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By charliemccraney - 18 Years Ago
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So, I've decided to try to improve my trucks oil pan. It's the standard, almost flat, truck oil pan. Fortunately it's the one that already has the baffle! I have made a gate with some piano hinge: 
And thus far I have clamped it to the pan, filled it with water, and sloshed it around to see if it actually improves anything: 
The good new is that it seems to help a lot. The flow back to the uh.. "sump" seems to be the same. While the flow out of the sump has slowed greatly. So I think this is all good. There is about 1/4" of clearance beween the bottom of the pan and the bottom of the stock baffle: 
I'm trying to decide wether I should trim another 1/4", totaling ~ 1/2", off of the bottom of the baffle to help flow back into the sump. I'm not so great at welding yet. So I am looking for advice before I do anything that may result in repair. I really can't see how it would hurt anything.
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 18 Years Ago
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Homespun: I think most hot oil is about the same consistency as water. Ever drain your oil after the engine is warmed up? John
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By charliemccraney - 18 Years Ago
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Well, here it is: 
I trimmed some of of the bottom of the baffle. It's barely visible. 
The gate, appart: 
I smashed the third nuckles (second nuckles of the top half) so that the pins will not wander around. It flops freely. The pin is 1/8" so it should last. I mean, it's going to be in a pool of oil. I'm going to consider making some kind of rail that can catch the oil and let it flow over the top of the baffle to aid in the oil's return to the pick-up. I may add a baffle for side to side motion, near the pick-up. In any case, it works very well with water. So hopefull it will work well with the oil. I'll just keep my eye on the pressure gauge when I first use it. My welding wasn't as bad as I thought. The tensioner on the wire feed was not tight enough. The last thing I welded was 22 gauge steel. An extensive air cleaner modification for my firebird. 22 gauge is quite difficult for a beginner.
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By Unibodyguy - 17 Years Ago
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I'm accually kind of surprised nobody has really went out and tried to manufacture a windage tray of some sort for Y's. I know their still available for the FE series engines and have seen a few modified to work on Y's. I think it would be a good marketable idea accept you'd have to make 2 types for cars and trucks. Michael
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By unibodyboy - 17 Years Ago
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I have a baffle in my pickup, and it doesn't have a problem with oil pressure at any time. Runs right under 50 unless i'm on it, at which point it goes up to about 70-75.
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By Ted - 17 Years Ago
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scooterboy (11/15/2007)
I have a bone stock 59 F100 that I just rebuilt. My problem is that the oil pressure will go to zero if I use the brakes to stop. I'm not talking about tire squealing panic stops, I'm talking about regular around town stops. If I coast to a stop, the pressure will stay at 20. Seems to me, the pickup is being uncovered. I added a 7th quart and it helped, but didn't cure the problem. I don't remember if there was a baffle in the pan. Is this a common problem on the trucks with their virtually flat oil pans?Before going to the trouble of installing a baffle in the pan, I’ll suggest checking that the oil pickup is not placed too far up from the bottom of the pan. Maximum distance from the pan bottom should not exceed 3/8”.
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By charliemccraney - 17 Years Ago
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My oil pressure does not drop at all with this mod. I also haven't noticed any pressure drop at the higher RPMs which is good because it indicates that the gate is not restricting flow into the pickup area. I did trim an additional 1/4" off of the bottom of the baffle. - However, it is hard for me to say with certainty that it is the installation of the gate that caused the improvement - I changed a lot of things at once. I like to think that it did though. It was fun to do. The pan that I had when the pressure would drop while braking is the almost flat pan with no baffle. The pickup was the wire-mesh-basket-held-in-with-a-clip type. The pan I modified already had a factory baffle and the pickup is of a different design. Michael, I started work on a windage tray. I found that ARP standoff studs for Chrysler will work in the Y. And, of course, the studs can be special ordered specifically for the Y. I think a windage tray could be universal for the Y. The dipstick locations are different and the pickup locations are different. I know that the truck pickup is low enough so that it won't interefere with a windage tray. I suspect that the car pickup is as well. Of the two dipstick locations, only the rear will require a provision in the windage tray for it to pass through. A car dipstick can be used on a truck. It has to be shortened and the level mark has to be determined and scribed.
