MMX HEMI Oil Pan Clearance Tech Article by Byron Walker of MMX

As you prepare for your next Gen3 HEMI engine build, we wanted to share an important tech tip to prevent oil leaks, or cracked oil pans. When installing ARP Main Studs in the G3 HEMI, both the windage tray, and the OEM oil pan must be notched to clear the ARP main studs. After installing ARP main studs, the main cap nut sits higher than the OEM bolt causing an interference issue with the oil pan. The oil pan must be notched like the photo below with a carbide on a grinder. Failure to do this will cause the oil pan to not sit flush or flat in the rear and will most likely cause an oil leak. When the oil pan has not been notched for clearance, it also causes alignment issues with the lower transmission bolts and can lead to cross threaded bolts if the root cause of the issue is not fixed. One other note to mention is to ensure that the oil pan is flush with the rear main seal surface. If the pan is shifted rearwards past the rear main seal, this can cause difficulty installing the transmission, as well as binding/torque converter misalignment.

In summary,

Use an air powered grinder and carbide bit to clearance the oil pan (Shown in the photo below) so that it sits flush. I like to sit the pan down straight on the pan rail with no windage tray/gasket just to be sure that the pan has been properly notched.