The Raceline Performance Engineered cast alloy sump pan is designed to allow the greatest possible ground clearance when installed in a Caterham Seven or similar type vehicle. In order to accomplish this whilst at the same time ensuring adequate oil capacity, the sump must necessarily be wide and shallow, when ideally perhaps, a sump should be tall and narrow. This is an unavoidable compromise, which could result in oil surge, but for the advanced design of the Raceline sump pan with its extensive baffling and built-in windage tray, meaning that oil surge is practically eliminated. However, it does mean that the oil level in the sump is critical.
The sump holds a full five litres, and we recommend that owners recalibrate the oil dipstick to suit their particular vehicle installation. Once the engine has been installed in the car, fill the sump with precisely five litres of your chosen lubricant (measuring carefully to ensure accuracy), then lightly scribe a 'full' mark on the dipstick. For obvious reasons you should ensure that the vehicle is situated on a flat and level surface. If practicable, it is highly desirable that the vehicle is positioned in the same place every time the oil level is monitored thereafter. You should aim to maintain the oil level at the maximum mark at all times, checking as frequently as proves necessary to ensure this. Raceline has found that the Ford Zetec engine is exceptionally oil tight, and seldom if ever needs topping up between oil changes in normal service. However, any engine will use some oil if subjected to exceptionally hard use - on a race circuit at track days for example - especially when oil temperatures are high. Therefore frequent checks are a must…
The Raceline cast alloy sump pan is designed for use with the standard Ford windage tray as supplied with the engine, which should therefore be retained in situ. However, in order to fit the Raceline cast alloy sump pan, the mounting studs for the Ford windage tray, which form an extension to the No2 and No4 main bearing cap retaining bolts, must be shortened slightly for clearance. Full fitting instructions are supplied with each kit. Later engines from Ford have a cast alloy sump with integral cast-in windage tray, with pressed steel pan, and in order to fit the Raceline Performance Engineered cast alloy sump, some additional parts (available as a kit from Raceline - please specify when ordering) are required.
Provided oil levels are maintained at a satisfactory level, the Raceline Performance Engineered wet sump has proven to be totally reliable, even in hard circuit use. Although many hundreds are now in service all over the world, some may still prefer the greater confidence that dry sump lubrication gives. Various options are available from Raceline. The 'road' type of dry sump pan should be used where the engine is mounted using the bosses cast into the block in the conventional manner. Alternatively, a 'race' dry sump pan may be specified, which is reinforced to allow mounting of the engine from the sump casting, at front or rear or both. Both types allow up to three scavenge ports, with pressure supplied by remote pump, or by the engine's original equipment internal oil pump. Additionally, pump mounting brackets are available to allow mounting in various positions.
