The windage tray is a MAJOR improvement in the oiling system as a whole. If it'll fit, use it. You may have to grind welds or cut or something to get the built-in one out of your new pan.

If it won't fit, just remove it, and let the built-in baffle in the new pan do the job. It's not as "performance" oriented as the bolt-on windage tray but will work plenty adequately in its place.

 

I never understood what the windage tray exactly did, I know crank scrapers run relatively close to the crank to remove excess oil, but how do windage trays work and do they have to be clearanced to each particular engine? If someone has some pics too to add.

 

Windage trays keep the oil out of the vicinity of the crank. Keeps the crank from whipping up what's in the pan, into a spray and a foam.

They only have to be clearanced to the extent that they (a) miss the crank & rods, and (b) are above the oil level in the pan.

 

Gotcha that makes sense, so without a windage tray the spinning of the rods must "whip" up some oil, I know foam is a bad thing having air pockets in the oil is no good.

 

Thanks for the info

 

Yes I wouldn't want to run a motor w/o a windage tray and I haven't seen a stock motor w/o one as far as I can recall. But you should make sure they fit and rotate the crank with it on to make sure it doesn't touch. And there are plenty of inexpensive aftermarket windage trays to choose from so you may want to look them over and try what maybe an upgrade from stock.

Oil system can get complicated real fast. Once you start racing you will find the need for improvements in the oilpan all they way to a dry sump system. But most budget racing can get by with a good windage tray and a trap door with increased capacity. Oil scrapers can help to but you need to know what your doing to install one.

Good luck and that was a good question.