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Windage Tray

Andrew

Andrew

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Super budget build in the works. Do I need to use a windage tray, or is that just a performance addition?

Also I have a set of rings that with about 5 miles on them. long story but can I use them in another block? assuming the gap tolerances check out.
 
You don't have to have a windage tray.Why do the rings only have 5 miles on them?If the cylinders looked good on the engine they came out of I would think it would be OK to reuse them.If one has a hairline crack and you do not notice it you will pay for it later.Myself rings don't cost that much I would buy a set of new ones.
 
Rings are something you never really want to re use. They are mated to the specific cylinder wall that they were broken in to.
 
What kinda car? What motor? What are you gonna use it for?

The rings will be fine. Make sure the cylinders have the glaze knocked off and have the proper 60* cross hatch.
 
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Get new rings, like stated they are mated to each piston, file fit rings are not that expensive either, I use total seal. I have a windage tray on my 440 and although you will not feel or see anything it's that fact that the oil is staying on the crank and the connecting rods and not splashing back down to the pan so fast. good oiling is essential to any build. :pimp3:
 
I have thrown a VW motor together and a 440 with stuff I swept up from the garage floor and both ran great. Old used rings, valves, bearings, rods, crank, cam including lifters thrown in randomly from a couple of engines. The key to making this work is careful inspection. I had no money to work with but I had time to sort through parts and clean stuff up and check it. I'm with Rusty on this one. If the rings are not damaged in any way and the cylinder bore is round and has a nice cross hatch in it you will be fine. It's also important to check the ring grooves on the pistons for excessive wear.

- - - Updated - - -

Windage trays are said to add 15 HP at 5000 RPM. I like to use them whenever possible as I feel they increase efficiency, and on a hot street car you can add one extra QT of oil. If you are just needing to go down the road then leaving it out won't kill you.
 
That's exactly what I'm looking to do. Don't even have a car for it yet. I'm just looking for a cheap project.
 
Rings don't mate to pistons. If they mate to anything, it would be the cylinders. What's important is the cylinder wall finish. The finish of the cylinder walls upon assembly needs to be deglazed with the correct 60* cross hatch. THAT is what mates the rings. The critical part of reusing used rings is two things. The ring end gap and the ring tension. As long as the tension is still good, they will break in to the new cylinders and seal properly. Check the ring end gaps to assure they are not too loose or tight and file them if necessary. They will be fine. If they have as low milaege on them as you say, then they were not even broken in on the cylinders they were on. Have at it. They'll be fine. I can't count the number of times I've pressed used rings into service and they were fine.
 
Your right cylinder bore not pistons my bad, hurried typing, 5 miles on a set of rings is nothing if the gap is right then go for it.
it's up to you it's your motor Andrew you will be fine.
 
Wasn't tryin to beat on you with a arguement, I just didn't want the OP to throw away a good set of rAngs if it would save him some money. ;)

bigmanjbmopar said:
Your right cylinder bore not pistons my bad, hurried typing, 5 miles on a set of rings is nothing if the gap is right then go for it.
it's up to you it's your motor Andrew you will be fine.
Click to expand...
 
I have a windage tray on my 440 and although you will not feel or see anything it's that fact that the oil is staying on the crank and the connecting rods and not splashing back down to the pan so fast. good oiling is essential to any build. :pimp3:
Click to expand...

It is not the fact the oil is staying on the crank, the windage tray keeps the oil from becoming caught up in a tornado like situation.

So the tray blocks the spinning and takes the oil out of the vortex and it allows it to return to the pan and it keeps the crank the vortex it creates from lifting more oil into the crank.. and keeping the pump p/u with oil to pump.

Is it essential and needed for a street car not cruising at 4k and better rpm, no, does it help and nice to have, yes
 
windage tray is good for a race car where horse counts, but on a street car or cruiser it's not really needed
 
Windage trays are good cause they dont starve the oil pump {esp. if you put the aforementioned xtra qt of oil} by not letting the oil slosh around on the crank and (more) efficiently getting it to the top end.

only thing that i've found that sucks is sealing it to the block and the oil pan. but Ma MoPar put windage trays on all HP 440's IIRC. so, if it's good enough for Ma, it's good enough for me! :blob1:
 
Supershafts said:
It is not the fact the oil is staying on the crank, the windage tray keeps the oil from becoming caught up in a tornado like situation.

So the tray blocks the spinning and takes the oil out of the vortex and it allows it to return to the pan and it keeps the crank the vortex it creates from lifting more oil into the crank.. and keeping the pump p/u with oil to pump.

Is it essential and needed for a street car not cruising at 4k and better rpm, no, does it help and nice to have, yes
Click to expand...



"A Mopar Performance windage tray will provide you with more positive engine lubrication by reducing the interior windage at higher engine speeds." Right from an engine builder.
 
Windage trays help keep oil AWAY from the crankshaft and help to lower reciprocating weight. All that excess oil on the crankshaft weighs something. It also helps keep aeriation or foaming of the oil to a minimun. Crank scrapers are actually more effective at keeping more oil off the crank, but windage trays do help, and they do a couple of other things scrapers do not. Most all Chrysler corporation police package cars had them and they were certainly street cars. I personally think a street car will have more use for one because of the turning involved that a street car does. The windage tray helps "control" the oil more....keep it in the pan if you will. Of course, that's just one little peon's lowly opinion. Really.....unless you can climb into the oil pan while the car is driving down the road, you don't know what's going on, but that's always been my opinion, that the oil is controlled better with a windage tray installed. That's why on road race specific oil pans, you see kickouts in the pan and such. To help control the oil and keep it from getting on the crankshaft. Same with a windage tray. Seems I remember too, the older versions of the Mopar engine manual did claim X amount of horse power at X RPM, if I remember correctly. I'll look when I get home and see. I have a couple of older manuals. I'll try to put my hands on um.
 
FYI Jegs has produced a one-piece windage tray of their own, complete with molded in gaskets. A little pricey but maybe worth it if you need to install one with the block in the car.

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