# Oil pan cover removal-reduces rigidity?



## enjracing (Jun 7, 2006)

from what i can see, that cover simply protects the pan, but some people on here are sure that it helps strengthen the over front-end rigidity as well. i highly doubt that, but how can we find out for sure? would SLP or someone else know for certian? if it isn't needed structurely, it's gone!


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

enjracing said:


> from what i can see, that cover simply protects the pan, but some people on here are sure that it helps strengthen the over front-end rigidity as well. i highly doubt that, but how can we find out for sure? would SLP or someone else know for certian? if it isn't needed structurely, it's gone!


I'd think twice about taking it off. Is it worth the worry of hoping you don't hit anything? The weight reduction (unless your racing it,) is not worth the chance of extensive damage.... But hey, it's your car.


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## enjracing (Jun 7, 2006)

i hear you buddy. but what trips me out is, no other car has a cover over the pan?!! i never drove around worrying about hitting things with my previous cars?


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## Quiker (Jun 21, 2006)

It does nothing for Structural Integrity.

I personally wouldn't run the GTO without one, But I did replaced mine with the Holden Light weight Plate


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

enjracing said:


> i hear you buddy. but what trips me out is, no other car has a cover over the pan?!! i never drove around worrying about hitting things with my previous cars?


*I am thinking that the cover is there to protect the aluminum oil pan because perhaps an all steel oil pan for the car would outweigh the current cover, I don't know. I do know that in the overall scheme of the design of this car, it was designed better than damn near any other car out there. Judging by all the posts on this entire board, negatives included, we all (more or less) agree the overall integrity of this car compared to others in this price / performance range is hard to beat. 

Many on here do have issues but compared to other cars out there, this car is as solid as it comes......... I do hate there is no rain gutters on the roof line, and I understand why..... I hate the water running in on me. Even the slightest rain, I have to have the windows up... Wait...... this ain't the thread for this topic :willy: *


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## enjracing (Jun 7, 2006)

talked to a guy at SLP today that said that the pan cover has zero part of the front end structural integrity and it seems very true once i got under there and actually looked at it. it's simply an overkill piece of hardware.


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## socal gto (Mar 10, 2006)

I am still going to keep it. Better to be safe than sorry.


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## RICKGTO (Mar 25, 2006)

Good idea. I have dented oil pans on lowered cars and if your highways are like Miami there is plently of debris to worry about.


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## GTO_400 (Jul 7, 2005)

Just a little tip for the ones that don’t know. You can remove the bolts and loosen the one on the left rear (facing the car) and it will easily swing out of the way for oil changes then it just swings back in place. Much easier then trying to hold it up and get a bolt started...


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