RCM Oil Sump Pan Baffle Plate

Oil control is a problem which can effect the Subaru’s “Flat Four Boxer” engine design more than most due to its high crank case pressure and horizontal engine design. When cornering at high speed the design of the Subaru engine means that oil can work its way out of the sump oil pan and flow across to the cylinder head castings, leaving a lower volume of oil behind surrounding the oil pick up pipe. The job of the oil pick up pipe is to suck oil up out of the oil sump pan and distribute it around your engines oil galleries (ensuring precious moving engine components are kept lubricated and cool at all times). If oil is not available to the pick up pipe then naturally many areas of the engine do not receive the precious lifeblood they need to survive, temperatures rise, metals expand and ultimately components fail. The idea of a baffle plate is to put a “lid” on the container holding the engines oil, ensuring that if the momentum of the vehicle is thrown to one side the oil still remains in its designated area. If we look at the baffle plate in detail you will notice the rubber flaps or “diverters” located all over the base. These flaps only open one way, to allow engine oil into the sump. When cornering hard the oil finds it much harder to flow out of the sump as its usual escape hatches are now closed or deleted completely, hence why a sump baffle plate is a must for those driving fast road, track days, rallying, or sprint events. For the ultimate protection we also highly recommend our baffled sumps which can be used in conjunction with the baffle plate for complete peace of mind and the ultimate oil control before a dry sump system.