Hello everyone I have been working on my new K30 project its got a 454/TH400 combo in it. I would like to put an aluminum extra capicity pan on it but am not sure if there is a differance between a truck or car TH400. I have looked on summit and Jegs they offer pretty much the same ones some say they have and extention pickup if its needed and some dont say. I am a little confused I want to make sure I get the right one. If anyone can tell me what they know or are using on there own trucks that would be appreciated.
CK5
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Help with TH400 Aluminum pan
- Thread starter 1HighK5
- Start date
k20
3/4 ton status
I have the tci deep pan on mine. Truck Th400's typically already have the deeper sump....typically. If you pan only looks like its an inch or two deep then it is the shallow one. If it looks 5 or 6" deep (going off memory with those measurements) then it is the deeper pan already. If you have a deep pan you wont need the extension tube as yours will already be set up for the deep pan. I added the aluminum to mine to gain the drain plug b/c I hate dropping the full pan and having it go everywhere.
Car and truck pans are the same as far as bolting them on, some truck pans are a deep pan from the factory. Since you're buying an aftermarket aluminum pan it doesn't matter which pan you already have UNLESS you're wanting a higher capacity than you already have. Ifyou already have a factory deep pan i don't think there is a deeper pan than that so you would only gain the rigidity of the aluminum pan and a drain plug.
Ned Kelly
1/2 ton status
I've only seen the deeper factory pans on all K30's I've bought or looked at. They add one quart oil capacity to the Th400. More importanly run a tranny cooler and install a temp guage and you should have no problems with your TH400. You can also run synthetic or semi-synthetic AT fluid to help your trans live longer. All the factory pans I've seen have been aluminum.
odin
1/2 ton status
I have NEVER seen a factory aluminum pan on any GM trans of our vintage trucks.
Double
Adventurous 4x4
1/2 ton status
You should already have a deep pan. It is actually deeper then most of the aftermarket deep pans. I had to switch mine over to a short stock pick up tube and use the extention that came with the B&M pan I bought. I tried leaving the stock deep truck pick up on and the pan would not bolt up due to hitting the filter on the bottom of the pan.
Ned Kelly
1/2 ton status
Ok, I went out to look at the K30's factory deep pan. It is aluminum. It's definitely not stamped steel.
Ned Kelly
1/2 ton status
I'm sure it's a factory deep aluminum oil pan (about 1" deeper than regular pan, adds 1 quart more) . It's not ribbed or anything. I went out to look, both my K30's have them. I will check the 3rd truck Saturday.
Looks same as deep factory pan pictured in Peterson's 4Wheel mag dated March 2009, p. 74.
Looks same as deep factory pan pictured in Peterson's 4Wheel mag dated March 2009, p. 74.
Adventurous 4x4
1/2 ton status
Stick a magnet to it to find out. Mine looked like aluminum but it's not.
Ned Kelly
1/2 ton status
Well you are right. Darn magnet stuck to the pan. Hmmph....I never would have thought.
I stand corrrected.
If you can try an find one off a P30 van with a TH475 (475's have straight cut gear instead of helical gears for increased strength) They came with a al deep pan. Another benifit is that they have an integrated inspection cover (all one piece), so it gives the entire trans better .structural rididity. Make sure you are using a K case for you transmission. This should be on the right or left on the Bell housing. Hope this helps.
79rustyk10
3/4 ton status
Not th400, but I was happy as hell to get a cover with a drain plug on the th350 in my 79. appears to be factory too, but I dont know.
Alot of trucks with the TH350 or TH400 had drain plugs on the trans pan.
79rustyk10
3/4 ton status
Ive had a few of these trucks, and worked on quite a few and never seen one before. These were all TH350's or 700r4's in half tons though.
I've owned trucks with both a TH350 and also a TH400 that had the factory pan with drain plug. It is definately nice to be able to drain the pan and not make a mess all over the place. The vehicles that i've owned that did not have a plug got one the first time i pulled the pan for a filter and fluid change. I would drill a hole in the pan and then weld a nut on the inside of the pan but not before cutting a V into one side of the nut (side touching the pan) so that almost all of the fluid could drain. From there you just use a oil drain plug with crush washer. I don't even bother with the Mr Gasket "kit" they sell because it never fails when you try to remove the small NPT plug the bolt together portion comes loose then you have to drop the pan anyways.
Adventurous 4x4
1/2 ton status
Well you are right. Darn magnet stuck to the pan. Hmmph....I never would have thought.
I stand corrrected.
Don't feel bad. I thought the same thing with my first th400 and checked it with a magnet. I still have the stock pan off the one I am running now and plan to plate it with 1/4" steel to help keep it from bending when it hits rocks.
