Ok, i have read in several places that a rear sump oil pan is a must for off-road use because a front sump will not hold oil on the pickup screen when going up hills. So my question is will a rear sump go dry going down steep declines? Ive never been wheelin where i go down or up a hill without doing the opposite on the other end. I have a 78 F-250 with a 6" skyjacker lift and the motor im puttin in it is a 460 from a 68 Lincoln with a front sump. Currently with the 400 sitting in it there appears to be plenty of room in it for a front sump pan an if my diff would hit the pan i am gonna have more to worry about than the dent in the bottom of my oil pan. Not to mention the cost of those oil pan swap kits, I would rather spend it on a centerforce clutch or a better radiator. Any comments or sudjestions would be welcome. Thanks

 

rear sump oil pans are not that expensive any 80's ford with a 460 has them i bought mine new for my 86 bronco a few years back from FPA for 200

 

Altho it can, you have to remember that when you are going uphill, you have a load on the motor, whereas going downhill you dont. With no load a momentary loss of oil pressure is not as catastrophic as it would be under a load (boring on it going uphill) on my 79 Bronc, I run a front sump with plenty of clearance on a 6" lift, however I am real careful to monitor the oil pressure on the motor and not allow it to drop and zero out under a load. If it was me, I would start with the pan (unless you are willing to watch the oil pressure like a hawk while you are wheelin') and then do the radiator and clutch in that order. Also, some careful junkyard hunting can get you a pan fairly cheap... look for a 460 Van or a 460 4x4 from 83-up. Either of those came from the factory with rear-sump pans.

 

You can also use a 8 quart rear sump pan from a 370 or 429 truck motor. I have one on my 78 with no lift and it clears everything. I bought it for $50 from a truck salvage. What ever pan you use be sure to get the correct pick-up for it and make sure it doesn't sit on the bottom of the pan.

 

Forgot about them! If you spot an old Ford Schwanns truck in the junkyard, they came with the 429's

 

Doesn't matter. What!? Sacrilige? Nope. All you need is a high capacity pan with baffles around the pickup to keep the oil around it at angle. The real slick jobs will have trapdoor baffles. You can either buy them like that (my canton is a front sump with trap door baffles, a windage tray, and crank scraper and will keep the oil around the pickup at every angle except upside down) or you can weld them in yourself.

 

Good, thank you guys for the input. I'll start checking the bone yards in my area, and thanks greenhighboy for the reminder on getting the pickup tube. Is this sight awsome or what? Thanks again everyone for the replies.