Hello, I'd like like to run my Polara in a HPDE at Watkins Glen next year, my question is would the oil pan I have on it now be good for cornering? It's a 5 quart, 6 total with filter, here's a picture of it on Summit: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pro-66189/overview/year/1970/make/dodge/model/polara, if you hit 360 degree view it'll show the baffle in the pan. I know that the stock 4 quarts ain't good for that, even High G launches for that matter.
Thanks guys, I'm currently running a stock volume, never drops below 45 PSI for what it's worth, I do also have a real oil pressure gauge, what's an accusump?
I don't race C-Bodies, but I've been doing 24 and 36 hour roadracing for many years. Tried the Accusump. Got it used, and it leaked internally and externally, but I'm sure it'd be fine new. We're not using it now, and haven't had a problem without it. The Cantor pan we have, which was over $400, was definitely worth it. Looks similar to that second one Fury Fan posted. Has kickouts and trap doors. With a stock pan, oil pressure would drop in turns. It's rock steady now. We'd see the American V8 cars blow up all the time. You're buzzing the motor in the straightaways, pumping the oil up top, then slam it over to one side in the turn. No way for much of it to get back in the pan. Then you're wrapping the motor up again going through the gears, and you start sucking air. Just adding more oil probably won't work because when the oil does fall back, it'll get whipped up by the crank, and that's a disaster, too. All those fittings are there for things like external dip stick, external drain back from a cooler or turbo, and oil temp sender. I rebuilt the motor three years ago, put the big pan on it, and it just started to drop oil pressure the last race. Three years of 24 hour racing with 55psi, and I saw it dropping down into the 40s. Oil still looks good, but time to change the bearings at least. I definitely recommend a big pan with trap doors, but if not that, then at least an Accusump. The big pans can interfere with headers.
Joined: Mon Oct 10 2005, 10:24AM
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 160
Most stock oilpans can't hold the oil down as well and will cause a drop of oilpressure when braking hard (for a corner fi).
The 318 in my daily Dart exhibits this also. The Dart is upgraded a bit for handling but luckily till now I've never seen oilpressure issues during (hard) cornering, only with hard braking.