Complete Cantonization
A Canton 6-quart Road Race oil pan has always been on the wish list for the Formula. In 1973, PMD added a baffle to the stock oil pan and eliminated the windage tray, at least on the Super Duty engines. While adequate for most spirited on-the-road driving, we decided the Formula may eventually see some autocross and hill-climb duty, so a pan upgrade is a worthwhile expenditure.
For Pontiacs, Canton offers four pans. The one shown here has a 7-inch-deep, 10 1/2-inch-long sump that fits all Pontiacs except the GTO. In some instances, stock exhaust systems may interfere with this pan. For GTOs and '67-'69 Firebirds, a pan with an 8-inch-deep, 8-inch-long sump is available. Canton also has a high-capacity 6.5-quart pan with side pouches and a stock replacement pan.
Though it has a greater capacity...
Though it has a greater capacity than the stock pan, the Canton pan is a shallow sump design that doesn't protrude lower than the subframe crossmember. It's gold-iridite plated, made from 16-gauge steel, and offers two prethreaded bungs, one for oil-level inspection and the other for adding an oil-temperature gauge.
Inside the sump is a removable...
Inside the sump is a removable baffle similar to the stock pan but covering a larger area of the sump. After inspection, Loctite was applied, and all internal hardware was tightened prior to the pan's installation.
Things are a little different...
Things are a little different under the baffle. Canton has welded a triple trap-door system into the bottom of the sump to keep the oil from sloshing away from the pickup. A pair of runners direct oil at the pickup.
Each trap door is hinged to...
Each trap door is hinged to allow one-way oil movement.
The additional depth of the...
The additional depth of the 6-quart pan requires a specific pickup in place of the stock item. For this pan and a Melling M54DS pump, pickup No. 15-451 was used.
Canton has also added a windage...
Canton has also added a windage tray to its product line. Rather than bolting to the main caps like the stock Pontiac tray, this one is sandwiched between the pan rails and pan. It requires the use of a dipstick kit and fits inside pans that are deeper in the front than the stock pan.