For decades, dry sump oil systems have been an integral part of any race car or serious performance machine. The superiority of such a setup is well-known and practically necessary if you want to be competitive in any form or at any level of motorsport. Dry sump systems are far superior in just about any aspect, which begs why they are not more common and widely used. The first reason is cost, and dry-sump systems are significantly more expensive and complicated than standard wet sump systems, which ordinary cars use. The second reason is that there isn’t a need for such sophisticated technology in your daily car. However, one might ask if dry sumps systems are worth the investment and trouble. Definitely, but it depends on the application…
Shaving Seconds Off Your Lap Times
Dry sump systems are an absolute necessity of any high-performance engine for people who dedicate their time and efforts to achieve the fastest lap time. Period. Dry sump systems provide the engine with proper lubrication in lateral acceleration and at high engine speeds, which happens all of the time during racing, making the engine more reliable and reduces wear, especially during hard use. However, this does not make the car faster. What makes it faster is that the dry-sump system allows the constructors to position the engine lower in the chassis, resulting in a lower centre of gravity which allows the car to handle better and go through corners faster. Besides that, a dry-sump system is capable of helping the engine deliver a bit more power since it reduces the power loss and frees the engine’s rotating assembly. More power and better handling are a sure recipe for substantial improvements in the car’s performance and fantastic lap times. In fact, if you upgrade your track day car with a dry-sump system, you will be astonished at how much better it feels, starting from handling, steering, and overall performance.
Dry sump systems are obligatory components in a world where seconds are more important than zeros in the bank account. Simply, you cannot be competitive if your vehicle is not equipped with such a system. All bonafide race cars come with a standard dry-sump system, and many amateur racers and track day fans retrofit their vehicles with PACE dry sump systems for the same reasons. While dry sump systems work perfectly fine on street-driven cars, the race track is where they really prove their worth and give drivers a significant competitive advantage.
Dry Sump Systems on Commuter Cars
Even though the advances of dry sump systems are enormous, there is no point in installing them on ordinary, everyday cars. Even though it would make your commuter vehicle faster and handle better, those improvements would be wasted in the congested traffic condition of modern metropolises. Not to mention that having a dry-sump system will make ordinary maintenance more complicated and expensive, and it wouldn’t significantly improve your driving experience. That is why having a dry sump setup on the vehicle you use to go to the shops or pick your kids from school is simply not worth the investment.
About The Pacepump® Range
PACE Dry Sumps and Pumps are designed and manufactured by pre-eminent motorsport engineering group Neil Brown Engineering. NBE is engine partner to some of motorsports most successful racing teams, and has won multiple championships across series including BTCC, DTM, F3 and historic formulas. NBE is currently sole engine support provider for the F4 British Championship, and sole engine supplier to BTCC teams Halfords Yuasa Racing, Team BMW and Ciceley Motorsport in 2021.
The Pacepump® range is designed to meet almost any installation. From the dry sumping of pre-war classic sports cars to modern day Le-Mans cars, fast road cars to Touring cars, Formula Ford to Formula 1 – and everything in between.
