Engine assembly oil management

1 . A snowmobile comprising:

a chassis;

a tunnel secured to the chassis, the tunnel including a forward end having an arcuate shape;

a crankcase that houses a crankshaft, the crankcase including a body including a first side, a second side, a forward face extending from the first side to the second side, and a rearward face extending from the first side to the second side opposite the first face;

an oil reservoir configured to receive oil from the crankcase, the oil reservoir being external to the crankcase, the oil reservoir being positioned between the forward end of the tunnel and the rearward face of the crankcase body, the reservoir defining an interior chamber for receiving oil and an exterior chamber, the rear face of the crankcase forming a forward wall of the oil reservoir; and

a transmission external to the crankcase and external to the oil reservoir.

2 . The snowmobile of claim 1 , further comprising a starter motor secured to the rearward face of the crankcase body, the oil reservoir having a recess to receive the starter motor.

3 . The snowmobile of claim 2 , further comprising a generator cover at the first side of the engine, the cover covering an end of the starter motor and extending laterally adjacent a side of the oil reservoir.

4 . The engine assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second oil reservoir beneath the crankcase, the oil reservoir on the rearward face having fluid communication through a channel integrated with the crankcase.

5 . The engine assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an oil collection pan positioned beneath the crankcase, the oil collection pan being configured to receive oil from the crankcase, whereby oil collection pan facilitates splitting the oil between the oil collection pan and an additional oil reservoir under the engine assembly.

6 . The engine assembly of claim 5 , wherein the engine assembly further includes at least one scavenge pump configured to transfer oil from the oil collection pan to an oil separator or the oil reservoir, the scavenge pump being driven by a gear engaged with an oil pump shaft.

7 . The engine assembly of claim 5 , wherein the oil reservoir is configured to store a greater volume of oil than the additional oil reservoir under the engine assembly.

8 . The engine assembly of claim 1 , wherein the oil reservoir is part of a dry-sump system for lubricating engine components.

9 . An engine assembly of a vehicle, the engine assembly comprising:

a crankshaft;

a crankcase configured to house the crankshaft;

an oil collection pan coupled to the crankcase, the oil collection pan configured to receive oil from the crankcase; and

at least one scavenge pump configured to pump the oil from the oil collection pan, the at least one scavenge pump being positioned within the crankcase forward of the crankshaft, the at least one scavenge pump including at least one suction tube extending rearwardly within the crankcase toward a low point of the oil collection pan such that the at least one suction tube suctions oil from at or near a low point of the oil collection pan within the crankcase,

wherein the engine assembly is tilted toward a rear of the vehicle such that an opening of the at least one suction tube faces the low point of the oil collection pan during operation of the vehicle on a generally level surface.

10 . The engine assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one scavenge pump is located above the opening of the at least one suction tube.

11 . The engine assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one scavenge pump includes a first scavenge pump with a first suction tube and a second scavenge pump with a second suction tube.

12 . The engine assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a drive mechanism coupled to the crankshaft, the drive mechanism being configured to drive the at least one scavenge pump.

13 . An engine assembly of a vehicle, the engine assembly comprising:

a crankshaft;

a crankcase configured to house the crankshaft;

a feed pump configured to pump oil through the engine assembly;

an oil collection pan coupled to the crankcase to receive the oil within the crankcase;

at least one scavenge pump separate from the feed pump and being positioned lower than the crankshaft, the at least one scavenge pump configured to pump the oil from the bottom of the oil collection pan; and

a drive mechanism configured to drive the feed pump and the at least one scavenge pump with the crankshaft, wherein the drive mechanism includes an oil pump shaft extending from the center of the feed pump towards the at least one scavenge pump, the oil pump shaft is configured to drive the feed pump and includes a gear train coupled to the oil pump shaft to drive the at least one scavenge pump.

14 . The engine assembly of claim 13 , wherein the oil pump shaft passes through the feed pump, the oil pump and shaft being housed within the crankcase.

15 . The engine assembly of claim 13 , wherein the drive mechanism further includes a sprocket coupled to a first end of the oil pump shaft and wherein the sprocket couples to the crankshaft with a chain.

16 . The engine assembly of claim 15 , wherein the gear train includes a first gear coupled to a second end of the oil pump shaft and a second gear coupled to the at least one scavenge pump and wherein the at least one scavenge pump includes a first scavenge pump and a second scavenge pump, and wherein the drive mechanism includes a scavenge pump shaft coupled to the second gear of the gear train, wherein the scavenge pump shaft drives the first and second scavenge pumps.

17 . The engine assembly of claim 13 , wherein the engine assembly comprises a dry sump, four-stroke engine and wherein the dry sump oil pump is either fore or aft of an engine crankshaft.

18 . The engine assembly of claim 13 , wherein the scavenge pump includes an oil pickup that pulls oil from a rearward portion of a collection pan, the oil pump and scavenge pump being forward of the crankshaft.

19 . The engine assembly of claim 13 , further comprising

an oil reservoir configured to receive the oil from the at least one scavenge pump, the oil reservoir being external to the crankcase, the oil reservoir being positioned rearward of the crankcase, and the oil reservoir being configured to supply the oil to the feed pump.

20 . The engine assembly of claim 19 , wherein the engine assembly is tilted toward a rear of the vehicle such that an opening of at least one suction tube faces a low point of the oil collection pan during operation of the vehicle.

21 . The engine assembly of claim 19 , wherein the vehicle includes a snowmobile.

22 . The engine assembly of claim 21 , wherein the oil reservoir is positioned between the crankcase and a tunnel for a track drive of the snowmobile.