washers to the bottom to get that slight interference and to get the clearance I want. I think you will be fine either way but I want to throw a few ideas out there & you might check the angle of the inside (top) of the pan bottom metal & alter the pickup so it is parallel IF it is way off.

The concern that I would have to "bottom out the pick-up tube to the pan" is it may restrict the oil pump from sucking in the oil because it's too shrouded. A little clearance will keep that from happening, but don't go too much as it will run out of oil sooner if the pick-up tube is too high in the pan...