Just finished pulling my 305 with a spun bearing(350 time unfortunately it's a stock replacement), anyways I have say about 3 oz. of smashed oil pan baffle in the bottom of my oil pan as well as no piston skirts(the little piece that hangs down) on the front 4 pistons. I now why I spun a bearing b/c of all the metal blocking the pickup, but why would the oil pan break apart like that?

 

ttt
I don't know the answer , but thought I'd bump it to the top for ya !

 

It's probably nearly impossible now that the metal has been "modified", but if you could mock up the oil pan to the case, and observe the interference between the rod caps and the baffles, you might have a clue as to what wiped out the baffle. It IS possible that a spot weld broke and the baffle started the whole failure, but that is unlikely.

 

well that sounds like a good enough reason to take the blame, since I doubt that a piston skirt would just break off and tear the baffle up. I also havent smashed the pan on anything that I noticed either.