LS1 V8 Miata oil pans - the good the bad and the ugly
#76
V8 Miata Follower
#78
V8 Miata Fanatic
#80
I have been reading through this thread. I can't seem to find a good number for how thick the front of the pan can be. I have a lead on a MAST Motorsports conversion pan that I can get real reasonable but it's about 1.75" from top of the pail rail to the lowest point on the front of the pan. Anyone know if this pan works with the v8 roadster frame?
#82
V8 Miata Follower
What is this?
Can anyone identify this pan's maker. Does it require a special oil pickup? I see that it requires a remote filter. That's good as I want to use a cooler
#85
Have you tried to install the pan into the car yet? I am very interested to see how it fits. I am waiting on my crossmember to come in and I want to get the rest of my parts this pan seems like a great option at a great price point if it fits. I am patiently waiting to see how it will work.
#86
Jim Stainer
Thread Starter
So you have plenty of time to do a build thread then! General Motors V8 Miata Build Threads - v8 Miata Forum - Home of the v8 Miata Conversion
#87
V8 Miata Follower
I haven't had a chance to test fit the Speedmaster Pan in the car, yet. The motor is still on the stand.
My notes so far -
Strike 1 - The pickup tube did not work out of the box. It unfortunately sat too low and would not allow the pan to sit flush with the block. I emailed Speedmaster about it and they pretty much said "Too bad."
So I got out the trusty torch and bent it so it fits nicely.
Here is the Play-Doh Before:
And After:
My notes so far -
Strike 1 - The pickup tube did not work out of the box. It unfortunately sat too low and would not allow the pan to sit flush with the block. I emailed Speedmaster about it and they pretty much said "Too bad."
So I got out the trusty torch and bent it so it fits nicely.
Here is the Play-Doh Before:
And After:
#88
V8 Miata Follower
Speedmaster Pan Strike 2 - The starter will not fit. The flange sticks out too far off of the motor, so there is literally no way any F-body/Truck/whatever starter will work with this pan...
The good news is that there is more than enough meat on the flange to trim the pan where I need to, but I'm hesitant to do any trimming before I determine if it will clear the PS rack. I don't want to cut it and not be able to return it.
I will get a picture of this tonight.
The good news is that there is more than enough meat on the flange to trim the pan where I need to, but I'm hesitant to do any trimming before I determine if it will clear the PS rack. I don't want to cut it and not be able to return it.
I will get a picture of this tonight.
#90
V8 Miata Protégé
I haven't had a chance to test fit the Speedmaster Pan in the car, yet. The motor is still on the stand.
My notes so far -
Strike 1 - The pickup tube did not work out of the box. It unfortunately sat too low and would not allow the pan to sit flush with the block. I emailed Speedmaster about it and they pretty much said "Too bad."
So I got out the trusty torch and bent it so it fits nicely.
Here is the Play-Doh Before:
And After:
My notes so far -
Strike 1 - The pickup tube did not work out of the box. It unfortunately sat too low and would not allow the pan to sit flush with the block. I emailed Speedmaster about it and they pretty much said "Too bad."
So I got out the trusty torch and bent it so it fits nicely.
Here is the Play-Doh Before:
And After:
#91
V8 Miata Fanatic
Word to the wise..., doing the Play Do test or whatever preferred choice of squishy material one chooses to use, & regardless of who's aftermarket pan and pick up tube you're installing, you must spend the 15 minutes to confirm proper clearances on the pick up. I had to slightly tweak the V8R pick up tube on my car as well. Didn't think twice about it after it was fixed.
#92
V8 Miata Follower
#93
Found this one today. Does not seem to be a bad price considering you do not need a remote filter. And they even have a pan with a built in skip plate for off road or really low cars.
Tilden Motorsports LSx Sheet Metal Oil Pans
Tilden Motorsports LSx Sheet Metal Oil Pans
#94
V8 Miata Follower
Still fighting with the Speedmaster Pan. I got the motor in for a test fit and it hits the rack.
It's barely hitting it, and I'm thinking (read: hoping) that the motor will rock backwards when the tranny/mount is on it. It tends to lean forward without anything on it, so it *might* still work.
Also - it hits the CTS-V A/C belt tensioner when trying to put the belt on.
It's barely hitting it, and I'm thinking (read: hoping) that the motor will rock backwards when the tranny/mount is on it. It tends to lean forward without anything on it, so it *might* still work.
Also - it hits the CTS-V A/C belt tensioner when trying to put the belt on.
Last edited by ordonez1307; 12-10-2015 at 02:35 PM.
#96
V8 Miata Fanatic
Wonder if it would clear the thinner manual steering rack (which is what I'm running)..?
And, hopefully, yours will still work after you add clearances where possible.
And, hopefully, yours will still work after you add clearances where possible.
#98
Slow moving fast project
A $200 baffle was a no-brainer for me. I was disappointed at the lack of a proper baffle in the Holley pan.
#99
V8 Miata Enthusiast
Fitted up my bellhousing to my LS1 recently using the FM steel oil pan...
Realized the lower two bolts on the bell don't attach to anything where they would normally tie into the OEM Fbody oil pan.
Seems to me this takes away from the structural integrity of the bellhousing, though I don't see it mentioned on the sites selling these parts (Hmm). I guess hundreds of LS swaps with custom oil pans (Miatas not included) can't be wrong right? Anyone have issues with this, or seeing failures?
On a steel pan one could easily look into some simple bracing there and it would take away from room for the exhaust system, etc.
Realized the lower two bolts on the bell don't attach to anything where they would normally tie into the OEM Fbody oil pan.
Seems to me this takes away from the structural integrity of the bellhousing, though I don't see it mentioned on the sites selling these parts (Hmm). I guess hundreds of LS swaps with custom oil pans (Miatas not included) can't be wrong right? Anyone have issues with this, or seeing failures?
On a steel pan one could easily look into some simple bracing there and it would take away from room for the exhaust system, etc.
#100
Everyone here seems to have forgotten that there are several degrees of freedom available to allow that pan to clear the steering rack. The easiest one to take advantage of is the motor mount plate that attaches the mounts to the engine. by fabricating a new set of plates out of flat billet stock you can move that motor front to back to clear headers or raise it to clear your pan. A bit of time with dykem, a scribe and your drill press solves the clearance problem and will allow you to use the MAST cast aluminum pan without any clearance problems with the rack. The changes are small, in my case, I moved the holes DOWN 0.185 inches which raised the motor an equal amount allowing the MAST Motorsports cast pan to fit with 3/8 in clearance at the rack. That change also allowed my Sanderson headers to fit without having to dimple one of the tubes to clear the steering rod. Motorplates are cheap and speedway has a pair you can use as a template for the holes for just a few bucks.
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