Has anyone ever seen a fitting on the driver's side of their oil pan? Any ideas what this might be for? Looks like the pan still has the original style finish so I don't think the fitting was added later.

Just curious mostly....here is a pic of what mine looks like.

 

That is not factory... Looks like a drain point for an aftermarket oil filter set up?

 

that is not factory like joe says.

 

You guys could be right. I've only owned this truck for a little over 2 months.
Seems a bit low for a drain back point though...doesn't it?

One thought I had was that perhaps maybe someone cut a hole in the pan so they could have access to repair/replace the dipstick flange. If that was the case then I suppose the hole would have to be fairly low to clear the crank throws. Do these engines have windage trays?

 

in a stock pan i dont think you would not able to get to the dipstick flange. for the plate in there.

 

here is a stock pan.

 

Oil temp sensor bung? Or maybe it was used for a low oil level sensor? Kind of hard to tell.

 

The fitting is probably too large for a temp sensor but an oil level sensor could be a possibility. Oh well, I guess we'll never know what it was used for...

The joys of buying a vehicle with unknown origin....there always is a surprise waiting around the corner. Seemed like it took me almost 2 hours to surgically remove the Banks Trans Command that the previous owner put on there. Those things are wired into the OEM connector at the trans so they don't come out easily...but I eventually figured it out.

Yesterday I had a flashing OD light on the shift lever and figured that I must have messed up something when I removed the Banks module but the code said there was a fault with the VSS sensor instead. So I crawl under there to check it out and find the insulation burned off both of the wires to that sensor. Further investigation reveals that a hole was torched in the bed for a gooseneck hitch and the slag must have fallen directly onto the wires and burned them to a crisp. Amazing it worked for as long as it did before throwing a code...

Then I find one of these things in the IC boot. What the heck?
Airaid - Product Search

Of course the original fuel filter lid is long gone....lucky I have a spare. I'm almost afraid to get under the VCs to do the .50 cent mod. I think I hear that Jack-in-the-Box melody in my head now....

 

Its a drain... Its well above the oil sump level... Too high for any kind of sensor.