By Bobby Kimbrough September 27, 2018The science of fluid dynamics is complicated and nowhere in motorsports is that more pronounced than oil control. We found a video on Moroso‘s YouTube video channel that explains the methods of controlling the fluid in an oil pan when acted upon by forces generated by the vehicle’s movements in different types of driving.Scott Hall of Moroso Performance Products leads the discussion on oil pan trap door baffling by explaining that oil control is critical for maintaining proper oil pressure during the most critical times in an engine’s operation. Beginning with street machines, which have little need for trap door baffling unless the owner wants to experience some “spirited” driving – and who doesn’t want to do that?While many street cars have little need for baffling, oil control is a necessity for race cars. Moroso’s eight-minute video covers all the aspects of trap door baffling, from the theory to the design and function of these clever oil pan devices. Hall reminds us that fluids are self-leveling, it is the movement of the car that causes the fluid to change. The type of baffling is mandated by the type of movement that the different types of motorsports are subject to. Hall also clears up a misconception about the trap door: “The weight of the trap door has no bearing on its performance.” He goes on to explain that a lighter trap door is easier to open but slow to close. A heavier trap door is harder to open and due to the movement of the fluid, even slower to close. In basic terms, oil pan baffling for drag racing or street/strip is designed more for front to rear movement of the oil. There is a horizontal trap door baffle to control the movement of fluid from front to rear caused by acceleration and deceleration. This is done to keep oil in the sump, close to the oil pickup tube. Road racing subject the fluid to acceleration, deceleration, as well as left, and right hand turns. The duration of these events can cause the fluid to run away from the pickup causing lower and no oil pressure. Moroso’s answer is a diamond-shaped trap door baffle. The design is a four-sided baffle, each side with its own trap door. Regardless of the car’s movement, oil is kept surrounding the pickup to maintain great oil pressure during the event.Circle track oil pan baffling design is probably the most complex of all. It is complicated because of the number of baffling assemblies within a wide and shallow oil pan. Moroso’s circle track pan has five trap door baffle assemblies to handle the extreme acceleration/deceleration, along with the harsh turns that make a shallow oil pan difficult to keep the oil pickup covered. Any questions about this or any of the other fine products manufactured by Moroso Performance Products can be answered by visiting them at Moroso.com.

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