Oil Pans, Dip Sticks, Tubes & Oil Accessories

I. High-Capacity and Baffled Oil Pans

The oil pan’s primary job is not just to hold oil, but to keep the oil pump pickup submerged and surrounded by oil, especially under dynamic driving conditions. Butler stocks and recommends performance pans that drastically improve on the original design.

A. Canton Racing Products

Butler frequently supplies Pontiac-specific pans from Canton Racing Products (and others) for serious street and race applications:

• Road Race Pans (e.g., Canton CAN-15-444): These are designed for severe lateral G-forces. They feature trap doors and advanced baffling to keep the oil centralized around the pickup, preventing pressure drops during hard cornering. They often include a side kick-out under the starter to increase capacity to $7$ to $9$ quarts.

• High-Capacity Street Pans (e.g., Canton CAN-15-400): These offer increased capacity (typically $7\text{-}8$ quarts) and simple baffling for street/strip use. The larger sump helps with heat dissipation and ensures a larger oil reserve for the engine.

• Stock-Appearing Baffled Pans (e.g., Canton CAN-15-389): For the builder who needs improved oil control without changing the engine's external appearance, these maintain stock dimensions but include an internal slosh baffle to control oil movement.

   

B. Oil Pan Accessories

• Oil Pan Gaskets: Butler offers a variety of high-quality oil pan gaskets, including the popular BOP Pontiac One Piece Steel Reinforced Rubber Gasket (BOP-OPG49). These one-piece designs dramatically reduce the chance of leaks compared to the original multi-piece cork gaskets.

• Oil Pump Pickups: Performance pans require matching pickups (e.g., Canton CAN-15-401 for many Canton pans). Butler ensures the correct pickup tube is available to position the screen properly at the bottom of the pan sump.

   

II. Oil Accessories: Pumps, Control & Scrapers

For any high-performance Pontiac, increasing the volume and control of the oil flow is non-negotiable.

A. High Volume Oil Pumps

Butler exclusively recommends Melling high-volume oil pumps for all performance Pontiac builds.

• Standard High Volume ($60\text{psi}$): Ideal for performance street engines that need more flow to compensate for larger bearing clearances and higher RPM.

• RA/SD High Volume ($80\text{psi}$): For max-effort race engines, the higher pressure spring ensures oil pressure remains high at extreme operating temperatures and RPMs.

• Hardened Drive Shafts: It is essential to pair any high-volume pump with a hardened oil pump intermediate shaft (like Melling MEL-IS54A or a Butler branded shaft) to prevent twisting or breaking the stock shaft under the increased load of a high-volume pump.

B. Windage Trays and Scrapers

Oil sloshing in the pan and clinging to the rotating assembly creates windage, which robs horsepower and aerates the oil (causing pressure loss).

• Windage Trays (TPP-042, SPE-WT4): These bolt over the main caps and extend to cover the crankshaft, stripping oil off the counterweights and preventing it from being sucked back up by the crank. 

• Crank Scrapers (TPR-2101/TPR-2100): These metal plates are precisely mounted close to the crankshaft throw to physically scrape oil off the rotating assembly, minimizing windage and accelerating oil return to the pan sump. Butler offers specific scrapers for various stroke lengths (e.g., $3.75\text{in}$ and $4.21\text{in}/\text{4.25}\text{in}$ strokers).

• Oil Restrictors: For full-roller cam setups where excessive oil is not needed at the top of the engine, Butler offers oil restrictors to manage oil flow to the top end, ensuring the critical main and rod bearings receive maximum pressure.

III. Dipsticks, Tubes, and Installation

Even simple components like dipsticks are application-specific, and Butler offers the correct fitment for various Pontiac chassis and engine combinations.

• Dipstick Kits: Butler offers Replacement Dipstick Tube Kits (e.g., BPI-Dip-Kit-AC) that include the dipstick, upper tube, lower block tube, and the main block tube. These kits are specifically segregated by year and vehicle options (e.g., cars with or without factory A/C require different length tubes).

• Windage Tray Compatibility: Separate lower dipstick tubes are required depending on whether the engine uses a windage tray (AAU-N300) or not (AAU-N302), as the tray often holds the lower tube in place.

• Installation Tools: To aid the builder, Butler offers a specific Dipstick Tube Installation Tool (BPI-1001) to properly seat the lower tube into the block, preventing leaks and damage during assembly.

   

By selecting these carefully curated oil system components from Butler Performance, the Pontiac builder can ensure maximum oil control, minimum power loss from windage, and dependable oil pressure under all conditions.