"Stock" Small Block Oil Pans Discontinued?

[Pat Bush #35083]

Quick question -

I need a stock 73 oil pan for a small block and every parts house I call tells me this item has been discontinued and is no longer available! Aside from my abject amazement at this, my next question is for help. this is a L-48 base motor and am wondering if any old vanilla 4 qt small block GM pan will work on the vette or is it "special".

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Pat

[Joe L.]

Re: "Stock" Small Block Oil Pans Discontinued?

Pat------

The original oil pan used on your 1973 L-48 was GM #3820000. This pan was replaced for SERVICE in about 1976 by oil pan GM #360866. Both pans are identically configured except that the front oil pan seal radius is slightly larger on the latter pan to accomodate the 75+ style, 0.41" thick front seal.

The GM #360866 oil pan was discontinued several years ago and is virtually impossible to locate in NOS form. I understand that Paragon is working on a reproduction using refurbished original tooling but I don't know where it stands.

You can use one of the 75-79 Corvette oil pans, though. These will function perfectly but they won't be "correct" with respect to configuration.

I recommend using the 75-79 Corvette L-82 and Z-28 Camaro oil pan. This pan is currently available under GM #360450 and can be used with or without the external baffle. To use this pan you will also need to replace the oil pump pick-up screen with GM #3855152, the upper dipstick tube with GM #3876870, and the dipstick with GM #3951576.

If you wish to use the external baffle with this pan, then you'll also need baffle GM #3927136 and 5 main bearing cap studs of GM #14087508.