The guys at Armstrong Race Engineering, led by SAE member, inventor, and proprietor Gary Armstrong, have amassed a treasure trove of information on their website in relation to the subject of dry sump oiling systems.

We’ve previously discussed the Spintric air/oil separator and its principles of operation in this article, and perusing the website, have discovered that they’ve also covered all of the major principles of dry sump oiling system operation and why it’s so important to top-level competition engines.

As Gary Armstrong is the inventor of the company’s products, he’s uniquely qualified to discuss their operation and advantages.

For example, in the Technical Explanation section of the website, he explains the basics of the system’s operation and what it does for an engine.

“The main purpose of the dry sump system is to contain all the stored oil in a separate tank, or reservoir. The dry sump oil pump is a minimum of two stages, with as many as five or six. One stage is for pressure and is supplied the oil from the bottom of the reservoir, and along with an adjustable pressure regulator, supplies the oil under pressure through the filter and into the engine. The remaining stages “scavenge” the oil out of the dry sump pan and return the oil (and air) to the top of the tank or reservoir,” he says.

“The dry sump pump is designed with multiple stages, to ensure that all the oil is scavenged from the pan. This also results in removing excess air from the crankcase, and is the reason they are called “dry sump” meaning the oil pan is essentially dry. Increased engine reliability from the consistent oil pressure provided by the dry sump system is the reason dry sumps were invented.”

An example of drive setup configuration.

There are technical drawings of many of the company’s products, an explanation as to why cast aluminum oil pans are the proper design for the company’s products, and even instructions on dry sump usage and how to mount the pumps properly. They’ve even taken the time to show off schematics for plumbing specific systems.

If you’re building a top-level competition engine, you owe it to yourself to make a visit. For more information on the products offered by ARE, check out their website.