The oil pan seems like such a simple engine component, yet through years of research the team at Milodon has discovered that’s not the case – there are many little tricks that go into an oil pan’s design that allow it to properly contain the engine’s lifeblood while still ensuring adequate lubrication to the engine’s critical components.

“We looked at our entire product lineup and just made everything better than it was before,” says company president Steve Morrison. “We made the pans heavier and redesigned some of the trays and baffling. The majority of engines now are stroker engines, so that causes more windage in the pan. Now we have to try and protect the oil from the windage – 572 cubic inches at the top is also 572 cubic inches in the bottom of the engine. Every time the pistons go up and down the oil is flying around, and trying to get back into the sump – it creates a storm.”

They’ve tooled up to build a sweet oil pan for the A/B/E-body Chrysler to accept the late-model 5.7/5.1/6.4L HEMI engines built out of .060-inch material; it’s available with a windage tray that Morrison says will add up to 15-20 horsepower. The pan uses a 6-inch deep center sump to fit right into the old chassis, and will hold six quarts of oil.

Also hot off the stamping tools is an LS-series Chevrolet pan that’s targeted toward the road race and street crowd. The wide-kickout pan offers superior ground clearance and maximum oil control thanks to a number of trap doors inside designed to direct the oil to the sump at all times.

In addition, they’ve built in an oil filter plate to accept a larger oil filter; the mount also has provisions to install a remote filter setup. The pan’s been built from the outset to accept a 4.125-inch crankshaft stroke for those massive LS builds, and holds seven quarts of fluid.