Is this piece needed? Between the oiil pan and the block

[euroZ06]

Hello,

So recently my friend and i were trying to replace my oil pan gasket. As soon as we took it off we noticed an oil splash guard (or whatever its called), its like a large metal pan that prevents oil from splattering oil to the crankshaft. So anyway, we took it all off, put two new gaskets and tried to align everything... No luck, it seems that with two new gaskets the oil pan is hitting the subrame, we tried bending it a bit but no luck (didnt have time to lift up the engine). So my friend said to put oil pan without that metal plate and that this plate only makes a difference at 6k rpm. So we did. I wanted to run this by u guys and get some other opinions. He also said i should get another oil pan that has a bigger slant. I was thinking just to raise the engine, but then the oil pan would be sitting on the frame... Also, he said he wont help me with this again and i dont have the tools to disconnect the steering asembly. Can i just loosen the motor mounts, raise the engine and do it that way (in case this plate is crucial)?

Car is 73 charger, originally 400 car, with 4spd,  but has a swapped 440

[BLK 68 R/T]

Maybe I'm missing something but the oil pan was mounted and then you dismounted it to install a new pan gasket and now the pan will not mount back up? The part you are referring to is a "windage tray" that keeps oil from being slung around on the rods and into the bottoms of the cylinders. It helps to keep the engine oil cooler.

[euroZ06]

Yea, the oil pan was a tight fit on the frame as it was, with two new gaskets it wouldnt move far enough forward to align with bolt holes. We tried... The only option was to lift up the engine, fit it, then lower the engine, but we unfortunately we didnt have enough time it was late in the day and i had to get the car out of his driveway. He had all the tools to remove the steering rack, but wont be available anymore to help me and i cant get the steering rack off.

Ok, so keeping the oil cooler, like when doing serious racing or even just crusing? He said this thing adds 15 hp, and isnt really needed and i wont feel the difference unless i take it to 6k rpm. I do want the 15hp, but i dont really take the car to 6k rpm (well, veeeery rarely).

I want to point out though, that got orders to go to germany and need to make sure the car will run right on the autobahn.

[1974dodgecharger]

put it back on or get a new etc...anything to run your car cooler is better than nothing and it adds 15HP.....15HP here and there adds up man.....

[HPP]

It isn't necessary, but it is a benefit at any rpm and power level and the gains go up as the rpm rises. It doesn't necessarily keep the oil cooler, but it does keep the crank from pulling extra oil up out of the pan as it spins. Windage is what its called when this happens and this tray prevents it.

If you couldn't snake it all back in with new gaskets, which are thicker than the compressed old ones you took out, you would need to unbolt engine mounts and lift the engine a bit to get some room. No real need to drop the steering box, but dropping the linkage would make it easier. However, getting some distance between the engine and the frame could help an may eliminate the need to drop the steering linkage. It is tricky snaking it all in there with everything together.

[ODZKing]

Yeah, I agree, it is there for a reason ... I'd put it back on.

[Mopar Nut]

I would get a different friend and then find a shop to help.

Some friend! 

[ACUDANUT]

  I think summit has a one piece windage tray that has rubber on both sides. Not a thick as two cork gaskets.  I'd look into that.  Put it back on.

[Nacho-RT74]

the windage tray Is part of the MAGNUM engine package, allong with HP exhaust, 4 bbls intake ( on 400 and 383 ) valve springs with dampener, Hp Camshaft and double timming chaing set.

prevents some vacuum effects on oil reservoir and turbulences when crank is spining, giving AS FAR I KNOW, some better pistons response too into cilinders, due the same winds into crank room

[jlatessa]

I'm not sure if it will work on your application, but try to turn the
engine so the front crank throws are up, it may give you the room you need to slide
the pan in.

Also, did you cut out the anti-slosh baffles from the pan...Not a good idea, even on a street car.
I would find another un-molested pan and use the windage tray.

Also, before you buy the one-piece tray, the one I returned was
designed for use on a cast pan with a flat sealing surface and did not seal well on our 440 with the
sheet metal pan...just a heads-up, they may have changed the design since then but it would pay to check??

Good luck...Joe

[BSB67]

Also, did you cut out the anti-slosh baffles from the pan...Not a good idea, even on a street car.
I would find another un-molested pan and use the windage tray.

Something does not look right in the picture.  Looks like the baffle was cut out, but the inside of the pan is painted?  I would want the oil pan baffles as a priority over the windage tray.

The baffles and windage tray are nice to have and have a genuine purpose, but millions of BB Mopars have rolled down the road without them.

[euroZ06]

Ok, so perhaps i can rent the tool to disconnect the steering from auto parts store... Id need to lift up the engine, what can i use as a lifting point? Can i reuse the gasket we just installed or should i get a new one? Should i drain the oil and put it back in or get new oil (im just trying to figure out what i can drain it into..).

[Nacho-RT74]

new gasket better.

You can lift up the engine by the tranny belhousing hump ( if not chained from top )

I have known ppl raising the engine on Dampener. Not safe and will damage the rubber ring in it.

will need to loose the fan shroud though

[John_Kunkel]

I've always been skeptical of the HP gain the factory claimed for the windage tray (actually 7 hp).

I have no love for the late Bill Jenkins but he did a lot of dyno research (The Small Block Chevrolet Racing Engine) including tests with/without the tray and got different results. In a nutshell, he found that, while the solid tray did prevent sump oil from sloshing onto the spinning crank, it also provided a closer hard surface for the oil slung off of the spinning assembly to bounce back up into the spinning assembly (windage). He advocated a screen or louvered tray.