New Trap-Door Oil Pan Baffle for Drag Racing
11-04-2009, 09:27 AM
#1
LS1Tech Sponsor
Thread Starter
New Trap-Door Oil Pan Baffle for Drag Racing We recently released a new and improved version of our trap-door oil pan baffle for the LS1 F-Body pan, designed with drag racers in mind. The new baffle features a third trap-door which traps oil during acceleration, which is ideal for fast drag cars and those who wheelie!
Our baffle offers track-proven protection against oil starvation for virtually all forms of motorsport, everything from road racing to drifting to rock-crawling.
Our baffle is a a 100% bolt-on replacement for the stock steel baffle and weights 1.3lbs less.
Price is $199.99 + shipping (approx $8.50) - less expensive and more effective than most aftermarket pans! Our products usually ship within 24 hours via Fedex.
What our customers say:
Photos:
More photos and information available on our website at www.improvedracing.com
Our baffle offers track-proven protection against oil starvation for virtually all forms of motorsport, everything from road racing to drifting to rock-crawling.
Our baffle is a a 100% bolt-on replacement for the stock steel baffle and weights 1.3lbs less.
Price is $199.99 + shipping (approx $8.50) - less expensive and more effective than most aftermarket pans! Our products usually ship within 24 hours via Fedex.
What our customers say:
Originally Posted by Allan F.
Thanks Michael,
You guys have great customer service. The baffle arrived on-time and I found it to be well designed, made and it fit perfect. I spun my #6 rod bearing last time at Thunderhill even with a 3-qt accusump, so I was concerned about running the new motor at Laguna last Monday. No need to worry, I never saw the oil pressure drop below 50 and the motor ran strong all day. I am running 12" wide slicks on a race-prepped RX7, so cornering forces are up there. Much cheaper than a dry sump.
I highly recommend this product. It is a clear improvement over the factory stamped steel baffle.
You guys have great customer service. The baffle arrived on-time and I found it to be well designed, made and it fit perfect. I spun my #6 rod bearing last time at Thunderhill even with a 3-qt accusump, so I was concerned about running the new motor at Laguna last Monday. No need to worry, I never saw the oil pressure drop below 50 and the motor ran strong all day. I am running 12" wide slicks on a race-prepped RX7, so cornering forces are up there. Much cheaper than a dry sump.
I highly recommend this product. It is a clear improvement over the factory stamped steel baffle.
Originally Posted by Paul Ruschman
I am currently in the process of installing an LSx in my daily driver ’97 BMW M3 which will also see some limited Autocross duty. I ordered the Improved Racings updated trap door baffle for the F-body oil pan, upon receiving it, felt it was worthy of quick review.
I was not paid, sponsored, or offered any discount to write this!
Instruction sheet is professional, thorough and well detailed.
Manufacturing/production quality is first rate!
Fit and finish in the F-body oil pan is amazing!
The baffle is tight to the pan floor and tight to the forward wall of the pan! It is apparent the designer spent a good deal of time to make this happen.
In looking over this baffle from a design standpoint, it is also quite clear this was not just drawn up *****-nilly and sent to production, it was methodically engineered, every part, panel, nook and cranny has a job regarding oil control to and around the pick up tube!
For those wanting to build their own similar design, my advice is don’t waste your time. For the money, you will be hard pressed to even come close to this baffle.
My only addition to this is don’t forget to port the oil passages above the oil filter! Careful not to go too far in porting and bust through to an adjacent cavity. Just need to open the restriction at the intersections.
Thank you to the crew at Improved Racing.
Paul Ruschman
Rusch Motorsports LLC
I was not paid, sponsored, or offered any discount to write this!
Instruction sheet is professional, thorough and well detailed.
Manufacturing/production quality is first rate!
Fit and finish in the F-body oil pan is amazing!
The baffle is tight to the pan floor and tight to the forward wall of the pan! It is apparent the designer spent a good deal of time to make this happen.
In looking over this baffle from a design standpoint, it is also quite clear this was not just drawn up *****-nilly and sent to production, it was methodically engineered, every part, panel, nook and cranny has a job regarding oil control to and around the pick up tube!
For those wanting to build their own similar design, my advice is don’t waste your time. For the money, you will be hard pressed to even come close to this baffle.
My only addition to this is don’t forget to port the oil passages above the oil filter! Careful not to go too far in porting and bust through to an adjacent cavity. Just need to open the restriction at the intersections.
Thank you to the crew at Improved Racing.
Paul Ruschman
Rusch Motorsports LLC
More photos and information available on our website at www.improvedracing.com
Last edited by ImprovedRacing; 11-04-2009 at 09:47 AM.
11-04-2009, 09:34 AM
#3
LS1Tech Sponsor
Thread Starter
Nope, it's designed for the stock pan. We actually prefer to use the stock pan because it's stronger and less prone to leakage than aftermarket pans.
