Larger Oil Pan?

[AH64ID]

My oil pan is in need of replacement due to a large dent and I was wondering if any of the larger pans from medium duty trucks with ISB's will work? Or does someone make a larger pan for our application?

 

[mwilson]

My oil pan is in need of replacement due to a large dent and I was wondering if any of the larger pans from medium duty trucks with ISB's will work? Or does someone make a larger pan for our application?

They do, but I would worry about clearance in regard to the crossmember of the RAM.



The sump would be deeper but the slope to it will be thicker as well if I am explaining that correctly.



I will look as I get a chance, if you see one that shows promise get the engine serial number so we can get the vitals.



Mike.

 

[AH64ID]

I wonder about clearance as well, but a 15 or 18qt sump would be nice.

I have also thought about adding fast coolers to the sides??

 

[Ozymandias]

I don't think you can put a bigger pan in, she's close to all sides including the axle and the bellhousing.

 

[NIsaacs]

I don't think excessive engine oil temp is an issue with our trucks.



Nick

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

Perhaps you could modify the existing pan to hold a few extra quarts.

 

[AH64ID]

I don't think excessive engine oil temp is an issue with our trucks.

Nick

Our sump capacity is the lowest of any ISB, it's even lower than the "small pan" sold by Cummins. I have to think there is a good reason for more capacity, besides it would help with oil life a little too.

Perhaps you could modify the existing pan to hold a few extra quarts.

Yeah, I need to look at the pan once it's off and see if fast coolers or something similar could be added.

I would like to get to 15+ quarts, and with the bypass I am at 14.

It's not a deal breaker, but since the pan will be off I am looking into it.

 

[Prairie Dog]

With a deeper pan you'll have to extend the oil pump pick-up.

 

[AH64ID]

Correct. I was hoping people knew of a Cummins pan and pickup that worked in our application. It's looking like there isn't one.

 

[JJPage]

How did you get the dent?

 

[AH64ID]

I am not sure, but it's recent I know that. I hit a hell of a pothole, good enough to make big bumpstop marks. Maybe there was something with that??

EDIT: I looked closer at the pan, it hit something pretty hard..

 

[JJPage]

That sucks! I had to ask.

I ran over a broom handle laying in the road, didn't see it until it was too late to react. Flipped up and took out driver's door mirror(glass) and dented the center cap of my driver's side rear wheel. A wooden broom handle. . could have killed someone.

 

[Freebore]

The key to longer oil life comes down to how well you condition your oil, which means keep it clean and keep it cool. By the time I had spent two years maintaining heavy equipment in the middle of the Sahara (Libya), I was used to changing fluids often as we struggled to keep oil temperatures under 240-250F on our oil exploration machines. Shortly after that I had the opportunity to work with a former NASA engineer while we were developing more advanced hydraulic systems and his experience taught me that lesson about how it's not how much oil you have, but how well you condition it. He was a walking knowledge bank when it came to hydraulic system design and we went on to implement lessons he learned from the Apollo program to our machines working in very hot climates. He often commented how they were pushed to very efficient designs due to space constraints and payload. Rather than increase the fluid volume, we focused on better cooling and filtration and used just enough fluid to keep all components satisfied, kind of like the radiator is both the cooler and reservoir and we used a small tank for a fill point (like a radiator uses a smaller overflow tank). Our maintenance budget and fluid changes dropped a bunch. I used this approach on a previous truck I had and rather than upping the trans volume with a big oil pan, I focused on cooling and increased the cooler to the largest one I could possibly put in front of the truck. Before the cooler my trans ran right around 210-220F when hot, but after the cooler upgrade it was never over 180F, even when towing. The same can be applied to engine oil cooling. I sold the truck with 260,000 miles on it and it was still the original transmission and engine, and both were working very well. Better filtration keeps the fluid clean, and avoiding high temperatures prevents the breakdown of the additives. Beyond that, the other factors working against fluids are water (can lead to acid formation), and shear breakdown from high forces. There's such as thing as overcooling too, just need to make sure the fluids stay warm during cold weather.

 

[rbattelle]

it's the main reason I want a bigger (wider preferred) pan over bolt on anything.

I like the idea of making it wider. Deeper would mean closer to the ground, which is dangerous in itself.



Any idea how much wider you could make it? Seems straightforward to weld up extenders on either side.



-Ryan

 

[AH64ID]

I bet you could go wider than needed with a pan like pictured above.

Maybe I'll ask my builder what he thing. Might be cheaper to have my pan modified than to get a new pan as well.

I don't want it any deeper as well, it already hangs to low.

Too bad no one makes a finned alum one, like a Mag Hytec.

 

[AH64ID]

I bet you could go wider than needed with a pan like pictured above.



Maybe I'll ask my builder what he thing. Might be cheaper to have my pan modified than to get a new pan as well.



I don't want it any deeper as well, it already hangs to low.



Too bad no one makes a finned alum one, like a Mag Hytec.

 

[rbattelle]

Well, you could weld extensions on the side and use metal thick enough to tap for screws to hold finned aluminum heat exchangers. I think this is a great idea, if you can get a lot of extra capacity before running out of room under there.

Oh, and while you're at it, weld in a sightglass on the side! I've always wanted to do that.

-Ryan

 

[seafish]

AH64ID, I came across a reference on Comp D for a "ZZ fab Aluminum oil pan with kick out".

In trying to find a pic, I THINK I found a couple--



http://s929.photobucket.com/user/Bi...1D-4816-000006D82BE9B642_zps8448d489.jpg.html

http://s929.photobucket.com/user/Bi...42-4816-000006D828A1B494_zpsa79369b6.jpg.html



and then came across some websites/businesses you MIGHT want to call--



http://zzcustomfabrication.com/oilpans.htm



http://www.stefsperformance.net/stefs-fabrication/products/oil-pans



http://www.billetfab.com/oil-pans/



http://www.tadiesels.com/used/mipt/mipt-1167.htm



Of course, it would likely be much to cheaper to modify your existing pan like you are talking about... I LIKE the idea of adding transcoolers somehow, but they are aluminum.

 

[AH64ID]

SWEET!!

Thank you.

 

[seafish]

AH64ID, here is a DIY alum oil pan thread with pics and an OOOPS! outcome, but then a link to someone else who is making them, at least in a stock configuration.

http://www.competitiondiesel.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158429