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olds48 03-20-2008 03:20 PM

questions about oil control
 
I have been doing a little thinking about oil pan baffles,windage trays and crankscrapers,Seems like an easy/cheap way to pickup up some power with parts that seem to me could never give any problems.But I have some questions.

Pan baffles
I am talking about the ones that go between the oil pump and rear main cap.Not the ones built into the pan itself.Since there is no way to dyno something like that(that I know of),does anyone have any experience that showed you that it really helped?I understand the idea is to keep oil off the rear of the crank by preventing it from "climbing".But,when the oil drains down the back of the block,around the dist. shaft(which it seems it would since you're accelerating forward),wouldn't it kinda "waterfall" off the baffle and fall into the crank anyways?

Windage trays.
I have seen the louvered ones go for about $25,and the screen type go for as much as $125.What is the difference between the two.And,will the oil find it's way thru the tray to return to the sump quick enough?

Crank scrapers
Okay.Let's say the engine turns clockwise looking at it from the front.I can understand the scraper being on the passenger side of the block.It would scrape the oil off the crank onto the BOTTOM side of the scraper,and it would fall back into the pan(if it didn't just caught up in the crank again?).But it seems to me that the scraper on the driver side of the block would collect oil on TOP of itself(since the crank is turning "down" into it)and that the oil would be more in the way than if you just ran a scraper on the pass side.
Can the oil drain off the scrapers,especially the driver side,without getting caught up in the rotating assembly?

I have little experience with this stuff and NO experience with oil control at all.My "race" motor is running the bone stock system that the General put in the BBC's,and I have had no issues with it so far.Any advice or opinions on my system as a whole(not just what I asked about)would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

johnracer 03-20-2008 04:43 PM

I'm no expert, but here's my opinon anyway:
Pan baffles
Yes the oil will sorta "waterfall" down, but not anywhere near the volume that it will climb the pan.

Windage trays
Both types work. I've never really liked the screen ones just because they look cheap. With either, the oil returns to the pan plenty quick.

Crank scrapers
Don't put one on the driver's side for the reason you described, just on the passenger side. The idea is to keep the oil in the pan.

Now for the real question. Does any of this really do any good?
IMO, it depends on what you're expecting. Chevy oiling systems are very good from the factory, so, unless you really wind your engine to the moon, you won't significantly improve it. Anything you can do to keep oil in the pan to be used for lubrication, is good. Just don't expect your car to be quicker or faster.

I'm sure on a dyno, an engine will make more power by controlling windage, but not enough to show any real improvement on the track.
An exception to this might be an engine that sees very high rpm....

olds48 03-20-2008 04:58 PM

The only experience I have had with crankscrapers is looking at them in a catalog. :D They always show two of them in the picture.Is it common practice to run just the one side,or do some guys run both sides?

Either way.Thanks for the reply johnracer

johnracer 03-20-2008 05:01 PM

I'm pretty sure you use them on the pass side only....

olds48 03-20-2008 07:55 PM

Makes sense to me :D

dslowride 03-21-2008 07:07 AM

My experience in oil control.
 
Hi, just my 2 cents. I have tried with each of these on small block chevys.
The best money and power is in buying an oil pan set up for your engine. There is HP savings in oil control.We track test all the little things we can, one 355ci engine we swapped pans, adding a scraper with windage tray-our car picked up 1/10th in the eighth mile.

Magazine tests on dynos say anywhere from 10 hp to 25 depending on the level of power and cubic inches. :roll:
I say if you can afford it try it. Good luck.

jmarksdragster 03-21-2008 12:31 PM

Well here is my 2 cents, use the DEEPEST sump pan that will fit. Look for oil control so you don't lose pressure at any point in the run. Unless you are running a class car, don't look for HP in the oil system. And run an accumulator in anything faster than 10.00, any car if you can afford it.

olds48 03-21-2008 04:19 PM

What "triggers" that accumalator exactly?I understand the principle of it,but have never had first hand dealings with the workings of one.

curtisreed 03-21-2008 05:31 PM


Originally Posted by olds48
What "triggers" that accumalator exactly?I understand the principle of it,but have never had first hand dealings with the workings of one.

Low oil pressure. The oil in the accumulator is is pressurized to the pressure your oil system has, when it drops the accumulator pushes oil into the system until the pump catches up.

Curtis

cepx111 03-21-2008 10:30 PM

Here's a thought.... I invested in a Hamburger econo series oil pan , it has allot of features built into it. Trap door baffling to keep the oil in the sump area during hard deceleration, a built in crank scraper and a diamond stripper windage tray and it has notched pan rails which accepts strokes up to 4.50 with steel rods and 4.25 w/ aluminum rods. I paid about $200 dollars for mine which is very affordable considering some of them fancey racing oil pans can run into the $500 to $1000 range with a quickness. I always use one of them oil pump baffles too.

http://www.jegs.com/i/Trans%20Dapt/969/1488/10002/-1

Goodluck, Charles


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