Mr brother has a 70 Chevelle with a Hamburger oil pan. The problem is when the steering is turned all the way it will hit the oil pan. Has anyone run into this problem and if so what did you do to solve it. Would prefer to modify the steering rather than the oil pan. any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Some of the factory Chevelle big block oil pans had "dimples" to add clearance between the steering and oilpan... So clearance was an issue.

Time for the BFH or torch :D

Really, the contact should only occur when parking, or slow u-turns... Just don't turn all the way...

Possibly, you could get a steering box from a 80's Monte Carlo or Camaro, as those have the internal stops that limit the travel of the steering (less than a stock Chevelle), but not sure if that would be enough...

I have encountered this problem as well, anyone came up with a way to make a bump stop to limit steering travel so you won't hit the pan?

While I don't know your reasons for wanting to keep the pan unmodified, I would say that altering the pan is a much less "invasive" method of addressing the problem than limiting your car's ability to turn. I do understand the reluctance to bash in an expensive new oil pan, however. In fact, I had this very problem on my GTO when I installed a Canton road race pan and the way I solved it was by unbolting the motor mount plates on the K-member and slipping a single washer over each hole. I was surprised at how much this raises the engine. It's more than the thickness of one washer, that's for sure. Actually, I started with two washers and dropped down to one when I realized how much it lifted the mill.

I'm not sure this is an ideal method because it will affect the driveline angles to some degree (literally) but it did stop the centerlink from contacting my pretty gold pan.

One thing I discovered when I was in there: The lower motor mount plate bolt on the passenger side was sticking up far enough past its nut to make contact with the oil pan when the engine torqued over and it left quite a gouge in said pretty gold pan. Now, I realize that a Chevy engine doesn't make nearly the torque of a proper Pontiac mill but it might be something to check for nonetheless. I solved that by hacking off the tip of the bolt with a cutoff wheel.

I had the same problem on my 70 with a Canton oil pan. I solved it by purchasing a Howe center link for a Chevelle. It had to be modified though. I had to cut out the top of the link in the center foot of it and add metal to the bottom. All in all it costed about $200.00 for the link and the professional tig weld. I didnt have to modify anything else on the car and I have full turn steering. I did still have to remove the right inner tie rod grease fitting though cause it still barely hit the oil pan on a full left turn. I also had a few hours in of grinding the link for the final fit. Its got about 800-1000 Michigan street miles on it and a few trips down the track so far. I know some might be afraid to do it like this. The Howe link is a heavy duty piece meant for circle track racing beatings. Although I did this for a temporary fix until I pulled the motor someday and change the oil pan, seems to be working great so, I may not change anything. Heres a pic to give you an idea:
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd275/70SS540/DSC00179.jpg

i have a 70 chevelle with a moroso race pan with a kick out and windage tray. my engine is raised a little in the back so the clearance is even closer. i had to modify the oil pan by cutting the pan and fabricating box type welded in enclosures in which the inner tie rods enter during steering lock.the inner tie rods were also modified by relocating the grease zerks to the bottom so they wouldnt hit the pan. in my case i also had to mill the top of the drag link . if you run a similar pan i dont know how else you could do it without raising the engine and you dont want to do that.

one more thing, the only thing else you could do is move the steering linkage down while maintaining the correct angles for bump steer.i think that would end up being much harder than the pan work plus you would have to go a ways to clear it. properly installed rack and pinion is another option

So how is this working out for you?? I have a custom 9 quart pan.. and took the car out for the maiden voyage after alignment today. Can hardly make a left hand turn... bummed out until I found this thread.

Question: it appears the link mentioned will work.. but being lower .. does it nwo hit the crossmember? Not much space between pain and crossmember with center link in there....

Anyone?

Oh and by the way the town is digging the blown ride on the streets!! Thumbs up all around at every intersection.

