Splash Pans

Russ/40

Russ/40

Well-known member
Could someone please tell me the correct placement of the fastener components and the engine pans? I understand the pans bolt to the underside of the lower frame rail. How do the bolts go? Bottom up or top down? Also the nuts have a beveled side and a flat side. Where does the lock washer go? Under the nut as usual? Does the nut have the flat or the bevel against the pan? Sounds dumb, but I want it correct.
 
I just put a pair on this weekend.

From under the car, loosen the two bolts on each side of the oil pan that hold the pans. Slip a pan on to these bolts and tighten them enough to hold the pan.

From the top, or if you have long enough arms, drop the bolt down through each of the three holes in the rail. Lock washer goes at the top of the bolt. The square nut goes below the rail (it looks odd, but I put a lock washer on the square bolt end also as this area sees a great deal of vibration).

The pans are not "precision fit" so you need to be able to run the rail end of the pan up the bolt from below.

Tighten the rail bolts, then the pan bolts (20 lbs. torque). You may find that the pan side may not be flush with the pan. As long as the pan bolts securely hold up their ends you are fine.

I noticed that the car seemed to run a little cooler with the pans changing the air flow through the radiator. We may also hope for a better engine to frame ground with the pans in place.

Hope this helps.
 
Some nuts have a washer face on one side only. Some nuts have a slightly rounded side from the stamping process, but have no washer face. I always put the most rounded or beveled side facing out, and the washer face or most flat side facing the lock washer.
 
I just finished putting on a set of splash pans on a '29 Roadster. I found that putting the bolts in the frame rail in first (bolt down)Then put the splash pan up and slipped it under the pan bolts and slightly tightened them to hold the pan in position. Then carefully squeeze the pan and install it over the front bolt pertruding through the rail. If the nuts have a dish in them it goes towards the chassis. They act as their own lockwasher and dig into the metatl to prevent turning. Just start the nut and go to the middle one and then the farthest one back. I was able to put my arm in from the back and put a wrench on the back bolts first and then the middle. When I got to the front I didn't need the wrench on the top bolt as there was enough tension on it to allow tightening. This was just done 30 minutes ago. As a side note the bolts actually had holes for cotter pins.I hope this helps a little.
 
Roccaas, I don't think so. The bolt goes down thru the frame, then the pan, add lock washer, square nut, and cotter on some early. Never saw a washer on top.
 
If you are installing repo pans, in a few months the two tabs that mount to the oil pan on each side will more than likely break. This is due to vibration and stress points at the tabs. You wll be alerted to the fact by a loud resonant vibration as you decelerate, especially in second gear. I had it happen to two cars.

A repair and a prevention is to make up four "stepped" brackets that fit over the tabs and grab part of the splash pan on either side of the tab. You will have to install longer oil pan bolts in the brackets. I also glued some cork gasket material on the surface of the brackets that sit against the oil pan.
Tom Endy
 
The bolts go down thru the frame, then the pan followed by the washer and nut as normal. The original nuts do not have a beveled side. I would mount bevel side to the washer to hide it.
 
Yep, Jerry got it right. The #12-24 square nuts were thin (3/16"x 1/2") just like the radiator shell mounting nuts except with the larger hole. They were totally flat on both sides. When reinstalling originals I just put the side with the lock washer damage back in the same place.
 
Jeez, now you tell me. :) I just installed mine with the bolts pointed up and the car is off the jackstands.

Both pans had spread out after coming off last fall. I don't remember them being so wide then. I think they were not beadblasted to be depainted, just chem stripped. I had some distillation column trays sandblasted once and they curled up like a potato chip. I calmly had the crew turn them over and blast the other side and they straightened out like I knew what I was doing.
 
JoeWay said:
Me neither. Lockwasher goes on just before the nut in any application.

Joe
Click to expand...

Except on the 2 long through bolts for the Model A generator. The lock washers go under the screw head of the long bolts in order to keep the nuts from rubbing on the pulley.
 
Tom Endy said:
If you are installing repo pans, in a few months the two tabs that mount to the oil pan on each side will more than likely break.
Tom Endy
Click to expand...

Would spreading the pans out slightly help prevent the tabs from breaking? My thought is the pan would push against the engine and follow any vibration rather than the vibration "pulling" on the tabs.
 
Tom Wesenberg said:
Except on the 2 long through bolts for the Model A generator. The lock washers go under the screw head of the long bolts in order to keep the nuts from rubbing on the pulley.
Click to expand...

Sonuvagun! It's been over 20 years since I put my generator together, so I had to go look to see what I did. I got it right, with the lockwashers under the screw heads. Looks like original nuts, too--1/2" across the flats instead of the modern 7/16".

I have at least 1/8" clearance between the pulley and the nut--plenty of room for a lockwasher under the nut. Now I wonder if I have an original pulley.

Joe
 
Just to make sure....on the oil pan side, oil pan then the pan then the washer and bolt? This is for an early 28, ridged front mount. Thanks, Dudley
 
Bruce said:
Roccaas, I don't think so. The bolt goes down thru the frame, then the pan, add lock washer, square nut, and cotter on some early. Never saw a washer on top.
Click to expand...

Double lock washers are sort of like wearing suspenders AND a belt. I usually would "double nut" the bolt, but didn't have any of the right size in the big drawer where leftover fasteners seem to end up from so many projects over the years. I must have the cheap pan screws as mine had no cotter pin hole.
 
d.j. moordigian said:
Just to make sure....on the oil pan side, oil pan then the pan then the washer and bolt? This is for an early 28, ridged front mount. Thanks, Dudley
Click to expand...

Yes. the splash pan mounts under the oil pan. You don't want to mess with the seal (Permatex) between the oil pan and the block.

Oil pan bolt and lock washer (2 per side) hold the tabs to the bottom of the oil pan.

Cold engine is best (see the outside of my left palm where I touched the exhaust pipe 4 hours after warming up the engine to drain the oil).
 
Stinch said:
Would spreading the pans out slightly help prevent the tabs from breaking? My thought is the pan would push against the engine and follow any vibration rather than the vibration "pulling" on the tabs.
Click to expand...

The repo pans take considerable effort to pinch them enough to fit in between the pan and frame rail.
 
read the original post this morning, and went out & dug out a set I picked up [last or the year before] of what I believe to be original splash pans. WHAT A BREEZE to put them in as opposed to the re-pops I had been fighting with all these years!!
 
one more detail.....

if your car has an engine# after Nov.29, there should be no tabs attaching the front of the pans to the engine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top