oil pan

noun

: the lower section of the crankcase used as a lubricating-oil reservoir on an internal combustion engine

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Get a job on one of the teams, washing oil pans and stuff, work your way up. Jim Clash, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023 Pontiac finally got serious a couple of years ago about making the 400 willing to go around corners as fast as the chassis, adding a windage tray to the oil pan, which liked nothing better than voiding its pickup of oil in hard corners. Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023 It is equipped with electronic locking rear differential, hill decent control and steel skid plates for the oil pan, transfer case and fuel tank, and an aluminum plate up front. cleveland, 22 Oct. 2022 Tire and suspension changes loom large here, but Jeep also has lowered the engine in the chassis by some 1.5 inches via the use of a new oil pan that allows the front axles to pass through the sump. Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 16 Mar. 2022 But even at normal speeds, the oil in the oil pan might be sloshing to one side, and the oil pump gets starved momentarily. Motormouth Bob Weber, Star Tribune, 2 July 2021 Ditching a ratio in the dual-clutch box is good for 44 pounds, a plastic oil pan is a major contributor in the engine's 16.7-pounds reduction, and the new exhaust system is 22 pounds leaner. Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 20 Apr. 2021 Catalytic converters are located behind the front axle housing next to the oil pan and transmission. James E. Causey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2021 The crankshaft whipping through the oil in the oil pan causes oil to foam. Paul Weissler, Popular Mechanics, 31 Aug. 2020 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oil pan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oil pan was in 1908

Dictionary Entries Near oil pan

Cite this Entry

“Oil pan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oil%20pan. Accessed 7 Jun. 2023.

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