Hey all,
Since I'm having to briefly reinstall my cracked 454 block into my '84 Trans Am, I thought I'd do pics to show how the '94 Suburban 4WD oil pan fits, and how little hammering I had to do. I'll also show where I had to hammer, and why.
I know this is interrupting the progress of designing my own 1.875" LSx headers, but it's just a brief interruption.
So anyway, I'll start posting pics, in case anyone is curious about using this pan in one of these cars.
Be aware that this is a no go unless you use the Moroso 62510 and 62610 for mounting the big block. If you go with other mounting, you'll need a different pan.
This way has the advantage of strength, and it keeps the oil farther from the crank, so less windage. That's a good thing.

 

First, the post-hammering pics of the pan itself.

 

Now, to look at it from the road's point of view

 

 

 

Now I need to get the car up on stands and get some pics showing the clearance between the pan and the crossmember. Until then, here's a couple to show that the pan is only about 1" below the crossmember.

 

 

That spill you're seeing is just water from the LQ4.

 

Since I'm bored, here's the GM pan you should be considering for a '91-up BB into a third gen. It includes the pan, the gasket, the screen, the dipstick, the dipstick tube, and sells for $155. The part number is 12495360. these days, $155 can be difficult to find, and if I can find a way around it, you owe me a root beer. :-)

 

I ran a 454 in my iroc with a truck oil pan and didn't have to touch my oil pan.

 

Then it was a pre-'91 pan, which is NOT what's being considered here.
five7kid, can you please remove that post?

 

Okay, this is getting finished this week, I need to get the 454 back out of this car, and get my LQ4 back in. So I'll take those pics I promised, then post them here.

 

I thought I'd have this done by now. But going for Chemo keeps screwing up my scheduling. Not just the travel time, but being sick afterward. I will get pics ASAP.

 

Hope you are getting better and can't wait to see the progress

 

Thank you, it'll probably be tomorrow afternoon.

 

Indirectly made progress today, got the Fiero out of the way.

 

 

It's difficult to position the camera in any way that shows that there is at least a 1/8" gap everywhere. In the following 4 pics, those used to seeing the SBC exhaust go between the sump and the crossmember will be confused, because there's no exhaust tubing under this car. The sump is right behind the crossmember, there's no room to put the exhaust there like GM did with the SBC.
Anyway, on with the show.

 

 

 

 

 

So there you have it. You can use the '91-'95 truck oil pan with a bit of hammering and the solid Moroso mounts and pads. It still hangs about 1.5" too low, but what you do about that, if anything, is up to you. You have 7 options. (1) Ignore it and hope for the best. (2) add a skid plate to the pan. (3) weld a blocker bar of 2"x2" steel tubing to the crossmember in front of the pan. (4) Some combination of these. (5) get the 12495360 pan. (6) something I haven't even dreamed of. (7) some combination of these.

 

Its close but with your solid mounts you could probly get away with only 1/16 in. clearance. great info for those who have to do this on a budget tho.

 

Thanks. Without ANY hammering, it does rub, and considering how thin the crossmember is, the resultant torque movement would cause rubbing. I've seem the crossmember flex just jacking the oilpan ( with a block of wood between the jack and pan) and it surprised me how much flex I observed. I'm amazed when a stock crossmember does survive a 540 cube BBC.
In fact, without ANY hammering, I doubt anyone will get all the mounting holes lined up. It's that tight.
It might be different with the '65-'90 or '96-up pickup truck pans, but I doubt that, too.

 

WOW I didnt think that the cross members would flex but now that you mentioned it I went out to my 84 took some playdough stuffed it between the pan and cross member, measured then lifted and measured again I get 3/16ths inch flex with poly mounts

 

That isn't right. I only get 1/16" at most.

 

My 84 has had front end damage before thats probly where the extra flex is from. I may have a bad seam on the x-member. time to start investigatingdoesn't sound like fun.

 

If you're going for much over 500 horses, you're a good candidate for an aftermarket tubular version, preferably a chrome-moly version. If the BMR and other versions don't offer the chrome-moly upgrade, AJE does. If you're gonna do it, may as well do it best and never worry again.

 

yeah I'll probly just go ahead and get a tubular x-member even just for the L-69. not sure I like 3 times the flex than I should have, the 84 is Officially parked for new x-member. thanks for helping verify that for me.

 

I was intending you to try a different method of checking how much flex you really have. I know poly doesn't have much give, but it isn't solid like my steel Moroso mounts, either.
Get the car up on stands, get a jack and a block of wood, and a friend you can trust. Put the wood on the jack, put both of those under the oilpan, then attach the friend to the jack. You watch the crossmember while instructing your friend when and how much to do his/her job.
I'm not yet convinced you can have triple what I have. Don't use play-doh, and don't watch the engine.

 

good idea i was using the playdough for comparison like using clay in a cylinder to check for valve clearance, I still think my x-member is bad tho.