HPR Dart Windage tray mounting kit
We've identified a problem and to help both ourselves and our customers using the new DART LS-NEXT SHP blocks. We have had some trouble with fitting the OEM windage trays and oil pump pickups on the DART LS-NEXT SHP blocks due to DART LS-NEXT SHP's beefier and unique splayed bolt main caps which do not line up with the GM factory OEM LS hardware.
DART offers a windage tray kit that works on some aftermarket pans that we sell as well but it doesn't work for most of the GM OEM factory pickup tubes. These often mount on multiple locations on the factory blocks so we needed to design these brackets to keep from having to figure out new ways of mounting all these different OEM windage trays, pickup tubes and oil pans every time.
To remedy this situation we designed our own patent pending brackets that mount directly to the DART LS-NEXT SHP main caps and basically duplicate the GM factory OEM windage tray and oil pump mounting studs. This allows the factory GM windage trays and oil pump pickups mount right up just like on a factory LS1/LS2/LS3/LS7 or LSX block.
We also made these to sit at approximately .180 higher to clear 90+% or more of the 4.000, 4.100 and 4.125 crank rotating assemblies that we use on a daily basis. Of course they clear the stock or smaller stroke cranks with almost any rods although some aluminum rods may still need more room at times.
Of course it's always the end user's and/or assembler's duty to check clearances to all rotating parts but the usual 4.000 and 4.125 rotating assemblies don't need extra washers with our adapter brackets like they do on the OEM blocks. However if you do need more windage tray clearance you can still add additional washers to space your particular windage tray up even further.
The DART LS-NEXT SHP block's front and rear main caps do not have splayed bolts and are also about .060 lower than the three middle main caps so I include 4 additional washers so one each can be added to the front and rear under the windage tray and between our spacers to make the windage tray sit flat before bolting it down and checking your clearances.
Lastly you MUST always, on all engines, check your oil pump pickup's clearance to the bottom of the pan when the pickup is mounted to the main cap spacers you just installed and solidly mounted to the oil pump and everything is torqued down. At this point you must verify you have 0.275” to 0.350” clearance to the bottom of the oil pan when it is also firmly torqued on and down with the oil pan gasket in place as well.
In general you will need to push the pickup back down as with the extra clearance built in to these spacers the oil pump pickup with be too close to the bottom of the pan now. We usually use wide masking tape over the pickup tube and then use play-doh or modeling clay and see how much clearance we have left after bolting the pan down. We then tap the pickup tube down with a dead blow mallet or hammer till we have our clearance in the right range. Keep in mind that this may take from 3 to 10 adjustments so just take your time until it's the correct clearance! This clearance must always be set and adjusted multiple times just like we do on OEM and LSX blocks so it just takes time.
With our kit the DART LS-NEXT SHP block becomes very easy to work with even easier than an OEM or LSX block with ARP studs as you do not have to drill out the windage tray to make it fit over the larger ARP main studs like you do on the factory setup. Its just as easy as when you are re-using the factory main bolts on a factory block and you don't have to add the usual 3 X 3/8ths washers to each stud either as the spacers we make already are about three washers taller already. You only need to add the one washer on each corner at the front and rear to take up the slack from these caps being slightly lower than the 3 center caps.
The HPR DART LS-NEXT SHP windage tray mounting brackets use 5/16ths by 18 threaded fasteners to bolt them to the caps and are torqued to 15 ft pounds on the center mounting bolt and on the two windage tray mounting studs that use 5/16ths locking nuts. You can always use a little Blue Loc-Tite as well if it makes you happy but it's not usually necessary,
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Erik Koenig
HP Research