There's Power In The Pump

What will you need to install a dry-sump system in your race car? In addition to a pump, its mounting brackets, and associated drive, you will need a tank, some hoses, an adapter plate on the engine where the oil filter normally mounts, and an oil pan designed for dry-sump applications. All of these components are available from a variety of sources that supply the racing marketplace. The process is really quite easy. All of the hard work has been accomplished by those who have gone before you.

Obviously, we have oversimplified the installation process, but the process is not that complex. There are some other positives. Plumbing the oil outside of the motor allows you a much more accessible view of what is happening inside the engine. This is accomplished with inline filters. These are low-restriction filters that are not indented to replace cartridge filters, but allow a quick look at any possible debris that may be contaminating the oil system. They are placed upstream of the cartridge filters and are easily disassembled to allow you to view the filter element and look for contaminants. Another benefit of all the extra oil volume in the tank and hoses is increased cooling of the oil.

The reality is that speed costs. A dry-sump system is going to cost more than a high-volume wet-sump pump and pan. You can negate the cost of the pan because you will have a specialty pan for your wet-sump system anyway. You may already have the adapter plate on the engine if you are running an external cooler and/or a remote oil filter. From a parts perspective, you're almost there.

Something we have neglected to mention is that dry-sump pumps can be rebuilt. Should you have a major engine failure and the pump becomes damaged, every manufacturer we contacted offers overhaul of pumps as a service or sells the parts you need to do it yourself. Leo Rayas at Barnes Systems says, "It is not uncommon to see pumps come in for repair or overhaul that are as much as 18 years old." While that may be exceptional, it is clear that these products are very durable. This comment was also echoed by Terry Palmer of Razor Pumps: "If there is some sort of issue within the engine that damages the pump, it is very common for the end user to return the pump to us, and we can repair the pump to like-new condition." The reality is that the scavenge pumps see the debris first, so they are prone to the most damage.

A few manufacturers utilize some very high-tech alloys of steel to preclude pump failure in the event any small engine bits make their way to the pump. This way, the pump will not stop. Larry McDonald of Johnson's High Tech Performance says, "We use 12L14, [which is] an alloy of steel and lead that is durable enough to use on the gears, but will not fail if a particle as large as one eighth of an inch enters the pump." This means that the pump will still be moving oil in the event of a failure, so a lack of oil will not make a bad situation worse. "We also use dowel pins to align the pump housings to make sure there is no misalignment and the pumps do not move around under the extremes of a racing environment," says McDonald.

There are even some manufacturers experimenting with plastics on the scavenge pump gears. Terry Palmer of Razor Pumps spoke about some very successful tests using plastic in the scavenge pump. This was done to look for some better pumping actions and improved pump efficiency. Even with the standard gears, the pumps can approach 90 percent efficiency.

Some manufacturers are using technologies borrowed from F1 and the aerospace industry, and are exploring making the pump housings and the scavenge gears out of high-carbon polymers. This would result in a reduction of over 50 percent in weight. While this may not be as attractive to the stock car world from a cost versus weight savings perspective, some Sprint Car guys would kill to save that much weight. The fact that some of the manufacturers are even looking is reason enough to believe there is a market for such a pump.

The bottom line is the data is speaking. From a power-to-cost perspective, dry-sump oiling systems are the winners, hands down. As we look all over the country and see the emergence and growth of crate engine and claimer classes, we have to wonder why a system with all of the benefits that dry sumps offer is not a mandatory addition to the crate engine. Many of the classes allow aftermarket oil pans and a heavy-duty pump, all in the name of durability. Many of the manufacturers we spoke with offer systems that use fewer scavenge pumps and are indented for crate or claimer classes. Consequently, they cost less. The use of the dry sump, when viewed from a long-term cost, durability, rebuild ability, and chassis perspective, ignoring the power and systemic advantages, is really the only logical choice.