I secured a 80's engine out of a truck for the deep rear sump pan. Turns out it was TOO deep, so I cut the bottom off at just the right height for my Dragster. But, look what was welded to the bottom of the pan. Maybe everyone knows this already, but I found it interesting.

Uhhhh, now I have to go out and chek my spare truck oil pan. I have seen guides like that welded inside pans before to help locate the oil pump pickup, but I have never seen it be a recycled timing tab. Maybe the factory worker or previous owner was just making do with what was laying around. That's pretty funny, though.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I notice the tab before I cut the pan, but you can't see that it's a timing tab until you cut the pan. Maybe a small mirror could verify.
I'm guessing this was implemented, like you said, to guide the pick-up, and may they had a gazzilion timing tabs already stamped out, so why not use them.

Have seen non-stamped ones of that shape in truck pans before. Perhaps "seconds", re-purposed, or just ran out of stock and grabbed something that'd work?

ps The angle of your cut suggests that you have your engine on a "dump" in your chassis. Que esse?

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Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

Wait, you guys don't check and adjust your engine oil timing every time you change the oil?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

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Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

Old6rodder I'm not sure what you mean by "Dump", but here is a closeup of the oil pan as it sets in the dragster. I used a 2x4 and Sharpie to scribe the cut line referencing off the floor. This put the bottom of the oil pan in line with the bottom of the Trans pan. The Trans pan looks lower, but that's actually the blanket that hangs down a little. Per NHRA, I have to have 3" clearance. The drain plug is just slightly lower than 3", but when was the last time anyone or any track actually "Tech" a car?