Technical Cal Custom Oil Pan - How?

I know the correct answer is don't, but how does anybody make these finned aluminum pans work? Seems the front gasket is most people's problem, but the rear seems to not seal on this one. But that may be due to the bigger problem: the pan hits the oil pump and holds it from being able to line up the bolt holes. The second pic shows how far off it is. Am I missing something?

 

There are two types of smallblock pans...based on year I believe...the fit to the timing cover differs...not sure about the back...that said gasket sets are different...

Do the bolt holes line up?...I see the pump may be the culprit...were they interchangeable?...maybe yes but it creates another problem?...

Can the sump/pickup be moved...

Is there a baffle interfering?

I have the same pan and it has alot of silicone up front...

Those pans look great but don't get very good press...I have it's cousin on my transmission...

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/which-oil-pan-gasket-for-my-sbc-engine.783567/

...here's a Thread on this subject...I see the dipstick is on the right side...bonus...

 

I ran one on my t-bucket for a few yrs without any leaks, I bought another to go on the 57 pickup.
If the pump pickup is preventing it from seating then you need to adjust the depth of the pickup.

 

Yuppers, depending on what you bought the pickup for it may be for a pan that is a bit deeper than the cast pan that was built to match a shallow passenger car pan.

 

Jegs and others have any length you need for a pick- up. I'd get one that bolts to the pump

 

@Stogy I know about the different gaskets. Got the early / thin 1 piece this time. Did you mean the pickup is on the correct, left side when you said, "right side"?
It had just the stock pan on it. Pretty sure I reused the original pickup on a new oil pump, but I put this thing together more years ago than I care to admit. Recent retirement has given me time & motivation to move forward on a couple projects. Hoping to mate this to the trans and get it in the frame asap. Just frustrated when it didn't bolt on.
I'll check clearances.
I'd give up, but it looks good, and the top side has 9 fin Cal Cutom valve covers. Kinda going for a '60s theme here.

 

Why not remove the pickup and see if it fits, or if it's the oil pump it's self?

 

I would check the oil pump as mentioned above.

Other things to consider: different timing set covers, either a thick or thin gasket.
Rear of pan shape differs for canister or spin-on oil filters.

A good bead of black RTV around each end after you get it together should control oil.

 

Hang it on the wall, put an original old Chevy pan back on the engine.

 

It might be just the slant of the sump. I’m not familiar with a factory pan having that angle, but I’d measure the depth of the sump at the front and the height of the pick up, you might get away with a simple adjustment.

 

The original pan slants the opposite direction, it's about 3-4 degrees lower at the front, than the back.

But the exaggerated slant in that image is probably due to using a "wide angle" lens to take the picture, and it's not a direct side view

 

I've had the same Cal Custom pan and valve covers on my Model A since 1979, never had a problem. It must be the pickup tube. There are different ones for different applications.

 

As I suspected, it hits the PUMP not the pickup. There are strengthening ribs in the pan, and I'm trying to grind one down to stop the interference. But, I may have to grind some off the side of the pump itself. It has a machined "knob" sticking out on that side. This is a lot of work for something that nobody will see but me, and whomever I run over.

 

It's probably the high volume pump. A standard pump probably fits without interference.

 

Looks like a crack in the bottom of the pan too. I`d want to test that before put into service.
If gas doesn`t seep through, it`s just a surface crack.
That`s a sweet looking pan.

 

I would look at different pumps, different manufactures, and see if other ones don't have that bump on them. Before you grind away on the pan.

 

keep in mind that pan has nearly no baffling in it to control oil slosh. Fast hard braking will cause all the oil to slosh forward, witch will then splash up on the rotating crank and cause an instant windage hurricane and can even uncover the oil pump pickup letting it run dry for a second and oil pressure drop until the oil drains back into the sump around the pickup. I'm with @squirrel Hang that thing on the wall and put factory pan on it. or better yet, a factory early large sump vette oil pan that will really control the oil in the pan.

 

More than likely this. I put a high volume Melling pump on my flathead and I had to modify the pan to make it fit. Harder to mod that pretty little aluminum pan of yours. I would rather have the pump than the pan.

 

Wonder what the HV stands for on OP’s pump.

 

that usually makes the pump "taller", not "wider".

 

That's right but IIRC those pans taper in at the bottom.

 

A little grinding on the pan and... no go. A little grinding on the pump...voila! After all that work, it's got maybe 1/8" between the pan & pump. I know all the reasons not to use this thing, but I'm doing it anyway. Not planning to take it to the dragstrip, it's not 1" off the ground, it doesn't have a crack in it, yes, it's an HV pump, yes I cleaned the aluminum out of the pan, no I didn't grind on the pump while it was on the motor, yes I cleaned that well before putting it back on, I know nobody's gonna see it except me during an oil change, if my engine blows because I used this pan - at least it will look good when it grenades!

 

I think you did everything right. I'd use it too, it looks great.

 

Thanks @57Fury440 Finally, back together. Here's the top side too. Now onto clutch / bell housing / trans.

 

That is how I would play it. Kept the pump, kept the bling...nice call!

 

Tell the truth. You had your oil pump and pick up chromed, because you just knew someday you’d have the engine apart again

 

I dug mine out today and it doesn't have those extra braces in there that you had to grind down.

 

Please go back and review unlucky post #13 above.
It happened to my friend when he was several hundred miles from home.

 

@swade41 You probably have an original one from when? The 60's? Mine is a newer one from Speedway. I'm guessing the ribs were added to the casting somewhere down the line.