WindageTray

Taken off the FE.com forum December 29, 2002:
http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/thread?forumid=74182&messageid=1041130811

bb (Login qikbbstang):
Most of us are totally without a clue of the internal happenings of a motor. At even highway speeds you have a crank, rods, pistons, massive wind storms whipping and blowing oil oil to hell as it tries to make it to the bottom of the pan. I guess the best way to see this is to put some as you say (uncontaminated motor oil) in a old blender and see how long it takes to degas. This oil is pushed, beat on, and further eated by friction and sucks up energy from that rotating mass. I've seen cut away operation of a motor (OPTRON) at the Circle Track Trade Show with strobe lights to stop the action and was horrified at the internals as oil wraped around the crank assembly and oil condition = aeration.
Circle Track magazine has had many articles on windage and the use of Trays, Baffles, Crank Scappers etc. Over the years things have changed and factory motors today are jam full of gear to control oil.
The Std Fe Tray is a good base but it needs the assistance of a Crank Scaper, Mesh Screens in the tray ala CANTON and trap doors etc. Todays tires will allow far more Gs then the past and the oil system needs all the help it can get. It's free power.

Barry Gaugler (Select Login spookytruck) The first time I've ever had a motor on a chassis dyno was a 352.
The rear wheel HP was 172 HP. The rear wheel HP by adding a windage tray only was 180 HP @ 4,800 RPM. It made me a believer. A 500 cfm Holley 2BBL carb, and Cyclone added another 24 horses over the stock 350 cfm carb, and truck exhaust manifolds.