Whats a windage tray for?

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demon700

demon700

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may sound like a stupid question, but the build i wanna do mentioned it....and i have no idea what its for. Does it have something to do with oil slosh or something to that effect?
 
Now, someone will chime in, and say it is not needed. Why did the factory install it, costing $?
 
Free HP!! and the crank don't have to splash in to the oil
 
I have read anywhere from 10-15 horsepower from adding one. Take that for what its worth but I just put one in the 383 for my dart. I think they're a great idea- less friction for the rotating mass to put up with.
 
Well, it can't hurt, they arn't expensive, and nows the time to do it. I'll order one up this week, thanks a lot
 
demon700 said:
may sound like a stupid question, but the build i wanna do mentioned it....and i have no idea what its for. Does it have something to do with oil slosh or something to that effect?
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Not a stupid question, a very good one. Let me explain.

First, windage is, well, wind, created by the crank as it spins around and around. The crank is spinning really really fast, so fast that the wind it makes disturbs the oil in the pan very badly. Just like if you blow into your coffee cup alittle, it creates waves, blow crazy hard and the coffee comes out of the cup.

Same deal in the oil pan. Only the oil comes up out of the pan and hits the crank, slowing it down and costing HP. The engine has to work harder to make the same power.

How to correct this?

Add a basic wind blocker! Shape it alittle bit. Now, with this tray the oil no longer interfears with the crank since the wind is being blocked. There are louvers that allow the oil to return quickly. You can open them up a tad for a quicker return, recomended for a small block.

The tray doesn't pull or suck or scrape the oil off the crank, just blocks the wind from disturbing the oil voilently. MP says 15 HP. A magazine some time back confrimed this with tests and used several makes of windage trays.

Other trays used were for drag racing. They offered no extra HP on the dyno, but surely help on the strip since there designed for more oil control in the accel and deccel of the car.

This is probably the cheapest and esaiest way (Since your there) to add HP.
 
rob,so youre saying that it doesnt scrape oil off the crank? I thought it controlled oil (roping) also to relieve some parasitic drag. Hence the reason some call them crank scrapers.
 
daredevil said:
rob,so youre saying that it doesnt scrape oil off the crank? I thought it controlled oil (roping) also to relieve some parasitic drag. Hence the reason some call them crank scrapers.
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Correct.

Crank scrappers are different. But do similar work to a tray. The scrapers are cut to come extremely close to the crank throws and only allow a thin margin of oil to pass down while restrianing oil from going back up. Also, it does relieve parasitic drag.

A tray resides below the crank in full. Does nothing for parasitic drag.
 
ive been mislead for years. i thought they were the same thing.i thought they were windage trays like a watch winding to keep the oil from winding around the crank.oh well im a plumber not a mechanic. never seen one in a teen only 360s
 
Well, I can see how that happens.

The scraper is a funny looking cut metal plate like thing. (For some engines, like a B/B MoPar since the crank is up in the engine.) and will do that scrape thing, not letting oil wrap around and around.

The oil, like a wave of water, but sticky unlike water will wrap around until it hits the scraper. When it hits the scraper, it gets disconnested from the wave and falls down into the pan.

A scraper is a race item seldom seen on street raides unless someone is running a serious engine.

The tray just prevents oil from splashing back up.
 
is this serious? lol

Copy (4) of coronet in garage 012 (Medium).jpg
 
Your welcome bama.

D/D, hummmmm, well, in engine bay, it'll look average. Unless you start seeing all the little things that may add up to a second thought....LOL
 
Thank you very much rumblefish. I'm planning on building a fairly stout 318, now with a tray, is there any particular brand or a special model i should look into? or are they all basically the same?
 
Jeff, if your rebuilding a 318, you may want to look at BJR Racings 349 on the cheap thread in the tech forum. I can help you out with the crank and heads if you want to try it. Those heads in my garage are 360 heads I think I have a 360 crank laying around. All yours, just for the asking.

Jack
 
Jeeze Jack, I really appreciate that. Your constantly helping me out, If you ever need anything, let me know. I have my stock crank at the shop now getting checked over, and my heads are having a bit of work done to them ( little bit of bowl blending) so we'll see what that runs me. I'll check that thread out and see where I stand. Thanks again Jack, and everyone else, what a great site!
 
There you go again Jack helping someone out. Your a great guy Jack and so is Jeff. Too bad I didn't know you guys when i lived and worked in Saint John!!
 
demon700 said:
Thank you very much rumblefish. I'm planning on building a fairly stout 318, now with a tray, is there any particular brand or a special model i should look into? or are they all basically the same?
Click to expand...

The OE Mopar unit will do fine. There not all the same but do the same function. Other units are for drag racing and I'm sure there a few out there for going left all day as well.
 
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