Stupid question, but what's wrong w/ modifying the spindle stops at the frame or is this just a 1st Gen. Camaro deal??

pdq67

Stupid question, but what's wrong w/ modifying the spindle stops at the frame or is this just a 1st Gen. Camaro deal??

pdq67


I have a 70 chevellel (Big Block) and had a custom pan made. After finally getting it on the ground and to the alignment shop it turns out the center link hits the pan and so does the right inner tie rod end. From the picture and commentary it appears that the Howe centerlinke may solve this problem.
My concern is that the link sits right in between pan and cross member. Would the new link hit the cross member?

anyone????

Oh and by the way the town is digging the blown ride on the streets!! how about some pics brett, so we can dig-it too ?? i have the same problem with my camino...a BFH & a socket gave me some extra room & took out the zerks for more room:yes:

how about some pics brett, so we can dig-it too ?? i have the same problem with my camino...a BFH & a socket gave me some extra room & took out the zerks for more room:yes:

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will upload some pictures later in the week. Work has me out of town again.

I guess I will order that center link unless someone else has some ideas.........??

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will upload some pictures later in the week. Work has me out of town again.

I guess I will order that center link unless someone else has some ideas.........??
i was thinking of heating up & bending the idler arm & the steering box arm down slightly to increase the clearance:cool:

dont do that. it will upset the steering geometry and agrivate bump steer

i can post some pics of mine if it will help

please do so...:thumbsup:

YES please post some pix!!
I am out of town for work .. but can do the same to show you how close it is later in the week.

ok, i need to get the camera and take some. i promise ill get them on in a couple of days

I had the same problem as others here with my centerlink rubbing the oil pan on my 70 with a 454 although I didn't have any problems with the tie rods hitting my oil pan. I used a plain old Moroso chrome pan on mine and it has big dimples in it to clear the tie rods, as for the center link I put washers under the motor mount plates because I am using poly mounts and I believe they allow the engine to sit a little lower than the stock rubber mounts since I didn't have any problems rubbing the center link with the old rubber mounts-may just be a coincidence but that was the only change I made at the time. here's a pic of the oil pan and if you look close by the top bolts for the motor mounts you can just see the washer.-- http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL1005/3664236/8257067/361328557.jpg

hope this helps.


mrbreez

ordered center link and am taking good advice from 70SS540!!!

ordered center link and am taking good advice from 70SS540!!!that doesn`t mean your getting off on posting those pics!!!!!http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/elkyman/thgeterdone.gif

i think 70ss540's centerlink is very cool and could help alot of ppl out

well it appears I have a few on my camera card....

no tire marks,b-man ???:p:confused:

tooooo easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a problem with the tierod ends hitting the oil pan on my '64 with a small block in it. The guy that had the car before me had tried to stop that by drilling a hole in the lower control arm where the steering arm stop hits it, and he put a bolt through the hole so it basically acted like a spacer to limit the amount the steering moves. It did work to an extent, but there were still contant marks on the oil pan from the tierod ends.
Also I noticed that it hit harder on one side that it did on the other, and I found that was due to the tie rods being mis-adjusted. One side was longer than the other, throwing the centerlink off center. Once I centered the steering by re-adjusting the tierods, I replaced the motor mounts. I noticed that the rubber on the old ones was all collapsed, and the new ones raised it enough to clear the tierods.
Now there is enough room for everything to clear, even with the steering at full stop left or right. Oh, and because I centered the steering linkage, I was able to remove the bolts in the lower arms that were used for stops.

..that scares me....

I need to run the new Moroso 21049 oil pan with the passenger side kick out with my 540. I believe the centerlink will hit the kick out. I was wondering if we had a solid solution for this problem yet? What is the 70ss540 solution to this? This is in my 70 Chevelle with front and rear motor/mid plates. Shimming the motor mounts is not an option. Please help, thanks.


http://www.moroso.com/catalog/categorydisplay.asp?catcode=11916

PS – The pan is about ¾ of the way down the website. Moroso 21049. Thanks.

put a rack in it.
be done with it.