What is this plate on my oil pan???

[Jimmiedoss]

Just for the record it doesn’t even give you access to anything.... cover plate that covers nothing..

 

[Bill 1960]

This is a funny thread worth resurrecting.

I first saw this plate when I pulled out the front diff. I worried for a few minutes the CBP had punched a hole through the oil pan and made some half-assed repair.

 

[Floep]

There are vibrations in flat surfaces that lead to metal fatigue, in turn cause cracks to appear. Theory harks back to my aeronautical engineering study days. Change the mass, change the frequency out of danger range.

 

[Sparksalot]

There are vibrations in flat surfaces that lead to metal fatigue, in turn cause cracks to appear. Theory harks back to my aeronautical engineering study days. Change the mass, change the frequency out of danger range.

Plausible

 

[Rocket Man]

There are vibrations in flat surfaces that lead to metal fatigue, in turn cause cracks to appear. Theory harks back to my aeronautical engineering study days. Change the mass, change the frequency out of danger range.

Yeah, I guarantee it has a purpose. It’s just that no GM engineer has let us know what it is.

 

[petethepug]

This!

wireless charging station?

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[iamdub]

There are vibrations in flat surfaces that lead to metal fatigue, in turn cause cracks to appear. Theory harks back to my aeronautical engineering study days. Change the mass, change the frequency out of danger range.

I believe it has to do with something along these lines. The oil pan is a structural part of the block and that is a rather wide plane for cast aluminum to carry harmonic loads. Making that part of the pan thicker would've just changed the resonant frequency, maybe even making it more brittle. A simple plate adds strength, but, more importantly, it's bolted at various points so the plane is disrupted and waves are dispersed and absorbed. It's the same effect as how tiling sound absorption mats is as effective or more effective than just covering the entire panel.

 

[gooffeyguy]

A GM engineer should've put as much thought into the dash pads

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[Bill 1960]

Re the dash, Based on my experience in the corporate environment, it was GM accounting and procurement that bought cheaper resins after the engineering tested quality materials. The left hand never knows what the right hand is doing. Worse, they don’t give a damn as long as it lasts through the warranty period.

 

[Efingee]

I am curious what this plate is on the oil pan of my 5.3L 2008 Suburban LTZ 2WD.

At first I thought it was some kind of inspection plate but from looking at pics of the inside of the oil pan it doesn't appear to have a hole behind it.

So is it some kind of "skid plate" or is it some kind of reinforcement for the cast aluminum pan? Or???

View attachment 76983

Just kinda curious if anyone knows.

Aluminum is non magnetic. It you live in a cold climate and want to connect a magnetic pan oil warmer then I assume the plate would serve just that purpose.