Last edited by ImprovedRacing; 11-04-2009 at 09:48 AM.
11-04-2009, 11:24 AM
#5
LS1Tech Sponsor
Thread Starter
The only clearance issue some of our customers have encountered is that, after tweaking the pickup tube for proper clearance to the bottom of the pan with strokers, the pickup can come in contact with the side of the opening in the baffle that the tube passes through. So it's somewhat dependent on how you adjust the pickup tube. Worst case scenario, you need to grind away some material from the baffle to allow the tweaked pickup tube to clear, like so:
Other than that, no issues.
Other than that, no issues.
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11-08-2009, 06:53 PM
#9
can you post some pics of it fitting the stock pan. Any cutaway stock pans pics?
I'd like to see how close, and no close it is in some spots. Whats the purpose of that angled baffle under the middle? And I noticed is the 1st pic and the ones on your site, the piece of angle iron looked to be slightly above the main plate. And welded on the ends, like it would drain thu the gap into the slot its over. But in the last pic you posted for the stroker clearencing, its fully welded closed? I know its to make room for the oil level sencor but was thinking it would be nice to drain ther too, no?
I'd like to see how close, and no close it is in some spots. Whats the purpose of that angled baffle under the middle? And I noticed is the 1st pic and the ones on your site, the piece of angle iron looked to be slightly above the main plate. And welded on the ends, like it would drain thu the gap into the slot its over. But in the last pic you posted for the stroker clearencing, its fully welded closed? I know its to make room for the oil level sencor but was thinking it would be nice to drain ther too, no?
11-09-2009, 08:19 AM
#10
LS1Tech Sponsor
Thread Starter
And I noticed is the 1st pic and the ones on your site, the piece of angle iron looked to be slightly above the main plate. And welded on the ends, like it would drain thu the gap into the slot its over. But in the last pic you posted for the stroker clearencing, its fully welded closed? I know its to make room for the oil level sencor but was thinking it would be nice to drain ther too, no?
11-09-2009, 08:20 AM
#11
LS1Tech Sponsor
Thread Starter
Post copied from another thread:
The pickup tube sits in the center of that box. The trap doors only open inwards, so oil can enter that box, but cannot leave. So under heavy G-loads, the oil is kept inside the box, near the pickup, instead of accumulating on the side of the pan.
The vertical guides welded to the top of the baffle catch windage oil that is being whirled around and guide it into the pickup box.
The slots cut on top of the baffle help improve drain-back into the sump, so that oil doesn't just accumulate on top of the baffle.
The small bent piece welded to the bottom of the top plate covers up a hole that is cast in the pan for the oil level sensor. Basically it just ensures that all of the oil flows into the sump box under braking, instead of around it.
The open side of the box might confuse some people. This portion of the baffle sits up against the front of the pan.
Here are some photos that might help you understand how it works. I will try to make a video explaining it or something too.
The vertical guides welded to the top of the baffle catch windage oil that is being whirled around and guide it into the pickup box.
The slots cut on top of the baffle help improve drain-back into the sump, so that oil doesn't just accumulate on top of the baffle.
The small bent piece welded to the bottom of the top plate covers up a hole that is cast in the pan for the oil level sensor. Basically it just ensures that all of the oil flows into the sump box under braking, instead of around it.
The open side of the box might confuse some people. This portion of the baffle sits up against the front of the pan.
Here are some photos that might help you understand how it works. I will try to make a video explaining it or something too.
11-09-2009, 08:20 AM
#12
LS1Tech Sponsor
Thread Starter
Post copied from another thread:
That hole is narrower because of the design of the pan:
See the V-shaped walls cast into the pan? Those walls funnel oil into that one hole under braking. So the trap door hole can only be as wide as that opening in the center. Also, the size is large enough; if you look at a Corvette batwing pan, there are walls around the pickup and all of the openings are about that size, even a little smaller.
See the V-shaped walls cast into the pan? Those walls funnel oil into that one hole under braking. So the trap door hole can only be as wide as that opening in the center. Also, the size is large enough; if you look at a Corvette batwing pan, there are walls around the pickup and all of the openings are about that size, even a little smaller.
12-08-2009, 09:02 PM
#13
LS1Tech Sponsor
Thread Starter
Here's a video review by one of our customers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6TPVx4W2O0
We will be making our own videos soon that demonstrate how the baffles work in a little more detail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6TPVx4W2O0
We will be making our own videos soon that demonstrate how the baffles work in a little more detail.
12-09-2009, 08:03 AM
#15
LS1Tech Sponsor
Thread Starter
No, but we do have a baffle designed for the Holden LS1 pan, which is a front-sump pan with the same external dimensions as the GTO pan (so it fits the GTO). We sell a brand new Holden pan + trap door baffle package for $299: http://www.improvedracing.com/produc...products_id=32
