In general terms... would a dry-sumped engine need gaskets???

Without a head gasket, it would be a pain to start !

or, perhaps i should dry sump my xflow, as it leaks every were, and get rid of all my gaskets!

Only if you didn't want it to p*** oil every where ----- think ancient Triumph motorcycle dry sump but still p****d oil out.

As far as I know the only practical way to get a proper sub atmospheric in a normal four stroke sump is to connect the crankcase breather to a venturi on the exhaust --- which is outlawed both on track and road.

[Edited on 4/10/11 by britishtrident]

Cheers guys.. it was just a piece written by Al Melling that got me thinking...

The race engine has a dry sump engine and was designed for full racing in a Single Seater Race car that is why the Pumps are down the side as in Formula one Cars/Engines. The high capacity Oil Scavenge Pump is also on the Formula One principle and makes the internal pressure of the engine a negative. The advantage of this is that the engine does not have any Gaskets and allows for accurate fitment of the components without oil leaks.

If you search on "crankcase vacuum" you will see its a popular topic and many claim it achievable with dry sump systems.
You get more power as the pumping loses in the engine are reduced.

No oil pump can really be big enough to get worthwhile negative pressure in the sump, as for getting rid of gaskets many modern engines are gasketless they just use a tiny thickness of the appropriate Loctite sealant grade (nb not ordinary RTV Instant Gasket) on the mating faces.


The main object in reducing crankcase pressure is power (reduced crankshaft & piston windage losses) and improved piston ring sealing.

A few years a Formula Ford 1600 racer put a venturi into the exhaust of his Xflo and connected it to the crankcase breathe, he gained a few horsepower but the device was deemed illegal as it wassn't a closed loop breather and hence deposits oil on the track and following cars.

[Edited on 4/10/11 by britishtrident]

It is very possible to pull a decent vacuum from a dry sump pump. I forget the figures quoted now but one of my lecturers design engine for scumacher and alonso's last 2 championship engines and it featured heavily in the dry sump lectures. Probably in my notes somewhere!

Yes it would need gasgets