Baffled Sump

[Tom2000]

Going to be fitting an overdrive box in the next month, whilst the engine is out i'm going to degrease and give it a clean up to suit the rest of the car, whilst i'm there would it be worth baffling the sump? If so, how hard is it? - As far as I'm aware this is worth doing to give a better distribution of oil when cornering tightly? - Not that I race but why not eh?

[TimW]

Tom2000 wrote:

Going to be fitting an overdrive box in the next month, whilst the engine is out i'm going to degrease and give it a clean up to suit the rest of the car, whilst i'm there would it be worth baffling the sump? If so, how hard is it? - As far as I'm aware this is worth doing to give a better distribution of oil when cornering tightly? - Not that I race but why not eh?

I think you will be hard pushed to need a baffled sump for road use.  It's not hard to do if you can fabricate and weld sheet steel.
I am sure you can find a design that would work but i feel it may be a bit of a waste of time and money.

[Nick Moore]

A baffled sump is, I think, a good idea if you're prone to throwing the car into corners. My Herald doesn't have baffles, and I never saw the need for one on a road car until the day I threw it around a hard left-hand bend on a steep hill, saw the oil light flicker and heard some faint knocking from the engine room. The combination of 4000rpm in second, a tight bend and an oil level midway between the high and low marks on the dipstick was apparently enough for the oil pump pickup to start sucking air. No damage was done as it only lost pressure for a second, but we never took that corner flat out again. And if you can generate enough sideways force in a Herald, it should be easy in a lower car like a Spitfire.

[akuma.no.spitfire]

Fit a pressure gage and be amazed at how quickly the pressure drops when cornering or braking.
If you like driving quickly I would recommend it.

[ferny]

I was going to baffle mine when it was off the car. Looked into what I needed to do then decided it wasn't worth the effort.

Can't say I've noticed anything change with hard cornering or braking at all. But I do drive sedately. :)

[esxefi]

i made a gated trapdoor type baffle,all doors open towards pickup and a horizontal plate at the top of the pan to stop oil sloshing up and away from the pickup.sometimes my light would come on when braking sharply as well as cornering.think i had to braze them in because the welder just wouldn't do it,probably because of oil impregnated steel of the sump?

[willcolumbine]

I think sump baffles are a good idea even on a road car. I've never owned a car that I couldn't make the oil light flicker on. My old VW golf even used to have a warning buzzer...

[TimW]

So can i make the assumption that you all have baffled sumps fitted?

[Nick Jones]

Never baffled a sump and never had an issue - obviously not trying hard enough.  Might do it on my new engine just in case but wouldn't pull one apart to do it.

Nick

[Tom2000]

Nick_Jones wrote:

Never baffled a sump and never had an issue - obviously not trying hard enough.  Might do it on my new engine just in case but wouldn't pull one apart to do it.

Nick

Well the engine was going to be out anyway.. overdrive going in.

[Richard B]

Tom2000 wrote:

Well the engine was going to be out anyway.. overdrive going in.

:-/

You don't need to take the engine out to put an O/D gearbox in.

[akuma.no.spitfire]

339 wrote:

So can i make the assumption that you all have baffled sumps fitted?

Yes

[Deleted User]

If you are worried about oil pressure loss when cornering hard etc, then you need to fit one of these - http://www.accusump.com/

[rotoflex]

Also:
http://www.crank-scrapers.com/Triumph.html

I think in the Triumph/BL US Competition Department's manual there is a section about fabricating a basic sump baffle setup.

[Tim Bancroft]

I have one in my GT6, pleased that I have as the current use of the car in Autotests etc dictate that this is a useful mod.

[lordleonusa]

Live in the USA, What's a corner?

but joking aside, I have one waiting to be fitted next time I pull the engine, whenever that might be.

L

[JohnD]

Here's the baffle in my engine.  An alloy 'windage' plate lies horizontally just above the level of oil when running (Quick dip stick just after turning off).  It is held in place by four brackets, welded to the inside of the sump holding the plate through four slots in the edge, and bent out once the plate is in place.    The plate holds two vertical baffles, braced by a third plate that is cut away at the base to allow free flow.  The assembly is rivetted together.
The windage plate and the baffles are 1/4" from the sump wall all-around.  The cut-outs in the windage plate are for the oil pump and the dipstick - don't forget! Each hole has a 1/4" flange beaten all around , to inhibit the oil from creeping up and out of the sump.  There is a further flange on the forward edge, to inhibit oil surge under braking

There are no fancy hinged doors to fail, and this instanly and permanently cured oil pressure loss due to surge, either in corners or under braking.

John

[Rich_s]

After reading too many incidents about the uprights/trunnions shearing off i have never thrown the spitfire round a corner since, until i get round to buying a new pair i just dont trust them, they seem fine but dont wanna take the chance.

As for oil pressure dropping under hard braking.......do you guys have uprated brakes or something, i have new calipers and pads and discs are not that old but there is no chance i could do anything near harsh braking, never been able to even lock up the back wheels and it has nearly new drums and shoes!

guess i need to try harder :)

[akuma.no.spitfire]

932 wrote:

guess i need to try harder

Or fit some good pads. ;)

Suggest you get Mintex 1144 or Pagid RS4-2 if the budget allows.