Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Pictured is a dry sump pan, which fits all small ford blocks Inc the twink. We (elantrikbits.com) have built several dry sump pans over the years. Note the removable oil collector channel cover strip (with scrapers) which is required when cleaning and overhaul time comes around. Note also the screw in bung, which has a lock wire & tab facility. Dry sump pans can be constructed from Escort or Cortina oil pans with added sheet metal fabrications and are styled on the proven Cosworth design, plus a couple of extra refinements are included.
Col.

This appears to be the time honored style of dry sump pans for Kent engines, having a central channel to collect oil and the pickup in the middle, fore-aft wise. While it obviously works since it's been used on a zillion or two race engines, I have been long puzzled by this design. From what I've observed and read it seems the design would be much improved by having the collection channel on the RH side where oil is naturally flung by crank rotation, and the pickup at the rear where oil naturally collects during forward acceleration, which comprises the overwhelming majority of time during a lap. Does anyone have any insight as to how this design developed and why it persists? I note that ARE pans are designed as per my thoughts and would be my choice if I could afford one.

Gerry

If the channel is offset to the side it should also allow you to lower that lump of iron located directly above it.




Formula Ford 1600 w/ Van Diemen mounts part # 1062

A.R.E. link
http://www.drysump.com/pan12.htm

The A.R.E. cast alloy pans would be the ultimate items to use if you are racing an open wheeler and prepared to spend up big. But the original Cosworth design sheet metal item has certainly stood the test of time. Ground clearance is not going to be a problem on an elan on the race track with the older design, but with modern open wheelers it most likely will be. Getting back to cost, a fabricated item is about half the cost of the cast aluminium item, so I guess it all comes down to personal choice, and how much money one has to spend.
Col.

Col

Why coudn't an offset trough be fabricaterd out of sheet stock, the best of both worlds?

Gary

Gary.
I guess anything is possible, and many variations on the design could be made. If you have a think about both designs for a minute, the oil still has to flow into the collector channel so that it can be picked up by the scavenge pump, it really makes little difference where the collector channel is. But the reason the cast oil pan has the side collector is most likely for more ground clearance, which was not too much of a problem for the sixties style race cars when the fabricated items were used back then. Not sure how you would go with the scruts if you fronted up to a historic meeting sporting a mickey mouse cast alloy sump on an 1960s open wheeler?
There are always lots of different reasons why certain ideas are used, and it always comes down to whatever the race car design criteria is.
Col.