I consider Matt's Ragusa pan advice excellent. Last summer (2019), before
the Wuhan Virus hit us, I came around a curve and down a hill in N. GA to
find a railroad track across the road. Too close to react, I saw what the
tracks, rather than having gentle approaches, stood about 4" above the road
surface. When the front wheels hit the first track I could feel the front
end leave the ground. I never felt the 2nd track, but I did feel and hear
something strike the pavement when we landed. When the shoulder permitted
me to stop, a mile or two down the road, I got out and checked the front
end. There was no obvious damage, but the fins on the bottom of the Ragusa
pan were unusually shiny. Nothing was running out of the engine.
Back home on the service rack I took a better look at everything. There
seemed to be no damage to the tires nor the Manny One-Ton front
suspension. But the fins on the transmission pan were almost obliterated
at the rear of the pan -- scraped off by the highway asphalt when the GMC
landed after its aborted takeoff! But no other obvious damage -- it's
still leaking only at the flange, as it always has. Perhaps that
lubrication on the bottom helped it survive the crash?
Ken H.
On Tue, Nov 17, 2020 at 9:41 AM Matt Colie via Gmclist <
> > Good advice. On my 4x4 I have a rock guard plate covering the bottom of
> the engine and transmission to protect them from damage when on rough
> > trails. Would it be helpful to make something like this for our GMCs?
> Or do you think it will only increase heat holding capacity (reduce air flow
> > and cooling) of the engine compartment and thus be more of a detriment?
>
> Vadim,
>
> Chaumière is an elder lady and at her age there is strike damage to both
> the transmission pan and both fuel tanks. She used to go to Mexico a lot
> and I do not know where or how.
>
> While strike damage should always be a concern, I don't know where you
> could mount such a guard on a TZE. I would not worry about the possible air
> flow cooling loss as both the engine and the transmission have adequate
> coolers in the system. If one were concerned, I would think that a Regusa
> pan
> might be a good answer.
>
> One of my Jeeps had a heavy plate brazed to the bottom of the engine pan
> and it caused me plenty of greif, but I never had to worry about the oil
> pan.
>
> Matt
> --
> Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL,
> GMCES
> Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum
> Brakes with Applied Control Arms
> SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
>
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