Dry sump set up
 

My engine will hopedully be finished in the next couple of weeks so ive been looking into the oiling system

i have a couple of questions/opinions needed.

what oil line sizes are you running?? i was thinking 9/16" or 11/16"

also, those of you mounting your tank higher than the engine ~(mine will be going in place of the rear seat) did you use a check valve to stop the oil draining back into the engine when shut off?

i'm very excited aout having my motor in and running but have this, the fuel lines and hydraulic slave to mount before i can even consider it moving under it;s own steam!!!!

Oil line sizing is partially dictated by your pump and the fittings you can put into it. First question is what pump are you using? Are you using a Type1 pump (requires modification of the drive tab) or finding a Type4 specific pump?

The second thing to consider is everything in the oil system. On the pressure side your overall oil line sizing is dictated by the smallest item in your system. So, for instance, in my case the oil filter adapter will accept 3/8NPT fittings which are essentially the same size as -8AN. Running -10 or -12 lines anywhere else between the pressure port of my pump and the engine is a waste of money and space.

For my Type1 build I'll be running -8AN lines for the entire oil system, this includes scavenge, feed and return lines. You will find documentation online that recommends the feed and return lines be upgraded to one size larger then your pressure side. Basic oiling theory says that the feed to the dry sump and the return should be one size larger, to ensure enough oil into the pump and ensure the crankcase is scavenged quickly. In my case, however, upgrading to -10AN fittings on the feed and scavenge side would make the case of my pump rather thin...is a risk vs rewards question.

The Huebbe Brothers in the US run the same pump and oil system on their rally car with all -8AN fittings and hoses, so in this case I will take real-world proof vs. internet theory. They have no pressure or oil system issues on their car with all -8AN (Type1).

With your tank mounted higher then the engine you will find it drains the whole tank into the engine approximately overnight. A shut off valve is required, and should be placed as close to the pump as possible. The valve should be manual, in my opinion, since the electric solenoid valves could fail while the engine is running.

Hope that helps!

-Dave

Russell Performance AN Hose size chart:

SIZE............ACTUAL I.D. ........................ NOMINAL I.D. .................................... O.D.
-4...........7/32" ..................................1/4"........................1/2"
-6 ........... 11/32" .................................. 3/8" ........................ 9/16"
-8 ........... 7/16" .................................. 1/2" ........................ 5/8"
-10 ........... 9/16" .................................. 5/8" ........................ 25/32"
-12 ........... 11/16" .................................. 3/4" ........................ 29/32"
-16 ........... 7/8" .................................. 1" ........................ 1-1/8"
-20 ........... 1-1/8" .................................. 1-1/4" ........................ 1-7/16"

Dave, thanks for your helpful reply.

very good point regarding a manual valve oposed to electric. i might have 'open the valve' etched into the driver side windscreen in 12" tall letters :lmao:

with my pump and fittings available i think il be running -10 fittings

dont buy anything till you have spoken to me, i have Earls hose and goodridge pretty much next door to the workshop. i can get any fittings we need for the engine build.

I run -8 lines everywhere for my dry sump setup and haven't had any oiling issues. The only problem I had initially was drain back into the motor which I corrected by lowering the tank to the floor. The way I route my setup is pump outlet->double oil filter->oil cooler->oil tank inlet->oil tank outlet->pump inlet. currently I'm using a CB dry sump pump because it fits, but I would run a larger pump if I could. I recently picked up a tank heater to pre-heat the oil since temps were a bit low unless I was hot lapping, and it helps with the cold starts.

Hey Humble,

Any thoughts on how you think I'll do with drain back based on where my tank is sitting? It's above the battery, but the oil level is lower then the factory package tray would be.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6...6a98f5bd_z.jpg

What did you buy for a tank heater? I've been looking at these from Pegasus racing: https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...asp?RecID=1267

TIA,

-Dave

Hi owdlvr, it will drain in that position right enough, as mine does, but ive never worried about it, and ive used similar setups on various cars over the years, all i do is turn it to my advantage by changing the oil every race, as you should really any way, and i just need to pull the sump plug. i dont find any wear problems with just a normal gentle start up anyway, even with a sump full of oil, with 2/1 scavenge ratio the tanks back to normal in no time, the oil filter keeps the engine pressured, i used to run a large diesel oil filter for that reason, but i found even that un neccassary, as i said, i dont see a problem with a carefull start up if you have to lay the car up for a week, thats about how long mine takes to empty to the sump with the 8 ltr's i run. valves and accusumps etc are added weight and complexity to me, so are a big no no in my book.

when i park mine up for any amount of time i jack the rear up and put it on axle stands to stop it from drianing into the engine. the car lives on axle stands as its got race tyres on it which no matter what you do they go flat.

Dave,

I had my tank at that level right behind the passenger seat and it would fill the case overnight. I had to lower mine to the floor to keep it from draining back, but I'm also not running a valve. As for the tank heater, I got that very same part from pegasus :)