I'm rebuilding the motor and decided it was time to replace the factory honda oil pan because I noticed it is not completely flat, there is about 1/4" lift/warp. Rather than buying a factory pan and tapping the the return I bought a new Moroso 20911 pan and it arrived yesterday. First thing I did was put it on a flat surface and against the block and sure enough it is not flat at all, this pan has a 1/2"-5/8" lift/warp.

I called Moroso tech and they told me that their acceptable limit on a steel pan is 1/4" of warp/lift. I don't understand how this is acceptable when I'm sure Honda pan is flat (i think). The tech was convinced the problems with leaking and this pan based on some of the posts on HT is not the warp, but users who don't follow their torque specs. I explained to him no amount of in/lb torque spec will correct a 1/4" warp, all you are doing is hoping the gasket fills that gap rather than supplying a flat pan to begin with. Sure people over tighten and that causes leaks for sure, but even if you follow the Moroso torque specs it will likely leak. I'm returning this pan and ordered another, this time from Jegs hoping they have a different batch that maybe is flat. The tech said this is their most popular pan and maybe he can find a flat one in the warehouse but they were all out of stock.

Question I have to the community here is who has a brand new factory Honda oil pan that they can test to see if it is completely flat or has some lift/warpage? I'm not convinced the factory pans have warp and if they do it is likely 1/8" or less.

Thanks

 

Moroso pans are trash. I would recommend something else.

I've had 2 and both of them had issues with weeping at the spot welds for the internal baffles

 

I just bought the Moroso 20901 Aluminum race pan and it is completely flat with zero warps. I've had other Moroso pans that had a little leak and I am expecting this one to have a little leak as well LOL.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm really hoping someone with a new Honda pan can confirm if there is any warp or not. These cars from the dealer didn't leak and there should be no reason these cars leak so badly even if it is a little bit. Two flat surfaces with a new gasket should be leak free but i'm not convinced the OEM pan is completely flat and I'm hoping someone can confirm.

 

I always use OEM pans. Sometimes with the $20 weld-in baffle kits. Works well.

Friend's H had a Moroso pan. He bought it used, but for what it's worth that one leaked constantly as well.

 

I have OEM now and it leaks a bit b/c of the warp. I just don't know if the warp is normal and what Honda would consider as acceptable. This is why I'm hoping someone with a new pan can do a quick test and confirm if they are completely flat or there is some deviation.

I don't understand why Moroso can't make a flat pan, there are manufacturing processes that will allow even a steel plan to be completely flat, when you have such a delta from 0-5/8" warp this is completely terrible quality control. If the new one from Jegs is also warped i'm going to stick to OEM pan, no sense in paying for another warped pan that looks shiny and new when it will leak the same as OEM.

I'm looking at ways to fix a warp and really no solid solution, bunch of backyard options and nothing is really fool proof. The other option I can think of is just an expensive venture of welding and cutting a new top flange. Very frustrating.

 

Honda Habit gasket kits on OEM seem to work just fine for any OEM pans that don't seem smooth.. I've never had a warped OEM pan, and I don't use Moroso 20911s. Only the 20901s. It's SOP for them to leak.

 

So you have yet to see a warped OEM pan, interesting. I'm leaning towards a new oem pan and tapping it unless the moroso pan will be flat which i think is wishful thinking at this point. I've heard of even honda habit gasket leaking on some threads so no gasket can really fix a badly warped pan even if the gasket expands there is still a chance it leaks. I'm trying the blue heavy duty gasket for the first time on this build as opposed to oem, its supposed to be rigid like honda habit, but I'm still not going to waste my time on a warped pan any more.

 

Don't know what to tell you, sir. Never had one do it. but I also make certain the block service is perfectly clean, and a good OEM gasket set, or Honda Habit with a stud kit.
I'm moving from my baffled OEM pan to a re-tapped. Canton Pan

 

That is good to hear the OEM pans are flat, nothing is more critical than 2 clean flat surfaces.

 

Ordered an oem factory pan and it was warped 3/16" lift on the corner test. That supplier check the stock of 5 honda pans and all had similar if not worse warp. Contacted another moroso vendor and he checked his 2 remaining pans and each has 1/4" lift... so much for factory honda pans not having a lift. What the hell happened to quality anymore... the hunt continues.

 

 

Thanks, I'm going to call morso directly and see if they have an actual flat pan, if not the current or. I have will probably just have to do. Just can't believe the quality control these days.

 

I have a moroso steel pan with baffles, trap doores and a kick out.. Don´t remember the part nr.

My major issue is all the splatter from the welding.. Just scraping with a knife made it come loose.. I had to take it apart and and scrape and clean it very thoroughly and it was very hard to get to hidden corners etc.. I even consider cutting it open. After doing the best I could I have no leaks so far anyway.. I have started the motor but not driven the car with this pan yet.

 

I wonder if they even test what they make in real world conditions. From Moroso to OEM, no excuse as far as I'm concerned

 

Has anyone tried the new Fel-Pro Perma Dry Plus molded gasket ??? The part number is "OS30630T". It has a thin steel spine sandwiched between two layers of molded rubber. When you torque it down, no gasket "squeezes" out from under the oil pan flange like the OE and similar gaskets commonly do. I friend of mine put one on his GSR engine today... no proof of the performance as of yet since the engine is still on a stand.

 

That is the one i have sitting waiting to install, should be as good as the myhonda at a fraction of the price. Really though any gasket will do fine as long as the surface is flat on both sides. When you have a warp no amount of torque will bend the steel pan without crushing the gasket first and on bad warp like 1/4 no gasket can mitigate that gap.

Lucky enough i found a flat enough pan that should work. There is a 0.62mm/0.02440945" gap in the center dimples on the long side on both sides, the ends are flat and won't lift so that should work. Bobby at tennessee speed sport checked the moroso pan for me personally after i told him what I had found with the previous pans and the video i showed him of the warp on oem pan and its on its way here. Oem/Moroso quality control is garbage these days, multiple dealerships different stock all same result, Moroso was actually worse than oem. It is really luck of the draw and you sadly have to keep checking to find one that is not warped.

 

This was the oem pan, hard to make the gap out in the pic, but you can see the dimples not touching on the edge and this was the low side. The moroso pan was far worse.

This is the video
https://streamable.com/um3hn
https://streamable.com/um3hn

 

that looks not so bad! the pan is fine!

 

Watch the video, there is nothing fine about this pan unless you want a leaking sieve. This was the better of the bunch, others were far more egregious in the warp.

 

yeah...install it with a fel pro permadryplus gasket and it wont leak.

 

Flat pan with any gasket will not leak, warp equals leak no matter how tight or loose the 108in-lb can't fix a warp neither will a gasket that is over compressed on side to compensate for a warp.

 

What are the chances to stick a big sandpaper on a flat surface and place the whole pan on it to flaten it by eating some surface/forming it?

 

Won't work, taking off 1/8 to 1/4" to fix a warp is drastic. the dimples would be gone

 

Wow is it that warped. I thought it was like 2-3 mm