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By Unibodyguy - 17 Years Ago
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Charlie, thanks for letting me know of the windage tray. I'm glad somebody else also thought of the possible idea. I didn't know or realize ARP made bolts for the oilpan on Y's I've only used stock ones on my stuff. What you did with the hinge sounds like it works out just fine keeping the pressure up like it should. Love your Unibody, both of mine are 61 F250 longbeds. Michael
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By badnewsdan - 15 Years Ago
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Charlie Im a bit confused about your mod, did you weld the hinge to part of the existing pan? what gage was the hinge?
Thanks
Dan
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By charliemccraney - 15 Years Ago
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I used a pan which already had a baffle. I trimmed the bottom of the baffle to allow more oil to flow back into the sump area and welded the hinge so that it closes while braking to prevent the oil from moving away from the sump. I don't remember the details of the hinge. It was a piece of piano hinge I got from an industrial supply. I can get more info about it when I get back home.
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By aussiebill - 13 Years Ago
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Before going to the trouble of installing a baffle in the pan, I’ll suggest checking that the oil pickup is not placed too far up from the bottom of the pan. Maximum distance from the pan bottom should not exceed 3/8”. Ted, problem turned out to be pickup tube too high and oil ran away to front while going down slopes or hills. it was due to unnoticed bent pickup tube and then when lining up into oil pump nut swung the pickup in upward arc and was too high. From my observations there is one rear sump that has a baffle windage tray type interior, pickup? then similar one that doesnt have it but is much deeper at the front section, truck? does the deeper application require more oil ? and what would be original capacity.? I fitted baffle half way to slow oil running to front timing case seal area. Thank you.
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By Ted - 13 Years Ago
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aussiebill (3/9/2011)
........From my observations there is one rear sump that has a baffle windage tray type interior, pickup? then similar one that doesnt have it but is much deeper at the front section, truck? does the deeper application require more oil ? and what would be original capacity.? I fitted baffle half way to slow oil running to front timing case seal area. Thank you.Bill. Based on the 1959 truck manual I have, the light pickup and MD truck oil pans take 5 quarts plus 1 for the filter. The HD pan takes 6 quarts plus 1 for the filter. The oil pickup and tube assemblies are specific to each style of pan meaning if the pans and pickups are mismatched, bad things could happen. If memory serves me correctly, the HD pan is approximately another inch deeper than the light pickup and MD truck oil pan. I'll add that I've seen the light pickup and MD truck pans with and without the baffles which means it's probably a year model thing to watch out for.
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By aussiebill - 13 Years Ago
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Ted (3/9/2011)
aussiebill (3/9/2011)
........From my observations there is one rear sump that has a baffle windage tray type interior, pickup? then similar one that doesnt have it but is much deeper at the front section, truck? does the deeper application require more oil ? and what would be original capacity.? I fitted baffle half way to slow oil running to front timing case seal area. Thank you.Bill. Based on the 1959 truck manual I have, the light pickup and MD truck oil pans take 5 quarts plus 1 for the filter. The HD pan takes 6 quarts plus 1 for the filter. The oil pickup and tube assemblies are specific to each style of pan meaning if the pans and pickups are mismatched, bad things could happen. If memory serves me correctly, the HD pan is approximately another inch deeper than the light pickup and MD truck oil pan. I'll add that I've seen the light pickup and MD truck pans with and without the baffles which means it's probably a year model thing to watch out for. TED, thanks for reply, yes thats what i figuered, anyhow i added more oil and its good, back to 70 lb pressure. This metric measuring in litres as does the linear measurements confuse the heck out of me. At least now i have a guide to the capacitys. Thanks again. regards bill.
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