Oil pickup tube position

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Triumph215
Posts: 215
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:42 pm
Location: Monterey, Ca

Oil pickup tube position

Post by Triumph215 »

I have an obscure question for the OG's. I had tons of oil leaks in my 401, I fixed them all but the rear main i didn't want to mess with and farmed it out. When we looked into the oil pan there's a half circle rub mark where the pickup tube rubs on the bottom of the oil pan. I've never seen anything like this before and it seemed like a problem to both of us. How close to the bottom of the pan do you guys set that pickup tube? It seems to us that some of my oil pressure trouble could be the pickup tube being so close to the bottom pan. Just wondering if there was any wisdom to be had on this one.
1964 Triumph TR4 with 1964 Olds 215 heart transplant
1977 Wagoneer
2009 BMW GS1200
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Stuka
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Re: Oil pickup tube position

Post by Stuka »

Typically it should be right around 1/4" to 3/8" of clearance. If its too high it can starve because its above the oil level (especially on corners), and if its too low it can starve because it can't get enough oil.

If the pickup was touching the bottom of the pan, your engine was definitely being starved.

You can use a piece of putty to check the clearance. Put it on the end of the pickup (solid metal part, not he mesh), and bolt up with the pan with the gasket in place. Then pull it back off and measure the putty.
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Pevious Jeeps: 1981 J10, 1975 Cherokee, 2008 JK, 2005 KJ, 1989 XJ

Topic author
Triumph215
Posts: 215
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2021 8:42 pm
Location: Monterey, Ca

Re: Oil pickup tube position

Post by Triumph215 »

Ok good, thank you. That's what we were thinking and your spacing advice is right where we were planning to put it. Much appreciated.
1964 Triumph TR4 with 1964 Olds 215 heart transplant
1977 Wagoneer
2009 BMW GS1200

letank
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Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:16 pm
Location: SF bay area

Re: Oil pickup tube position

Post by letank »

the original pick up tube snorkel has a plastic round spacer facing the bottom of the oil pan, with corresponding receiving hole in the pick up tube snorkel. It size is close to as said above , but it is not riding on the bottom of the pan...
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74 wag (349 Kmiles... parked, next step is a rust free body)
85 Gwag (229 Kmiles... the running test lab)
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