From: Stuart Ulph
Date: 11 Apr 2002
Time: 23:31:51
Remote Name: 193.237.136.145
I used to think that the good Lord intended oil baffles to prevent excess oil entering the cylinders. Now I wonder. My friend Tom's experience is of relevance here. He carefully rebuilt an engine which promptly oiled all its plugs. Eventually, the problem was discovered to be a bad batch of piston rings. In the meantime he had, in desperation, tried the engine both with and without oil baffles. Oiling was worse with (sic) baffles fitted. Why? One suggestion was that, as the piston ascends the bore and oil mist is sucked up behind it, there may be some sort of venturi effect, attributable to the slot in the baffle, thus assisting the entry of oil mist behind the piston. Then, as the piston descends, the baffle lives up to its name and hinders the return of the oil mist to the crankcase. Whatever the reason, the increase in oiling with baffles fitted was marked. One is tempted to suggest that where piston cooling and small end lubrication are critical, perhaps one should fit baffles, more so if one is convinced that there is reduced crankcase oil mist in a pressure engine! The engine least likely to benefit from the baffles would be a completely standard untuned engine.... I hope fellow readers of this page will forgive me for what I intend to be good natured provocation in raising this subject - but I really would like to hear other views; to baffle or not to baffle? Regards to all, Stuart