• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

402 oil pan

partsman67*70

FBBO Gold Member
FBBO Gold Member
Local time
5:24 PM
Joined
Nov 3, 2018
Messages
29
Reaction score
7
Location
Sparta MI
So to all you engine gurus out there, does the big block '402' oil pan need the additional Mopar performance or aftermarket baffle on it, or is the baffling inside the pan sufficient ?
 
Do you mean the windage tray? It's there for a reason..
beerestoration2015-2016 1207.JPG
beerestoration2015-2016 1208.JPG
beerestoration2015-2016 1269.JPG
 
Unless you are aiming for a 100% restoration, why go with a 4 quart pan? Why not use the street Hemi 6 quart?
 
What are you going to do with it? Drag racing? Use the tray. I plan on using the 402 with a windage tray, just because. When the car is done it will make a few passes at the track, then hopefully get miles put on going to car shows.
 
Just using it as a street car, cruising, no dragging. Just seems like the windage tray is overkill when the pan has all that inside it.
 
Tray keeps the crank from sucking /throwing oil up into the rotating assembly, but if you think it's overkill why bother asking.
 
The plates in the pan itself are to control oil surge. The windage tray has an entirely different purpose.
 
Without windage tray most of your oil will be whirlpooled around rotating assembly not being picked up and pumped throughout engine. That clear it up for you?
 
You don't need one. Pan baffles keep the pickup covered under acceleration and braking. The tray keeps the oil from getting aerated (foamy) by the rotating assembly. Plenty of factory stuff, Mopar as well as other brands didn't have them. How efficient they actually are under 'normal' driving conditions is debatable, and oh boy has it been debated! They definitely don't hurt anything, I prefer to add/enlarge slots for better oil return. The folks that are truly concerned about controlling oil in the pan usually use a crank scraper.
 
On a BB Mopar, I always use one with any stock or stock-ish type pan.
Yeah me too, needed or not ....I use the same one I've had for years. Being slightly younger and dumber about 15 years ago I was cleaning it up with a wire wheel, no safety glasses. Had to get a piece of metal wire pulled out of my eye with a big magnet. Needless to say, I've been "sentimentally" attatched to it ever since:D
 
He won’t need it going from his intended use of the car.

How many cars have we driven without one and the oil doesn’t get foamy. 383-2bbl, 440 low Perf on a C-Body, etc.

Many drag race only guys don’t use a windage tray at all and only use a crank scraper. They dyno test everything and this is their best case for most power.
 
Last edited:
If a pan is very deep a windage tray may not be necessary but on shallow pans my feeling is they do more and on most street wet sump systems I fit one.
 
So to all you engine gurus out there, does the big block '402' oil pan need the additional Mopar performance or aftermarket baffle on it, or is the baffling inside the pan sufficient ?

From my understanding, a benefit to the windage tray is one can squeeze out the 402 oil pan to 5-ish quarts. When you bring the oil level up to the max in this way, the windage tray prevents the crank from whipping the oil into a froth. The HP engines came with them from the factory. Chrysler engineers didn't add junk for no good reason. As I recall, the old Mopar Performance catalogs stated they were good for a few extra ponies; maybe 5hp? An old speed book I have stated 15 horsepower at 6000-rpm but also fuel economy on highway. It’s not an expensive part, I’d recommend one.

I'd also add, make sure when using the stock volume 402 oil pan, also use a stock volume oil pump to avoid sucking the pan dry. I've heard of this happening to guys when entering freeway onramps under moderate peddle; oil starvation.
 
Last edited:
Compsyn--I have about 100 miles on a complete rebuild and use a hv standard pressure pump on a 440 with the 402 pan. The last time i had it out for a good run I went about 3/4 throttle maybe a dozen times while checking the op gauge and it was perfectly fine. I think as long as you make sure your level is sufficient, use proper viscosity, and returns are clear there shouldn't be a reason for over a gallon of oil to stay suspended long enough to cause a problem. Low oil level with a hv pump? That might be trouble.
 
Not to open the oil pressure can-o-worms again, but UTG says you only need about 10psi at idle, the fsm says 20 psi minimum @500 rpm, 45-65 @ 1000 rpm. Nick's garage suggests about 45 at hot idle. So I guess if you have anywhere from 10-45 at idle you're good.
 
So to all you engine gurus out there, does the big block '402' oil pan need the additional Mopar performance or aftermarket baffle on it, or is the baffling inside the pan sufficient ?
Hey All. Do you put a gasket between the windage tray and the block as well as between the oil pan and the windage tray? In effect, a gasket on both sides of the windage tray??
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top