Cranks scrapers and Windage trays -

[Rob Bell]

Been chatting about oil starvation and bearing damage on the SELOC forum. I am not altogether clear as to how much of a problem oil starvation is to engine longevity in cars driven on track, but apparently, main crank bearing #3 is under particular risk for some reason.

I'm sure that Peter Carmichael could shed more light on this subject of the whys and therefores of #3 wear.

Two solutions were promoted - a dry sump oil system (expensive, heavy, bulky - but the rolls-royce solution) or baffled sumps.

Got chatting to Dave Mottram regarding baffled sumps, and as a result, I've made some 'discoveries' (for me at least!!!) -

The first are crank scrapers -
www.crank-scrapers.com/ebay%20ads/honda.html
Potentially a good idea for K-series engines? Keeps the oil spray down - and hence kept in the sump - and reduces crank drag as well, apparently.

The second are Windage trays - www.cantonracingproducts.com/windage_trays/windage_trays.html

Oil Windage is where the cranks splashes through the oil in the sump and throws it around the bottom end of the engine - this can serve some lubrication function in itself, but also it can be wasteful on energy.
Whether there is any benefit on fitting these devices to a tuned K-series I do not know - will have to ask some more questions...

[dave]

Sounds interesting stuff - how common is this bearing damage problem?

[Rob Bell]

Interesting question Dave. Non-existant on road cars. More common on cars that are regularly tracked - and then it'll be dependent on how much cornering force you are capable of generating. And very common on race cars - so these are usually dry-sumped to completely erradicate the problem.

For those of use in MGs on Track, a windage tray and baffled sump may prove to be a good long term investment as a way of ensuring long term reliability.

[dave]

Rob said:

For those of use in MGs on Track, a windage tray and baffled sump may prove to be a good long term investment as a way of ensuring long term reliability.

I'll be interested in how this progresses then :-)

[Rob Bell]

I'm wondering whether TS can TIG weld some baffle plates into a standard sump - it would be a good start!

[dave]

Rob said:

I'm wondering whether TS can TIG weld some baffle plates into a standard sump - it would be a good start!

Got to be worth asking. Presumably the labour to drop the sump is quite small?

[Rob Bell]

It ought to be Dave. The sump can be accessed from under the car, so it should be fairly straightforward.

I'm no welder, but I gather that welding aluminium is different from welding steel. No idea whether Techspeed have alloy welding skills?

Also, it might be a question of providing them with a template...

This is the baffled sump from Plans Motorsport (http://www.plansmotorsport.com/ - it costs circa 200 quid plus VAT):

[Rob Bell]

Ah. Pitty. That picture doesn't link.

The baffled sump is pictured on this SELOC thread: forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=32066

[Steve]

What about this secure.eliseparts.com/index.html?target=p_395.html&lang=en-gb £40

[TimW]

Seems like a bargain..... now the question "How much to fit?"

I can't see it costing too much if combined with a regular service/oil change.

[dave]

Looks a remarkably simplistic bit of kit - I'm sure Techspeed would have a view and a potential source of suppy or even manufacture. Rob, have you had the conversation with Roy or Marvin yet about the welding/fitting aspects?

[Steve]

It looks like a bolt on job. So the best time to do might be when doign something to the exhaust. I think the zorst pipes are a close fit to the sump, making removal impossible without dealing with the exhaust?

[Rob Bell]

Dave, to be honest, I haven't had a chat with Roy yet about getting the car serviced (it's over due!) - but when I do, I ought to discuss the possibility of having a sump baffle welded in.

Regarding the eliseparts "baffle" - well, that baffles me! I can't quite figure out how it is supposed to fit. It certainly doesn't look like a baffle to me - in fact it looks much more like a windage tray/ crank scraper than a baffle.

Steve, have you emailed Geary about this part? For clarification, it would be useful to know more about this product. Might even be worth buying?