HELP need a bigger oil pan SBC

[L31MaxExpress]

Woof. Doesn't seem feasible to me.

Nor does it to me. I ran my more aerodynamic low top Express van into a head wind both ways on a ~100 mile trip this weekend. My 383 turns 2,200ish @ 70 mph and it was working to push the van into the wind. Really ate into my fuel mileage. Add rolling hills into the mix and 1,500 rpm at 70 mph will be miserable. The direct injected 5.6L in my mom's 2019 Titan has as much if not more low-speed torque as the 383 he is building and on the same run it has multiple grades it drops out of 7th gear and goes down to 6th or even 5th. Throw a pretty decent headwind at it and the truck stays in 6th gear. It is geared to turn about 1,800 rpm @ 75 mph.

This one grade in particular both the Titan and the Pathfinder have to downshift on atleast 1 gear if not 2 rolling 70-75 mph. My Express and G35 both turn a bit more rpm and motor right up in overdrive. That is the steepest part of the grade, but you are climbing for nearly 2 miles continuously and the grade has the added climbing lane for semis and underpowered trucks towing heavy trailers. The Titan does not make it 100 yards up the grade before it is downshifting.

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[Hipster]

Looks like an exercise in the wrong direction that will be hell on the transmission. Lugging an engine along isn't fuel efficient either but there's,not enough info in the original post. Undergeared lugging along is a nightmare to drive especially if thereis a load involved. Your not in the powerband of the engine @1500 rpm.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Looks like an exercise in the wrong direction that will be hell on the transmission. Lugging an engine along isn't fuel efficient either but there's,not enough info in the original post. Undergeared lugging along is a nightmare to drive especially if thereis a load involved. Your not in the powerband of the engine @1500 rpm.

Exactly! I cannot get a 6L90E into my van quickly enough to replace the 4L85E. With the 3.73s and 30.5" tall tires I find that even my setup could often use gearing between OD and 3rd as it sits. 5th gear would have been a really nice cruising gear this weekend. I needed a little more RPM to pull the van into a stiff head wind. 2,200 @ 70 mph was just not cutting it for the weather conditions. Add a raised roof and an even less aerodynamic late 60s design G-Van into the mix and it would have been terrible. The PCM was showing the calculated torque output at 380+ ft/lbs at times at 2,200 rpm and the calculated load was in the 90-100% range with the MAP sensor showing near ambient pressure. A few times the PCM even had to unlock the converter and let the engine spin up to ~2,800 rpm to maintain speed. The 6L90E will be nice because I can get added torque multiplication with its 4.03 1st gear and it has ratios that practically split the current gears in the 4L85E. I know the gear vendors can split the gears as well, but I would want lower gearing in the rear-end and keep the overall overdrive ratio similar to a 4L60E with a 3.42 or 3.73 gear. I have had a low-top G20 with a factory 700r4 and a factory 3.08 gear. Overdrive was practically useless short of 75+ mph on flat land without any substantial wind, even a stiff crosswind would knock it down to 3rd gear.

 

[Hipster]

Exactly! I cannot get a 6L90E into my van quickly enough to replace the 4L85E. With the 3.73s and 30.5" tall tires I find that even my setup could often use gearing between OD and 3rd as it sits. 5th gear would have been a really nice cruising gear this weekend. I needed a little more RPM to pull the van into a stiff head wind. 2,200 @ 70 mph was just not cutting it for the weather conditions. Add a raised roof and an even less aerodynamic late 60s design G-Van into the mix and it would have been terrible. The PCM was showing the calculated torque output at 380+ ft/lbs at times at 2,200 rpm and the calculated load was in the 90-100% range with the MAP sensor showing near ambient pressure. A few times the PCM even had to unlock the converter and let the engine spin up to ~2,800 rpm to maintain speed. The 6L90E will be nice because I can get added torque multiplication with its 4.03 1st gear and it has ratios that practically split the current gears in the 4L85E. I know the gear vendors can split the gears as well, but I would want lower gearing in the rear-end and keep the overall overdrive ratio similar to a 4L60E with a 3.42 or 3.73 gear. I have had a low-top G20 with a factory 700r4 and a factory 3.08 gear. Overdrive was practically useless short of 75+ mph on flat land without any substantial wind, even a stiff crosswind would knock it down to 3rd gear.

MY 19 has that trans. No idea on durability but I like the gear ratios in it especially when pulling. I just see the op's scenario hunting third gear constantly. Mpg's might be worse, More throttle plate opening lugging along outside the powerband= more fuel. I still maintain power to fuel consumption wise engines are more efficient when operating close to their torque peak. Made several 1k round trips moving back to NC, Full trailer on the way down 3rd gear @65@26-2700rpm, return empty trailer 4th gear @ 70-72 in o/d.$30-40 difference in fuel and constantly hunting 3rd at the slighest grade with just the empty trailer.

 

[tayto]

OP, has been talking about this low rpm van for almost 20 years. go look up his username on thirdgen....

 

[Hipster]

OP, has been talking about this low rpm van for almost 20 years. go look up his username on thirdgen....

Kinda rings a bell, I was on third gen back in mid to late 2000's.still cruise through once in a while

 

[L31MaxExpress]

OP, has been talking about this low rpm van for almost 20 years. go look up his username on thirdgen....

That is how I know a lot about his plans. Not only there, but he has posted here in the past as well as on gearhead-efi, a hotrod engine forum I follow as well as a few vanning groups both online and on Facebook I follow.

 

[Hipster]

That is how I know a lot about his plans. Not only there, but he has posted here in the past as well as on gearhead-efi, a hotrod engine forum I follow as well as a few vanning groups both online and on Facebook I follow.

all talk gotcha, surfing till he hears the answer he wants to hear. 20 years is a long time looking lol

 

[454cid]

all talk gotcha, surfing till he hears the answer he wants to hear. 20 years is a long time looking lol

He's just looking for a pan for fitment not asking how to run an engine at 1500rpm. Certainly he's aloud to ask things along the way. I have doubts about his project, but not about the oil pan. Sounds like he's trying to build a had engine with the powerband of an older diesel.

 

[Hipster]

He's just looking for a pan for fitment not asking how to run an engine at 1500rpm. Certainly he's aloud to ask things along the way. I have doubts about his project, but not about the oil pan. Sounds like he's trying to build a had engine with the powerband of an older diesel.

I hear ya, he needs the pick-up tube that's already been mentioned.....bb pump in a sbc is pretty popular thing to do with readily available parts. He's looking for donations, why don't ya help the brother out.