oil pan baffling. opinions needed.

picking up my pan for the 3.4 swap this week. im thinking about baffling it. part of me says that since its a performance truck, and that sice i do drive it like its was never intended to be driven, i need to do some baffling and trap doors and such.

the other part of me says that i havent experienced oiling problems yet, and that i probably wont unless i go with full slicks and a three link, neither of which i plan on doing any time in the near or somewhat distant future.

so, what do you say? spend the time, money, and headache of rediesigning an oiling system, or leave well enough alone and let it eat?

Do you plan drag racing or corner carving? An Accusump remote oil tank may be one option.

its doing 5-6 autocrosses or DE's a year. mostly just a street truck that i can track at any goven time.

I stuffed a Pontiac V8 at autocross last year due to oil starvation.

An accusump is cheaper and easier than a rebuild.

Shawn

What I would do is just put the pan on for now, as is. I'd pick up another oil pan and modify that one, adding kickouts for more volume and trapdoors where necessary. That way you can minimize downtime and put the new pan on when it's done. I'd also be looking into a windage tray of some sort.

Slightly on-topic threadjack:

I need to do this to the motor going into my race car. Where do you get the little trap doors? Does anyone have a basic how-to theory on fabricating something that is going to be effective and not impede flow to the pickup? How does one attach such a thing to a cast aluminum pan (assuming its made out of steel sheet)?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Slightly on-topic threadjack: I need to do this to the motor going into my race car. Where do you get the little trap doors? Does anyone have a basic how-to theory on fabricating something that is going to be effective and not impede flow to the pickup? How does one attach such a thing to a cast aluminum pan (assuming its made out of steel sheet)?

Do lots of reading. Seriously, Google is your friend. Because you're asking, it sounds like you'd be better off buying a baffled road-race pan off the shelf from a circle track supplier, assuming you're using a V8. If not, search around and see what others are doing and what suppliers have.

kb58 wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Slightly on-topic threadjack: I need to do this to the motor going into my race car. Where do you get the little trap doors? Does anyone have a basic how-to theory on fabricating something that is going to be effective and not impede flow to the pickup? How does one attach such a thing to a cast aluminum pan (assuming its made out of steel sheet)?

Do lots of reading. Seriously, Google is your friend. Because you're asking, it sounds like you'd be better off buying a baffled road-race pan off the shelf from a circle track supplier, assuming you're using a V8. If not, search around and see what others are doing and what suppliers have.

I'm using a BMW 2.5L six... the only off the shelf options are from VAC at great cost to me (I paid less for the whole engine from a junkyard). I understand the basics, and I am not worried about my ability to make it once I understand the problem well - just that this is one of those areas where it can cost me an assload of $ to tinker and be wrong. Google is fine but this right here is usually where I get an in-depth answer from someone.

Unless you car can generate "real" G forces trap doors in you oil pan are not required. If you can add kick outs, add some lips to keep oil from running up the sides, a crank scraper, and a windage tray, you shold be fine. IF you just have to have the trap doors then go for it. I'm not sure where to buy them but owning a Canton RR pan for a Ford 302 I know that they are not hard to make. A simply one-way flapper door that's hinged at the top. It should open only towards the oil pickup with oil surging away from the pickup forcing/keeping it closed. I've seen some that even use light weight springs to hold the doors closed but I don't think you need them.

In reply to jimbbski:

The doors I've seen are small self-contained units that came in the BMW S14 race oil pans, They look like you would make a square hole and press them in, and rivet them. They do have very fine springs on them - presumably so that under load as the oil tries to flow out the door and up the side of the block they slam shut. I would think that the flow itself would be enough to close the door so maybe they are there to hold it open and the flow out needs to be strong enough to overcome it to warrant closing it down?

You don't need an exotic hinge. Something small from a hardware store will do just fine really.

All you should need is stock pan with a one inch wide band tack welded in at around the 4 quart mark in the pan this will keep the oil from sliding up the sides of the pan and roll it back in to the middle.

What kind of truck is it?

s10.

thanks for the lip, crank scraper, and windage tray ideas. thise are much cheaper, easier, and simpler to do.

Yup for the lip all you need is a some 18 or 16 gauge about 1.25 wide bend it at half width to 90 deg or slighly less so the when welded the oil drips toward the center of the pan Spot weld it on the top side. this less then 90 geg bend will also help curl the oil back to the pick up. Cheap simple and works! and you can't tell on the outside of the pan anythings been done.

Oil starvation killed my SC engine while autocrossing last winter. No one makes a 3.8 Ford V6 road race pan (can't imagine why not) so I had a custom one made:

http://sccoa.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111061