I noticed my crossover pipe that runs under my oil pan is rubbing my oil pan. The exhaust isn't but a couple of months old so I took my car back to the exhaust shop and told them what was going on. The tool told me it wouldn't hurt anything since the exhaust and the oil pan were bolted to the same engine and any vibration would cause them to vibrate the same. May as well have said I don't want to f#*k with it. Anyway, instead of arguing with this *** I just left. So my question is does anyone know of anything I can slide between the point of contact to keep it from rubbing a hole in my oil pan? I've got a roll of rubberized cork but I don't know if it would withstand the heat coming off the exhaust. Years ago you use to could buy sheets of asbestos that would withstand heat, but I'm sure everyone knows that the story behind asbestos these days. Any ideas? BTY the car in question is a 92 z-28 with 5.7 TPI.

 

A oil pan is pretty thick metal so I dont think you really have to worry about it rubbing a hole in the pan. Id be more worried about it rubbing a hole in the exhaust. But I really wouldnt worry about it too much.

 

I'd be worried about your engine oil temperatures. Hot oil is thinner which means it protects your bearings and such less efficiently...if the pipe is actually against the pan then it's conducting exhaust heat straight into the oil sump.

Fiberglass is very heat resistant....you could get some fiberglass matting and shove it between there. Or for that matter, get some exhaust wrap (it's made of fiberglass) and wrap the area that goes under the pan. That'll keep the heat in the pipe as well as protecting the pan from abrasion.

 

combustion chamber temperatures range in the thousands, and oil is subjected to that. I dont think exhaust heat will affect it all that much

 

No flames intended here, but, you're wrong.

Combustion temperatures are nearly instantaneous, and oil doesn't exactly cycle through the combustion chamber anyway. Sure, there is a small amount on the cylinder walls, but it's not enough to raise the average temperature of the oil a noticable amount.

Exhaust gas temps are normally in the 800-1200*F range. Oil temps are normally in the 180-250*F range. You still think the one won't affect the other? Try this: let your engine get good and warm, then crawl under it and lay your hand on the oilpan. Pretty hot isn't it? Now grab the exhaust pipe and tell me it's not hotter than that oilpan.

You DO NOT want exhaust heat conducting through that metal into your engine oil. It will cause VERY BAD THINGS.

 

do you have headers? if so, you can get some collector spacers, "slap" them on, and that should solve the problem

 

If it's your Y-pipe I would loosen it at the flange on the manifolds or headers. Then pry or place something betweeen the oil pan and pipe. Then tighten it back up and remove the object used to pry with. I had a similer problem after installing new engine mounts.
HTH
Chris