Oil Pan Dent

ForeverDriven

Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2019
Messages
102
Reaction score
19
Just bought this 97 Mustang GT a while back. Fun car, and I just put it on coil-overs.

Long story short, I believe I put a small-medium dent in the oil pan (I'm honestly unsure if it was there before, but this problem started after I bottomed out on a speed bump). The dent is near the back, on the lowest part of the pan. Here's the main problem though:

Engine has run fine, but when I'm flooring it in first and second gear it definitely sounds like a spinning engine component is scrapping another part. Doesn't do it when I'm going easy in those gears, and doesn't do it while flooring it in 3d, 4th, etc.

I'm unsure what it means when it only scraps at full bore in first and second. I'm guessing there's simply more vibration, and that's why it's able to reach the dent in the pan in only those gears?

Anyway, if you think I gotta replace the pan, comment the best way to do it. I have access to an engine hoist so if just disconnecting the transmission and engine mounts is the easiest, I can go for it.

Thanks,
Blake
 

Silver95bird

Active Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
491
Reaction score
113
Pictures would help a ton.
I have had bad engine mounts that made the engine sit so low, the front of the oil pan rested on the crossmenber. Look for things like that, you never know what you'll find.
Fir a dent back there to cause a problem, it would have to be huge, or it would have to shove the bottom up against the oil pickup - anyone know what the pan/pickup clearance is?

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 

CobraEd

New Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2019
Messages
37
Reaction score
23
Oil pickup should be around 5/16 to 3/8" above floor of pan.
 
OP
OP
ForeverDriven

ForeverDriven

Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2019
Messages
102
Reaction score
19
There is an oil scraper built into the pan that has changed position.

What is this "oil scraper"? Sorry but I've never messed with the bottom ends of my cars before. Do you think this oil scraper is scraping against a rod when I floor it or?
 

OLD H2S

Well-Known Member
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
1,190
Reaction score
230
Location
Silver Spring Maryland
2 big wings welded into the bottom the pan in the short section at the front, any misalignment and it hits the spinning crank.
 

CobraEd

New Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2019
Messages
37
Reaction score
23
Not saying you have oil starvation, but if the dent is under the oil pickup you're not going to know how much clearance you have unless you check it.

Then after you remove pan & you clean things up, put tape over the oil pickup (so that clay or playdo won't get in it) stick a lump of clay in oil pan in the pickup area, reinstall pan with a few bolts, remove & measure thickness of compressed clay. That will tell you your clearance. You can leave gasket off for that measurement & add compressed thickness of gasket to get your pickup to pan clearance.

Also check engine for evidence of rotating assembly hitting anything.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,383
Reaction score
5,557
Location
Evansville Indiana
I would say it depends on what your time is worth, and if you got the spare cash, and how dedicated you are to finding the problem. It would make things quicker to swap them out and go on your way but it would cost more and there is the possibility that it wasn't a problem, and the noise is still there.
 

RAU03MACH

Legend
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Messages
6,716
Reaction score
6,508
Location
NEW MEXICO
If you do have the pan off you should be doing an inspection on the rotating assembly
I would still replace the pan that's just me
Money dose come into play it is a quicker fix
 

01yellercobra

Active Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2018
Messages
628
Reaction score
193
The scraper will only hit a couple times. The crank will self clearance them pretty quickly. Learned that on my big bore.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
77,435
Messages
1,502,106
Members
14,917
Latest member
virocanah

Members online

No members online now.
Top