2004 Dodge Stratus: Windage Tray Problem

Dodge Stratus Windage tray was removed to clean the internal parts,but now the problem is how to refit it exactly.
I don't know which is front side and which back.
Also what is the actual use of this wind-age tray

Its very simple.


What is Windage tray?


A wind-age tray is piece of sheet metal. It is mounted between the crank shaft and the oil pan.

It is a metallic tray that is bolted to the main caps on the bottom of the engine.This Tray is designed in such a way that it keeps the engine oil from splashing up in the engine and it stop the oil pump pick-up tube from sucking air instead of oil. The windage tray keeps the windage around the crank from the oil in the sump area. It lets the oil coming off the crank to easily enter the sump without the windage affecting the scavenging of oil already in the sump. 

IN short you can say,

A windage tray  helps to improve engine lubrication by controlling the interior windage at high engine speeds.

OH,THAT'S GOOD BUT HOW?


I will explain you its details and working procedure.


When the crankshaft is rotating at high speed.You can assume high speed as highway speed.With that high speed of driving  a horizontal vortex of swirling air is generated. In this procedure the oil get pumped from crank assembly.The oil in the engine that was pumped up high and residual from the crank assembly while  draining back to the oil pan gets caught in this vortex and is spinning too.
The oil quantity can be anywhere from 1 to 3 quarts which is caught in this vortex.

And here the Windage tray comes into play.
This much swirling oil acts like a small load on the engine and robs HorsePower.
Another point is with that much oil NOT in your oil pan at High RPM you could have a potential oil starvation  problem.
On that time the wind-age tray acts like a scraper and removes the oil from the vortex letting it drain back to the oil pan.  It does not actually touch the crank shaft but it is close enough to it to skim off the oil and let it drain.
This will make you understand why windage tray is such a important part.

YES IT HELPED.NOW TELL ME HOW TO REFIT IT?

I can say its reverse of removal.Its a bolted plate.

Take a proper look at the tray and you will note that on one end it's straight across, on the opposite end the two mounting bolts go out past the end of the tray. The end that's flat and straight across goes toward the front of the engine, the end with the bolt bosses that go out past the tray is designed that way to clear the rear main bearing cap, and that end goes toward the rear of the engine.
On the Tray there are 3 big holes for ventilation.That are oil return line holes.
The oil return holes should be on the right side of the engine.That is you facing the firewall on the right side.
Just refit the plate this way.Tighten the bolts and its done.

This details will help.
Thanks.

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