Al Zangenberg
Well-Known Member
"A Word Of Caution" - on ANY "Windage Tray..." Back in 1967. and 1968, The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) 440 engine cars had windage trays, (and years beyond that), for many 440 Police engines. There was an issue, with some of the cars, being brought to the Plymouth Dealers, with "spun" rod bearings! Bill Binko Chrysler-Plymouth, in Ft. Lauderdale, surmised that many of the issues resulted in the windage tray - not allowing the oil to return to the pan quickly enough, causing oil starvation. Their solution (under the OEM Factory Warranty-covered FHP cars), was to remove the windage tray's... "Problem Solved!" YES! (of course), there may have been cars in service, that were low on oil. As any informed engine guy knows, the windage trays are designed to help eliminate (read: "Lessen"), the "dynamic-drag" when the crankshaft journals "turn-through" the oil in the pan. This results in a small horsepower increase...Make certain that you keep the oil level at the "full mark" - and not to let the engine be a quart lower than the normal capacity. I used a Mopar Steel Windage Tray, from a 440 police car, on my former '65 Plymouth Belvedere I Bracket Race car w/a 383, when I built the engine, and had no leaks, & no issues. On a street car, there isn't a necessity to use the windage tray...PERIOD! You can also drill small holes (which I did), in the "closed" part of the tray, to help oil return to the pan quicker. Yes, you can use a larger pan, to increase oil availability, etc. and remember...while an engine is running, at least one (1)-quart of oil, is circulating throughout the engine, leaving four (4), or less quarts in the pan. In the end...it's your car...your ride, and your decision... CHEERS! AL
P.S. I ALSO "REVERSED" the pistons when I assembled that 383. I took piston's, & rods from cylinders on the left bank, turned the piston's 180 degrees, and installed them in the right bank, and vice-versa - for the other side. The "notches" on the piston tops (that indicated "face-forward'), in the block...now all faced the rear (backwards). Does anyone know why this helped the overall performance?!?
P.S. I ALSO "REVERSED" the pistons when I assembled that 383. I took piston's, & rods from cylinders on the left bank, turned the piston's 180 degrees, and installed them in the right bank, and vice-versa - for the other side. The "notches" on the piston tops (that indicated "face-forward'), in the block...now all faced the rear (backwards). Does anyone know why this helped the overall performance?!?
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