Lee explains the use of a baffled sump
We have experienced first hand what can happen when oil management isn’t given enough consideration when using a Lotus Exige, Elise or Evora for regular track day or tarmac rally use.
For general driving, something like oil management isn’t too much of a concern for most drivers, but for those who are driving their cars in a more spirited manner, doing track days or even tarmac rally events on a more regular basis it should be an area to look into to help reduce engine wear.
Can a baffled sump reduce engine wear?
What happens is that the forces exerted on the vehicle, especially in hard cornering, can cause the oil to move around and for every second that oil isn’t being circulated efficiently through the moving parts of the engine it means wear is occurring.
In most cases you won’t see evidence of it happening until it is too late. So especially for Elise and Exige sport car owners who are doing regular track day driving we do suggest they upgrade their level of oil management as a preventative measure for peace of mind.
It is the same philosophy we employ with the race cars or tarmac rally cars we build for competition use. Our team has engineered complimentary components that work together to solve this potential cause for concern.
We designed baffled sump kits for Lotus sports cars
Using the knowledge gained from our motorsport experience & doing thousands of Lotus sports car services in Australia we have developed a baffled sump kit for Lotus sports cars.
As explained in Lee’s video, there are normally three elements to improving the oil management system for the Elise, Exige or Evora sports cars.
1. BAFFLED OIL SUMP
It starts with a baffled oil sump that increases the oil capacity of the vehicle and flow properties. We typically use a Moroso sump because they are one of the worlds most respected suppliers of equipment for racing and street performance use. They have been making products since 1968 for grass roots racing to top level NASCAR® and NHRA or IHRA race teams.
The sump has internal baffling that provides much better oil control vs the standard oil pan and is manufactured from thick aluminum with a 3/8″ billet aluminum rail for durability.
2. UPGRADED OIL PUMP GEAR SET
The sump by itself is the first step but we then typically add an upgraded set of oil pump gears which we have designed to be strong, durable and compliment the other items.
3. OIL CATCH CAN
Lastly there is our oil catch can that creates the system designed by our team to improve your oil management when doing lots of performance driving on the track or for tarmac rally events.
