trying to do the finishing ideas on my 289 build up. I was just curious those of you who chose to run a windage tray how did you justify it? is it really needed? This is a bottom end that can hold 450-500 hp.

 

For maximum efficiency, every engine needs a windage tray. They are not that expensive and if you have the engine apart, why not?

 

thats the way I looked at it as well, it really cant hurt. Thing is my motor wont be putting out 450-500 hp its just that I wanted to build it stronger then what I need so I can do future mods. Im looking at ~350hp.

Any brand recommendations?

 

Do you have a girdle as well? Canton makes a girdle/tray package where the tray bolts on to the girdle. I'm running a Moroso girdle with a Canton tray in my 302. They're not really needed unless you're running higher rpm where the airflow in the crankcase from the piston motion could blow the oil around in the pan. Baffled trays(especially like Cantons that sit lower and keep the oil farther from the crank, again that's what I'm running) don't have as much problem with windage.

If it's an rpm turner then it certainly isn't a bad idea. They can be a pain sometimes to get them to fit correctly since there's not much room in the oil pan, so you have to weigh that against the need for one. That said, yeah, it's already apart and good oil control is vital to any engine surviving, and they're reasonably cheap as engine parts go, so it certainly isn't a bad idea, if you don't mind possibly having to do a bit of fabrication.

As far as brand, that's going to depend on whether you have a girdle or not, some will fit ON girdles, others won't even fit in a pan WITH a girdle. Some bolt to the girdle, some the main caps and I've seen some that bolt on to the oil pan mounting rail when the pan goes on. If it's gonna turn a bit of rpm and you want one, you might consider investing in the Canton setup with the girdle and the tray, that way you have windage control and a bit better bottom end stability. Their girdle isn't exactly cheap though.

 

Milodon makes and inexpensive tray along with a stud kit that you will need.

 

I read recently, one one famous engine builders site, that they dynoed a motor with
the windage tray installed and then with it removed. They saw no difference in the
power or torque curves. Interestingly they also did the same test with an electric water
pump and normal water pump. They found the difference to be only 6hp, not the 20-30
some makers claim.

 

yeah but i imagine the windage tray comes in handy in turns etc when the oil is riding up the side of the pan etc

 

The windage tray help with bearing life also. It helps keep oil aeration down. I'd say anything over 4k would benefit from this reason alone.

 

wasnt planning on a girdle in fact I was told its a waste of money, I have an experienced old timer who owns a racing outfit that I buy all my parts from and said he doesn't run one on his 550hp 289 SSLA 65 mustang. I wasnt really worried about gaining power with the tray, but more like it helping engine life and things like that.

 

Yeah, windage trays don't really do anything to improve power. They're all about controlling the oil at the pickup, so the pump doesn't get aerated oil or suck in air and cavitate. They help engines live, not make more power.

As far as girdles, some say they help and some don't. Honda for instance on many of their high rpm 4 bangers and 6 bangers, use girdles(all the mains are actually part of the girdle, it's all just one big piece). The later 302 blocks had material removed from the main webs to shave a few pounds, and as a result the webs are usually what fails first, so the way I see it, a girdle is good insurance to help reinforce the main webs. The same reason Honda and other manufacturers use them, when a cylinder fires it can share the load across all the mains. Whether or not it's useful depends on the block.