We have a 64 Malibu Drag car with a 598 BBC. Lots of ponies and torque. I would like to put a full length oil pan on the engine, and would need to be able to drop the pan without removing the engine.

Is it feasible to move the front cross member. We have already replaced the original cross member with a 2x4 square tube to allow for a bigger pan. I would like to have the car front halfed, but way too expensive for now.

I am thinking that I would like to move the cross member forward, or leave it in the same place, but make it removable., or maybe both for strength.

Anyone tried anything like this, or have any thoughts pro or con?

Ken Gasbarri

I don't know what kind of ground clearence you have but we have been able to do a few by putting it lower so you can get a full pan in and out, just support the hell out of it when its being done so the rails don't pull in. the last one we did we actually left the stock one in til the new piece was mostly done.

Ralph;

I was thinking about something like that. But now I have another question. What do I do with the steering linkage? Would dropping it each time I want to drop the pan be feasable? I would think that replacing the linkage with some after market "trick" linkage is going to be expensive, and then I may as well front half the thing. Any thoughts or ideas?

Ken Gasbarri

Cool thread!!

Got me ta making smoke come outta my ears on the sida my pointy little head...

Thinking out loud..

Is the '64 Chevelle front steer??

Can you mount her by heavy front motor plates by using "elephant-ears" off the water pump and the old style front motor mount holes.

Then use a tri-5 type side mount bellhousing to four point support her and flat do away with the section of the cross member that is in the way of dropping the pan??

Or even a rear block plate sandwiched between the motor and the bellhousing if wanted..

Leave any parts of the stock cross member that you need to hang your steering/A-arms, etc.., from sorta deal.. AND make all mounts and such strong enough that your motor now becomes load-bearing too.....

A side note is that your tranny could now hang out in the open just like the Tri-5's did and with an open bottomed bellhousing, clutch changes become a piece a cake if you are or ever wanted to run a stick!!

Boy!!! Again, a cool thread..........

He, He!! 598"er, bigger then my oft dreamed about 588" motor...

pdq67

PDQ;

The car does have front steer. I am trying to find some old photos I have of the engine in the car with the front clip off to see if the linkage will clear the pan. I am sure that the linkage won't be a problem with the pan I have now, which is a Milodon 8-quart. I am not so sure about a full length one.

I have a front and mid plate already in place. Both are one piece, with the front one being a thick aluminum, and the mid a rather thin steel one that goes between the block and bell housing. I also have a 2" tube (originally a drive shaft loop) welded to the very front of the frame rails. I use that for the engine limiters, and to attach the front clip and radiator to. I don't think that it is stout enough to keep the frame from twisting.

I think I will take the car over to "Pro Toys" and have old Shawn do it. This guy is one of the best in the country, but of course expensive. I could fabricate what I need, and have a friend weld it in, but the more I think about it, this is probably something I should spend the money on. John Bandimere has been very tolerant with me dumping all kinds of stuff on his launch pad. I don't think he will be that tolerant if I leave the front half of the car next time I launch.

Ken Gasbarri

Ken .. I cut my cross memeber height in 1/2 in order to fit a Moroso full kickout pan. You will have to change the steering over to a R & P unit as the pan will hit the drag link. Unless you move the engine rear ward.
But ... I can NOT take the pan off w/ the engine in the car. I think I ended up with 6" clearence from the block to the cross member. Which is still 1" + short to fit a full length pan.
I searched for about 2 months to find a " drop pitman arm " .. no luck for a manual steering box, plenty of them to choose from for a pwr box though. So I ended up with the R & P which wasnt that big of a deal or expensive to do. With the support the crossmember provides for the lower A arm I dont think it can be safely removed permanently. And I didnt see a way to be able to provide enough support for the A arms and having the cross memeber thin enough and removeable...

On my Monte we cut out about 10" of the saddle and welded two heavy vertical plates that extended only another 1" below the original saddle. Then a heavy wall 2X4 tube was welded between the plates. I had enough clearance then to pull the pan without raising the motor. A full pan.... I'm not so sure. It also acted like a skid plate.

Please think again about the old Tri-55 side mount type bellhousing unless you just want to use the rear block/motor plate..

pdq67