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I pulled the oil pan on my 71 this weekend to swap out the timing gear set. I see a "windage tray" if you will in the rear of the engine but there are also another set of stand offs near the front, circled, that have no
tray attached. Is that normal? Does anything go there or did they just use the posts instead of bolts?
thx
When we rebuilt the 427 in my 1968 we used a windage tray as well as a crank scraper. The combination can really free up some horsepower if installed properly. Since many times the windage tray is used with a Crank scraper for better oil control. If your bottom end is stock then maybe they just didn't install the crank scraper at the factory. It does look like something is missing there....
Take a peek at the Corvette Central page and see if it looks like the parts that you have on your engine. If you have something different then please post a picture so we can take a look at it.
Take a peek at the Corvette Central page and see if it looks like the parts that you have on your engine. If you have something different then please post a picture so we can take a look at it.
I'm guessing for 4 bolt main engines (LT1) they used a different pan/tray combo. Upon closer inspection, . You can see the indentations from the extended length inner main cap bolts into the pan. Likely no need for another baffle .5 inches above the floor of the pan. though why they still used the extended main cap bolts is puzzling.
You might be right on that point as the four bolt mains do require some different parts. If you want to I would use an aftermarket windage tray because many of them work better than the factory provisions for oil control.
Are the extended bolts making contact on the bottom of the oil pan? I see evidence but I was not sure. If they are pushing the bottom of the oil pan I would consider replacing them with normal bolts. If the extensions are not being used for anything then they are "extra parts".
Keeping the crankshaft from slapping the oil over and over eats a lot of horsepower. You are still using the stock oil pan on your engine? I have a Moroso with the little spring loaded doors that trap the oil down near the pickup to ensure that you always have oil pressure.
Engine Masters did a show where they tested the various levels of oil in a stock crankcase and it was really amazing the amount of Hp we loose using too much oil inside the oil pan. They kept pulling oil out and the HP kept going up, to a point of course. Oil control is a science and it should be addressed on any High performance engine. I am just a bit too cheap to go with a dry sump setup for my 427.
I wish you the best in getting the oil pan gasket back in place without leaking. I have had trouble with getting them sealed in the past. Then I paid a mechanic to change the spring in my oil pump and when he put the oil pan on it has not dripped a drop ever since.
This was the tray on our '72 LT-1; no unused standoffs.
There are several small block windage trays… The short one that you have pictured was used with high performance Corvettes with the small oil pan. There was a similar, longer windage tray used with the large oil pan (curved), although I don’t think that it was used on any 1968-1972 Corvettes. Corvettes that were equipped with the large oil pan (early 1970 LT-1s as well as all all 1970-1972 ZR-1s) used the longer flat windage tray (at least that is my understanding).
These are the curved windage trays, one for the big oil pan, one for the small pan. I don’t believe the longer curved windage tray was used in any Corvette application.
This is the long, flat windage tray (excuse the damage). This is the one that I have seen in early 1970 LT-1s and 1970-1972 ZR-1s. This particular windage tray came out of a 1972 ZR-1 that I restored.
If anyone has additional information on the applications for these windage trays, I’d love to hear about it.
This is what I understand,
Most L-82's used the deeper "Camaro" (also sold as off-road HD parts) pan with the long curved tray and had side angles on the pan to meet the tray. The "Corvette" pan will not accommodate the long curved tray so the short tray was used there for LT-1's. 1970 LT-1 pan initially had the earlier design trap door, longer bottom sump that would not clear the PS cylinder but that was changed later in the 1970 year to the "Corvette" pan. You could get PS on an LT-1 after that. 71-72 LT-1 would have the short tray with the "Corvette" pan.
The '80 L-82 went back to a less deep sump pan similar to the early "Corvette" pan, with a short tray but it has a passenger side dipstick. The '80 L-82 pan setup would not fit the earlier blocks.
Stan, I do not know anything about the application for the flat tray you posted.
Yes, i appear to have the shorter windage tray and the smaller oil pan on my 71 LT. Since it is NOM, I'm guessing somewhere along the way the replacement came with the standoffs for the lower power engine tray (or lower power option was the replacement?) and some wrench just decided to force the pan on there. After closer inspection the pan indentations are quite deep and I'd like to remove the long bolts and go with "proper" ones. Does anyone happens to have a spec, or model PN for the interior (longer) main cap bolts on a 1972, or there abouts, (car's a 71, engine relaced in 72) SBC?
Thx
Mike
Originally Posted by Rowdy Rat
There are several small block windage trays… The short one that you have pictured was used with high performance Corvettes with the small oil pan. There was a similar, longer windage tray used with the large oil pan (curved), although I don’t think that it was used on any 1968-1972 Corvettes. Corvettes that were equipped with the large oil pan (early 1970 LT-1s as well as all all 1970-1972 ZR-1s) used the longer flat windage tray (at least that is my understanding).
These are the curved windage trays, one for the big oil pan, one for the small pan. I don’t believe the longer curved windage tray was used in any Corvette application.
This is the long, flat windage tray (excuse the damage). This is the one that I have seen in early 1970 LT-1s and 1970-1972 ZR-1s. This particular windage tray came out of a 1972 ZR-1 that I restored.
If anyone has additional information on the applications for these windage trays, I’d love to hear about it.
Take a look at a Road Race pan (Not deep like typical drag pan); but has an integral, full-length windage tray secured to pan (Not bolted to motor).
Helps control oil during accel & decel and R&L turns.
Champ pans are well-made in USA. I've owned two myself & have installed several more. https://www.champpans.com/products/search.php
71 windage trays?
