Cobra Aluminum Ribbed FE Oil Pan Questions

[REDSC400]

Hi:
At present I have a 428 FE that is equipped with a Milodon oil pan which is Tee Shaped. I have a chance to buy a new old stock Cobra aluminum (probably reproduction not original) FE Cobra ribbed oil pan. Currently, my Milodon pan gives me no problems, it does not leak, and also is plumbed to have the SW oil temp gauge bulb and sender at the rear (top driver's side Tee) of the pan. Obviously, the oil pick up (inside the pan) fits this Milodon pan.

Here are my questions:

1) Do these ribbed Cobra pans have any downside to them? ie: are they machined well and are they prone to leaking? Do they need tweaking?

2) The pan I am looking at is not currently plumbed (via a screw in oraface) to receive the SW oil temp sender. How hard will it be to drill and tap in a hole for the SW oil temp sender.

3) What amount of internal pan clearance will I need for the oil pick up? In other words, the oil pick up for the pump should be what distance away from the bottom of the oil pan? I hope I can use the current oil pick up but the school of hard knocks has shown me that nothing comes easy so I guess I have to be prepared to get and fit a new oil pickup if the pan changes. Any idea as to what oil pickup this would be and where to source it?

Thanks for your help ..

Attached is a pic of my current pan....

[Rick Parker]

Art: If the depth is similar you may be able to use your current pickup tube. Clearance between the floor of the pan and the pickup should be about 3/8". You may need to weld a bung to the pan to allow for the oil temp sending unit, the original material may not be thick enough without increasing it with a bung.
Most of the additional capacity is gained by the additional width, you'll just need to compare dimensions between the two. The Milodon pan has gates and baffles where the other may not.

Rick

[ERA Chas]

Red,
The only answer I know is that the pick-up should be 3/8" or less from the pan bottom. My Canton has the oil temp sender in the side of the cheek, it's always in oil.
A bigger question would be, does your Milodon locate the pick-up in it's "well" in the same location as the ribbed pan's well. You may have to lengthen/shorten the pick-up tube. I'm assuming each of the pans has trap doors and baffles.
Your Milodon sure looks nice and performs well.

[REDSC400]

Chas and Rick:
Thanks for the quick response. Yes the Milodon does have baffles and gates but the aluminum Cobra pan does not. The more I think about it, the more I am inclined to stay with what I have now. The Milodon has been on the car for ~13 years and has worked flawlessly.

[HI Cobra]

Red,
This sure sounds like a prime example of "If it ain't broke,
don't fix it" application. I'd say go for another 13 years!

[Excaliber]

I agree with that Flip!

I've heard some comments about those Cobra oil pans cracking. I would be worried with my luck I'd hit something and the pan would be toast. At least the metal pan would "dent", not break.

[bigmike]

ONLY 13 years?
Stay with the steel pan..... it looks like a winner
BigMike
PS I have the aluminum pan, and no complaints, so far.

[427 S/O]

Little as it may be, the aluminum t-pan strengthens up the bottom end unlike the beer can milodon, I had a bung welded in
for the oil temp and a #6 male fitting for the pre-oil pump.

[427 S/O]

And yes, it has baffles..........

[427 S/O]

Here ya go..........

[Steve R]

personally,
I would stay away from an aluminum pan. Sure, they look cool, but would crack like an egg if challenged by some serious road debris.
Steve

[SCOBRAC]

I had a cobra pan on my 428. I loved it, looked cool had the wow factor. It worked well. It didn't leak. When I dropped in my 427 I started thinking about the potential of a rock or road debris fracturing the aluminum pan and causing a catastrophic failure. Aluminum breaks pretty readily and more often than not it happens quickly.

I opted for the $650 Aviaid pan as a cheap way of insuring it didn't happen.