Oil in the Pan and a Pickup in the Sump

The stock oil pan and pickup are transformed for a close fit to stock Miata subframe.

The FE3 needs a very shallow front sump to clear an unmodified Miata subframe. A Kia Sportage pan (Yes, the FE3 was used in the original Kia Sportage) is used as the basis for the oil pan since it’s a rear sump design. The pan front is shortened to clear the subframe and allow the engine to sit as low as possible. This places the original Kia deep/back end of the sump about an inch below the Miata’s subframe. Too low for my comfort.

The front of the pan clears the steering rack by 1/8″ and does not hit with engine rocking. This is due to the angled position of the miata’s motor mounts. The upward angle causes the engine to rise and the bushing does compress, but not enough for the pan to touch the rack. The only area that did touch was at the aluminum collar on the steering rack. Some minor grinding on the collar resolved this.

A new oil pump pickup tube was fabricated to fit the contour of the modified oil pan and place the pickup at the base of the deep end.

Ultimately the deep end of the pan was shortened so that it sat safely above the bottom of the Miata’s subframe. To regain lost capacity from the modification, kickouts were added to each side. The final pan sat filled with water over night to guarantee a sealed piece.