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#1
04-18-2020, 01:46 AM
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461 stroker windage tray clearance vs oil pan clearance
I'm finishing my '68 400 stroker build for my 66 Tempest. I have a 4.25" crank and the connecting rods are hitting the windage tray by about 1/8". I saw the windage tray spacers on Butler and made a pair of my own. Now the oil pan is having clearance issues with the lifted windage tray!
The stock 68 oil pan hits the windage tray around the front two main caps. I didn't realize how tight the factory clearance is! My spacers seem to be an issue. My wife would like me to stop ordering parts. Can I cut away the offending areas of the windage tray and skip the spacers? I searched around and didn't see a consensus on scraper/windage tray setup or what's really needed. Sent from my SM-G988U1 using Tapatalk |
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#2
04-18-2020, 06:23 AM
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Make it into a 4/5 lenght tray just like the factory did.
Use a cut off disc in a air tool or high speed electric grinder and then round over any sharp connors so cracks do not start. If you don't have these tools a muffler shop can do it for you in all of 5 minutes.
__________________
Wernher Von Braun warned before his retirement from NASA back in 1972, that the next world war would be against the ETs! And he was not talking about 1/8 or 1/4 mile ETs! 1) 1940s 100% silver 4 cup tea server set. Two dry rotted 14 x 10 Micky Thompson slicks. 1) un-mailed in gift coupon from a 1972 box of corn flakes. Two pairs of brown leather flip flops, never seen more then 2 mph. Education is what your left with once you forget things! |
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#3
04-18-2020, 08:18 AM
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How thick is the shims your using?
Are you using a factory tray? they are prone to fractures & cracks. You can rotate the assembly so it will scratch the tray. Remove the tray and dent it in those spots from inside with the ball peen end of a hammer where the contact shows & refit.
__________________
Carburetor building & modification services Servicing the Pontiac community over 20 years |
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#4
04-18-2020, 08:43 AM
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Here is a photo of the shorter version of the windage tray. It is aftermarket. Note the additional holes drilled for better oil return. With the money already invested, maybe new would be the way to go. http://tinindianperformance.com/pont...age%20tray.htm
And........ do you have the later style pan with the baffle? If you plan on pulling some good holeshots or racing, then you want a baffled pan to keep oil where it should be - covering the oil pick-up sump. |
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#5
04-20-2020, 07:35 PM
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After some trial-and-error, I'm not sure that a shorter windage tray is going to work.
Without the 1/8" spacers (drilled out from a duplicate windage tray i have), the oil pan fits fine. That would be my best-case scenario. The front two connecting rods were hitting the windage tray. I wanted to make sure cutting that end off would work so I made a single cut at the pink arrow and bent it back just to see. Sure enough, the other connecting rods were hitting as well. I used pink chalk to circle where the connecting rods are hitting. It's not hitting by very much, so maybe I can ballpeen out all the offending areas. The blue dotted line is the bend line where all the contact is happening. Would I have to balpeen-dent all the way along? Cut out little postage-stamp chunks for clearance? Any input would be welcome, I'd love to make this work without risking catastrophic failure. 
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#6
04-20-2020, 07:54 PM
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There are two different factory "short" Pontiac windage trays, most supposed "Pontiac guys" don't know that.
the factory 455 "short" windage tray should clear, a 400 "short" style tray will definitely rub.
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Buzzards gotta eat... same as worms. |
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#7
04-20-2020, 08:53 PM
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Quote:
Is it a terrible idea to cut/beat/modify my tray until it has maximal clearance? |
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#8
04-20-2020, 09:25 PM
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Your current full-length tray is already prone to cracking even if you don’t modify it, it’s not at all uncommon to find them all wadded-up upon tear down after they come apart.
If you use anything get the shorter 455 specific tray which by the way is made of thicker material than yours, or an aftermarket stock type tray which would also be thicker and less likely to crack. You could omit it entirely like the factory did in later years. If you choose not to use a tray you’re going to need a bottom dipstick tube with the welded on attaching bracket plus the center main cap will need two holes drilled and tapped to bolt it to.
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1964 Tempest Coupe LS3/4L70E/3.42 1964 Le Mans Convertible 421 HO/TH350/2.56 2002 WS6 Convertible LS1/4L60E/3.23 |
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#9
04-20-2020, 09:32 PM
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Oh, just leave it off? Don't I need something to control oil in the pan and prevent too much from splashing on the crank?
Sent from my SM-G988U1 using Tapatalk |
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#10
04-20-2020, 09:45 PM
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Butler used to omit the tray on their own racing engines back in the day.
Pontiac engines used a very small tray that separated only the sump itself from the rotating assembly on ‘64 and earlier engines. The ‘72-1/2 and later baffled oil pans serve pretty much the same purpose as the early sump tray. The famous RAV tunnel port 400 engine engines used only a small sump tray as well.
__________________
1964 Tempest Coupe LS3/4L70E/3.42 1964 Le Mans Convertible 421 HO/TH350/2.56 2002 WS6 Convertible LS1/4L60E/3.23 |
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#11
04-20-2020, 10:08 PM
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Cool, thanks-- I'll look those up as well
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#12
04-21-2020, 06:45 AM
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