Another Windage Tray Question

I have searched windage trays and didnt find the answer to this question so maybe you guys can help.

I have a windage tray for my 5.0 that I want to install. I dont know the brand but it was on the engine when I bought it. The engine came with an aftermarket oil pan and pick up also.

I have a brand new stock pan and bought a new stock pick up and melling oil pump to install.

The tray fit fine with the aftermarket stuff, but with the stock pick up, it wont go over far enough and the rod bolts hit it during rotation.

The pan is marked for "Front" which puts the shielded side of the tray on the same side of the engine as the pick up.

Now, I can put it on with the "Front" towards the back of the engine which moves the shielded portion of the tray to the non pick up side and I have absolutley no interference at all. The cranks spins fine with no contact. The only possible problem I could see is that there is a small possibility that the dipstick may hit the windage tray when put in. Worst case scenario I can see with that would be that when putting the dipstick in, it gets caught in the tray and ends up between the tray and the crank instead of into the rear sump.

Can you guys think of any reason why I couldnt mount the windage tray that way (backwards)?

Thanks

timewarped1972 said:

well i'm not sure but depending on the rotation of the crank and which way it "whips" the the oil it may need to go on a certain way

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Yeah, thats something I was wondering too.

Anybody with knowledge in fluid dynamics have any input?

That makes sense to me too, but there would have to be some reason that all windage trays I have seen, are shield biased towards the pick up side of the block.

well, I guess it dosent matter anymore. Its on there and everything seems to rotate fine. Oil pan and TC are bolted back on so unless someone know of some catastrophic failure thats going to occur, its a done deal.