What is a dry sump lubrication system?

• A. Where no oil level is maintained. It uses a oil mist instead.
• B. Where an oil level is constantly maintained by a dipstick
• C. Where oil is contained in a sealed reservoir with a fixed level
• D. Where oil is sprayed directly onto bearings

Answer: (A)

In a dry sump lubrication system, oil is not stored in the engine’s bottom sump. Instead, oil is kept in an external reservoir and pumped to the engine as needed, while scavenger pumps remove oil from the crankcase back to that external tank. Because the engine itself doesn’t rely on a fixed oil level in a sump, there’s no oil level to monitor with a dipstick in the engine. This setup allows higher performance and better oil control, especially under high-G or high-speed conditions. The other ideas describe keeping oil in the engine sump with a dipstick, a fixed-level reservoir, or spraying oil directly on bearings, which are not describing the dry sump arrangement.