Since the inception of the newer design of this essential component, literally hundreds, if not thousands, have been sold and used. Some folks have been suspicious of the filter gauze, believing it to be too fine and therefore restrictive in flow.

Others have questioned the 360 degree, straight cut-off end, suggesting it may cause issues with oil pick up since the older style slash cut ones had the pick-up nearer the gearbox base. Neither are correct – the design was carefully researched and considered before going in to production. I have fitted countless ones to customer engines/boxes and use them myself. None have proven an issue.

I recently stripped a new customers engine/box down as there was a gearbox issue – no drive in 3rd or 4th gears. When stripping the motor down I was once again astonished at how much gasket goo folk larrap on – looking more like a tube per gasket was used than a sparse spreading. As you can see from the accompanying pictures, this guy hadn't spared the goo either! Yet despite being almost completely blocked off, the gauze was still passing sufficient oil – and this is a circuit racer – not to cause oil pressure/flow loss.

In fact, had this been one of the older style slash cut type pipes, oil pressure/flow would have stopped, causing potentially disastrous damage to crankshaft, rods and bearings.

The metal fragments are why he didn't have drive in 3rd and 4th gears – they'd pretty much disintegrated. And again, despite the shear volume of shrapnel in the gearbox, none of it got to the oil pump or crank/bearings.

A damned fine advert for the performance of these 'new' style pick up pipes then.