crank scraper question

One has to remember that running conditions in an oil pan can be compared to a tornado. Oil is literally wrapped around the crank & rods and splashing everywhere, which adds drag/friction to the rotating assembly. The oil mist & droplets add up. Properly designed scrapers and trays help to keep oil below and away from the crank. Some oil gets thrown back up above the crank. What goes up must come down. That's why some engine builders go through a lot of work & research to minimize oil to the upper engine areas without compromising lubrication. Like rocker arms, bearings also receive attention. Why have excess oil "leaking" out the sides of bearings which the rotating assembly then has to drag along and cut through.

I never had the luxury of making back-to-back comparisons, but made educated decisions on what to use. Personally I like and have used scrapers. Trays can be helpful, but not many people use OEM style trays in classes like Stock. The small block trays look like they would hold more oil near the crank than keep it away, not enough drainage. But it does help isolate the oil in the pan from the windage created by the spinning crank. That's why places like Ed Hamburger started with opening up existing OEM windage tray slots and adding more. Screen type trays look like a complimentary addition to a scraper, but there aren't many options for Mopars. Racers fabricate their own combinations also. But one needs the skills & knowledge to make it durable too to hold up against the "tornado". But specific styles & designs aren't often shared. Each engine has it's own problems & needs. The difference between a Mopar small block and the skirted Mopar big block is one example.