Here is the problem with running that hi-cap oil pan on the LS. Its overall goal is to lower trans temps by offering more fluid to help lubricate and cool the transmission. But by installing that low hanging pan it significantly raises the chance of banging it on something and causing a bad leak. Transmissions with low to no fluid do not work too well.
The good about this hi-cap pan is:
1) It does help keep things cooler
The bad about it are:
1) It is very low to the ground
2) There are better and MUCH cheaper ways to keep your tranny cool
3) Smacking it on objects on the road. Because it is so low to the ground there is a very high chance that it will get hung up on items on the road or the road itself. Having a piece of cast metal hitting inanimate objects with a 3,700+ pound force is not a good thing especially when there is precious trans fluid inside. Heck, just kissing one speed bump with this could mean the end of the pan itself or the gasket sealing it. By hanging so low the pan pretty much defeats any purpose it would have in the LS.
Overall this pan is a good mod to have if you have a vehicle with slightly higher ground clearance. If you want to keep your transmission extra cool then I suggest that you just install an auxiliary trans cooler. If you want things extra extra cool then install one with a electric fan. It will be a much less involved install and also be allot cheaper too. With an extra trans cooler you will not only get the added benefit of extra fluid capacity but you also get a much larger amount of surface area to help cool that fluid.
If you want a dipstick then install one into your stock pan. Pretty cheap, pretty easy for the home mechanic, and functions just fine.
But if they made one only a little deeper to allow for a filler tube, I would bet that they could sell a lot more.
