The use of a wet or dry sump oiling system is often determined by the level of competition and the racers budget. A wet sump system is based on the OE oiling system and can be enhanced by certain components to improve oil control and increase power. A dry sump system is designed for the top levels of racing where maximum power and oil control are absolutely essential.
Here are several advantages of dry sump over oil sump setups:
- Because a dry sump does not need to have an oil pan big enough to hold the oil under the engine, the main mass of the engine can be placed lower in the vehicle. This helps lower the center of gravity and can also help aerodynamics.
- The oil capacity of a dry sump can be as big as you want. The tank holding the oil can be placed anywhere on the vehicle.
- In a wet sump, turning, braking and acceleration can cause the oil to pool on one side of the engine. This sloshing can dip the crankshaft into the oil as it turns or uncover the pump's pick-up tube.
- Excess oil around the crankshaft in a wet sump can get on the shaft and cut horsepower. Some people claim improvements of as much as 15 horsepower by switching to a dry sump.