I got a set of engine pans to put on my Coupelet chassis, and it seems there are two ways they could go: above or below the flanges at the bottom of the block and top of the crankcase. (Please ignore the dust.)
Do the pans go above the flanges where the nuts are, or below the flanges where the bolt heads are? Thanks.
On my '14, I put them on the bottom.
The pans attach on the bottom and over laying the crankcase pan. Make the installation the last mechanical task you do to your car. More times than not, they just get in the way. Most folks have them hanging on the garage wall. Or don't own a set.
True, they can get in the way, but Ford put them on for a reason, and the reason included not wasting extra $ too
On most early years they go on prior to fitting the pitman arm, later style pans have opening for the pitman arm. The pan tabs go under the bolt of the crankcase to block. The outer edges ride under the frame rail and held with the nuts at the hood shelf bolts.
Thanks, Guys -- That's what made more sense, but I wanted to be sure to get it right.
Dan -- The ones I have look like the one you pictured. I'll need to disconnect the drag link from the Pitman arm to get it in place. No biggie.
I can't think of anything engine pans interfere with as far as maintaining the car. If anything they make it easier to maintain the car, providing a place to set wrenches and cotter pins, and catching things I drop inadvertently.
They do collect parts that vibrate loose sometimes, and have saved my oil cap from being lost when I forgot to put it back on after an oil change.
They also keep the engine compartment cleaner.
And if you have an open-valve engine, they make a handy oil trap for the dribbles from the lifters, rather than going straight on the garage floor.
The engine pans were the first things that usually stayed off when the original owners started making repairs on their cars.
I guess it came down to practicality vs. time and trouble.
Somewhere down the road many, many years ago I heard they make for a better air 'draw' by the fan through the radiator fins and tubes.
You may want to take them off in the summer. My guess is that they just trap more heat. They are nice in the Winter and I sometime use them in the Winter.
Thirty years ago an old timer gave me heck because I didn't put engine pans on my 24 touring when I restored it. He told me Henry put them on the car for a reason and that was to keep the air flowing across the engine and not be sucked downward without them. Who was I to doubt a guy who grew up in the Model T days?
Here in the thin air in Denver my 14 Touring has them and with a new Brass Works radiator it hasn't overheated yet. I looked at the odometer last weekend and I have driven it 958 miles so far this year. The brake band gave up last week on the second drive in the same day to Golden Colorado I did just for the heck of it. So I am in the middle of changing out the bands. Got the hogs head off tonight and have the bands re-lined and ready to go back in. I need to get it done as I am determined to meet up with Dave Huson and drive Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park this friday.
Engine pans don't make any difference in how cool the engine runs as far as I can tell.
Oh Wait Royce, I have to disagree because it does make a difference on how hot if on an early car without the louvered hood. We experienced lots of heat and later I removed the exhaust side and that made a remarkable difference allowing the airflow to exit out of the engine compartment down past the hot exhaust pipe. I do like to see them in place though and may replace the carb side with the cooler weather coming.