fellas, I see some big block truck pans have a brass elbow and different dipstick down in the sump and others dont. what is the application for these? RV?, 2x4? 4x4?, different years? what is the straight poop on this Thanks in advance Henry

The rear sump pan with the dipstick on the side is from 1972-78 Pickup both 2wd and 4wd. Can also use from big block conversion on 1979-93.

so if the dipstick goes to the side of the pan, what was used for the hole in the block, some type of plug?

Yep. A little bitty freeze plug looking plug.

The only motors I've seen them in is Class A motorhomes
All the pickup truck and van motors I've seen had the longer standard drive in dipstick tubes and dipsticks, not with the elbows

I've had a 76 Ramcharger and a 78 W150. Both trucks had factory 400 engines. They both had the dipstick tube run to the pan with the 90 degree fitting. Actually, every factory rear sump big block pan that I've seen, has that fitting. I'm not saying that that's always true, just what I've seen with 70's trucks engines I've worked with.

Matter of fact, way back when I was dealing with this issue, the truck pan didn't have a provision for the block mounted dipstick. I was swapping a 440 in place of a 360 using a wrecked 400 equipped truck for parts.

72-78 D/W rear sump oil pan
I have owned several 72-78 BB truck and they all pan this pan

71 and back have a front sump pan. Lower pan
Class A motorhome have a deeper front sump pan. Upper pan

That is what they had along with the brass 90 degree fitting for the tube to attach to the pan.

I've only seen 72 up trucks & some RV's have these.

Some of the 71 & down trucks & RV's had a front sump pans also.

Nice....I haven't seen a front sump with the dip stick in it...cool stuff.

Actually the upper motorhome pan has a plug in the side. It did not have a dip stick there and not really sure what it is for. It is a larger size than the dip stick fitting.

Could have been a fitting for an oil temp gauge.

You have your oil pans mixed up Cab. The light truck pans have a rear sump and the dipstick goes into the sump using a brass fitting. The dipstick hole in the block is plugged with a small aluminum plug.

The truck pan was a popular package from Mopar Performance for years. I think it is disco now but it used to be a nice deal complete with the pickup tube. I bought and sold lots of those pans over the years. Just sold my last one for $20 to a drag racer who needed a core to build a rear sump pan for his drag car. He cut the sump off and built his own.

Right on.

I have a front sump out in the shop that has a low oil sensor in the side of it.

That was for an air compressor return line and I think some also had a big oil cooler that also used the return to pan fitting. I had a C800 With the 413 that used that return port.

I think I've seen that before.