In the process of assembling my new 2.3 motor and I checked the clearance of the oil pickup tube to the bottom of the pan. I got .62 to .71 inches across the oil pickup tube. My service manual doesn’t provide a clearance number for this. Im seeing all kinds of numbers across the internet (different platforms) and didn’t find anything by searching on here.
I have a feeling this gap is too large. What’s everyone’s thoughts here? I’m running a Kevko Stock appearing pan with their stock replacement oil pickup tube.
Update: bent the pickup tube a small amount. Checked clearance again across different parts of the oil pickup. The lowest part is now .365 inches with the highest part being .65 inches. The highest part is in the hump of the oil pan where the drain plug is. Appreciate any input
01-28-2024, 07:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-31-2024, 06:08 PM by
TurboRay.)
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Altho it could be closer (1/4"-ish?).....I doubt that you'll uncover a pickup (suck air) that's 5/8" (.625) off the bottom of the pan unless you're gonna be doing some REALLY aggressive cornering or braking. Isn't the Kevko pan baffled to prevent the oil from flowing away from the pickup ~ especially when braking? Keep in mind that I'm just talkin' outta my ass, with no technical knowledge or education on the subject, lol. For a definitive answer, I suggest consulting Kevko, Moroso, Aviaid, etc..
Also, I can't imagine how you would change the pickup's proximity to the pan floor without bending/modifying the tube & main-bolt support tab, but that would result in an angled pickup "cup". I suppose you could add (pop-rivet?) a sealed "skirt" around the cup that extends 3/8"-ish lower than the existing one. If you decide to do THAT, however, be sure to seal it with a good automotive-grade/oil-resistant RTV.....AND knock the center "pull-studs" out of the (S/S) pop rivets. <shrug>
Placerville, California
(former) '78 2.3T Courier w/blow-thru Autolite 2bbl carb ~ (current) '87 2.3T Ranger w/PiMP’d EFI
Thank you Ray; I spoke with Kevko and they recommend 1/4" to 3/8" clearance for the pickup tube to oil pan. As a FYI to anyone in the future reading this, I went with a different pan from Kevko. I bought the F800RR with the F800 pickup tube. The F800RR is their road race pan with gates, scrapers and baffles. It's a nice unit. The pickup tube requires you to move the oil pickup stud from the stock location to the middle main cap. Not a big deal here. In my application, I have ARP hardware so it was just a matter of breaking loose the two studs on each main cap, swapping the pickup stud with the regular, and retorquing all the main studs in the stepped process as prescribed by ARP.
To get the clearance within spec, Kevko recommends washers under the pickup tube stud bracket. For my application, it took 3 M10 washers to get the clearance to .360". I believe the washers were .095" thick each.
Also, BoPort sells a custom made ARP oil pickup stud. These are a newer design from the old ones and are very nice.
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THUMBUP
Placerville, California
(former) '78 2.3T Courier w/blow-thru Autolite 2bbl carb ~ (current) '87 2.3T Ranger w/PiMP’d EFI
What I noticed, the drain plug hits the bottom of the pickup on my original/stock untouched 2.3t. Strange that it would be that close.
According to the Esslinger catalog of years past, in the Technical Section:
"Oil pick-up should be 1/8" to 3/16" from the bottom of the pan to the bottom of the oil pick-up."
Might be an anomaly? Unfortunately, I didn't check the original pickup tube and pan clearance when I was taking apart my stock motor. Would have been nice to see what that clearance was from the factory. Wasn't thinking about it at the time
