Anyone rallyed with an aluminum oil pan

Has anyone ever been forced to rally with a aluminum oil pan? I'm thinking stuff like the BMWs or other high end cars would be stuck running one, but I'm wondering how it worked out. Or how did you prevent rocks getting near it or around it.

I just would worry about a cast aluminum pan being somewhat brittle and maybe cracking if getting a good smack vs a steel pan just bending a little.

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"Rally racing makes a heroin addiction look like a vague craving for something salty"

Quote
mellow65
Has anyone ever been forced to rally with a aluminum oil pan? I'm thinking stuff like the BMWs or other high end cars would be stuck running one, but I'm wondering how it worked out. Or how did you prevent rocks getting near it or around it.

I just would worry about a cast aluminum pan being somewhat brittle and maybe cracking if getting a good smack vs a steel pan just bending a little.

Millions of RS Escorts rallied trillions of miles with alloy sumps.
Thousands and thousands of RS Cosworths, both 2wd and 4wd, GroupA and GroupN have driven millions of SS miles with alloy sumps.

Since people make sump guards, things mostly work out fine.
Thin stamped steel pans puncture too. They're thin.

Make a good sump guard that has mid way support.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

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did not know that about those cars.

thanks

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"Rally racing makes a heroin addiction look like a vague craving for something salty"

Mazdog gtx and awd protege, I've never rallied anything other than an aluminum pan and although have more than my fair share of mech. dnf, none of them have been due to that.

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Jay Woodward
Snohomish, WA
'90 Mazdog Frankenprotege
Chronologically, 46...

Also I've found it useful to put some foam between the skid plate and the sump, to prevent rocks from getting caught there and puncturing it.

I had my Mazda BP 1.8L oil pan shortened, just for my own sake of mind. We pie cut it, about 1" out of the back, angled to the front to make the sump section flat. This gave me plenty of breathing room to the skid plate. My buddy runs the same rought SW roads, same car, without a modified pan and in about 2+ full years of running the car, has had NO issues.

-Jon

I guess I was clueless that there were so many aluminum panned cars.

Thanks for the info.

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"Rally racing makes a heroin addiction look like a vague craving for something salty"

I've replaced a broken aluminum oil pan on top of and under a tarp during a snow storm at night at 8000 feet by myself with just beer to keep me company. It was beautiful.
That was an Audi A4 hill climb car with a 20V engine swapped in an a last minute plastic skid plate though so probably nothing compared to what a rally car would be using. Just thought I'd share a negative experience.

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Grant Hughes

take a hammer ( 5 pounder) Pretend it is a rock and smash the oil pan with it, if it breaks or cracks you should run a skid plate and buy a new oil pan.

B6T GTX is also cast aluminum. It's an easy swap but I run a big skidplate just in case.

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"I, for one, welcome our Robot Overlords." - Philip J. Fry

Newer Ford Duratec motors are Aluminum.

Mine had no issues for the last couple of years including WRC Mexico.

Like John said just build a good skid plate.