68 Convertible 400 4 speed, all numbers matching except the carb. Bought the car in 2002 and drove it on weekends for about a year, ran good, bad suspension and brakes made me park it. Put it away until last month. Found a shop I like and trust to help get it running and make it safe with an eye to eventual restoration. Shop does all the usual, new water pump and radiator, new stock (for now) brakes, lines, master and booster, new gas tank, fuel lines, rebuild carb. Belts, hoses, spark plugs, oil change, compression test. And some other minor odds and ends.
Fires right up for the first time in 16 years, runs smooth! REALLY EXCITED!
After the third time it was started and running 5 minutes after warm up we notice a weird knocking sound coming from the oil pan area. Getting louder and louder as the car warms up. Oh no!!! Shut it down, start scratching head. Not so Excited
Pull the oil pan and all I can say is Huh?!? the windage tray on the front driver-side edge is freshly bent over, with metal debris in the bottom of the oil pan. See Picture (old Windage Tray). Mechanic said no metal when changing the oil prior to running.
The oil pan had also been "modified" as it had the tabs left in it from where the incorporated windage tray (post 73 models) had been cut out. Mention this because it makes me wonder what the guy who did the work was thinking about "modifying Parts" to save money. Ordered new Windage tray from Ames and another surprise. See Picture (Windage Tray Side-By-Side). Well I guess I can see the problem here. Me, my mechanic and his engine builder are at a loss for why this would suddenly "start" 5 mins into the warm up??? Also, I confirmed with AMES I had the right part. Has anyone seen their windage tray and can confirm it stops before the front 2 cylinders?
New Windage tray installed and motor turned over by hand, no clearance issues. Engine flushed twice with new oil and oil filter each time. New oil pump, pick and pan to go with the new windage tray. Fingers crossed!!!
I believe there was also a shorter stock one. Maybe that is what the repop one is supposed to be. There shouldn't be much oil splashing around at the front of the motor since the oil pan is so close. I don't think the windage tray is a real critical part. Like you said, the later motors just have the welded in baffle covering the deep part of the pan and left out the windage trays. This was supposedly to keep oil from splashing onto the crank and adding drag at high RPM's Maybe the experts can chime in and provide opinions on how well they worked.