Dan Brooks
Active Member
Hi everyone,
I have an 81 stepside that I'm finally getting to after all these years. It is a slant 6 four speed and I'm changing it to a 400 automatic. The problem I'm having is the oil pan. The 400 was out of a car with a front sump, I found a rear sump but that doesn't work either in that the dipstick hits the front shallow section of the pan and wont go in at all. The dipstick naturally goes through the block but stops immediately when hitting the pan. I have a center sump pan that fits perfect BUT as I stare it about a thousand times a day it does not look like it will miss the cross frame. I have the right big block motor mounts but I don't want to tear the crap out of this truck and slide the 400 in just to find out it will not go in. Anyone done this swap? and what am i doing wrong?
I have an 81 stepside that I'm finally getting to after all these years. It is a slant 6 four speed and I'm changing it to a 400 automatic. The problem I'm having is the oil pan. The 400 was out of a car with a front sump, I found a rear sump but that doesn't work either in that the dipstick hits the front shallow section of the pan and wont go in at all. The dipstick naturally goes through the block but stops immediately when hitting the pan. I have a center sump pan that fits perfect BUT as I stare it about a thousand times a day it does not look like it will miss the cross frame. I have the right big block motor mounts but I don't want to tear the crap out of this truck and slide the 400 in just to find out it will not go in. Anyone done this swap? and what am i doing wrong?
