Engine Oil Pan Brace....Worth the $$$?
 

opinions on this topic vary like the wind, but I'd like some input from the veterans on here as to whether this is a worthwhile investment, especially if I have an engine torque brace and urethane motor mounts, which should help mitigate flexing of the pan

thanks...

It's more to help with the flex of the individual housings more than just the engine moving at all. If the whole engine moves, that's not a problem. However, if you have some flex on half the engine, but not the other, the brace helps that from happening and loosening the oil pan seal.

If your engine is dowel pinned, I don't see the need for the brace.

Except to help the paper thin oil pan seal better. I think they are the best invention for the rotary since the turbo :)

Yes, it will help spread the torque of the pan bolts for when it's sealed. But once it's sealed, that about it's use on a dowel pinned motor. There won't be any twisting or flexing of the engine.

Actually, some decent washers on the bolts would give the same effect during sealing.

For non dowel pinned motors running higher boost (IMO if you are going to run higher boost, you should be dowel pinned), then it will help with the flexing.

in your opinion what would you consider "high boost" ?

I would recommend dowel pinning, stronger studs or something like that for 14 PSI or up. Not to say you can't run high boost on an engine without those, you'll just see more movement with more power.

Oil pan brace is definitely worth it, if you don't want the oil pan to leak anymore.

I's be willing to say that there is no appreciable reduction in housing flex with one. They aren't built for that. They provide enough strength to apply even pressure to the oil pan, but that's it. Now a cast aluminum oil pan is a different story because it is a "3 dimensional" structure.

with the oil pan brace, i see less oil on the chassis. before i had it, there was little spots of oil all over the place. i think its worth it.

I've had the car for 7 years now and never had a leak *shrugs* but I'm cranking up the boost/hp now, so I wanted to get opinions

the aftermarket oil pans are also interesting, but I heard they can bottom out if your car is lowered