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Subject My Gravity Assisted, Head oil-drain Scavenging Setup
     
Posted by ZinnZ32 on March 11, 2013 at 11:06 PM
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Message Considering how this topic was just touched on briefly, I thought I'd post my setup, and simple configuration for an easy, effective oil scavenging system!

Just like the known issue with RB26's (Info is found everywhere RB26-related), our heads retain too much oil/ are over-oiled, especially with the small sump capacity with the stock oil pan. In a race/track environment, this poses a large problem in long, high-G turns, due to oil movement in the sump. In turn, this may cause oil starvation, and cavitation of the oil pump (Air being sucked in, as there is no oil present at the suction tube). Extensive or repeated cases can cause spun bearings and engine harm - especially with bigger power (boost, breather mods, etc), which put much more stress and torque on the bearings themselves. Here is my 'experimental', budget, simple, and easy solution I personally used. This came as a result of the rebuild I had to do after I spun a rod bearing on the track last year from very good suspension setup and tires, which was too much for the stock sump (even with my full-flow SPL rad/oil cooler).

A baffled oil pan, with AN bungs for separate drains, as well as a manual-valved accusump is in the works as well.


*Disclaimer* This is my personal experiment, it has worked well thus far, I am aware there is a far better way to do go about things, I had the materials on hand, and I went for it, please, use discretion and consider all the options for your own project!


Replacing Stock hex Plug, with 1" x 1/2" brass bushing (carefully tightening as to not crack the aluminum!), and a 1/2" x 5/8" FL 90* elbow (I wanted to use the full 1" drain here via a 1" Mip x 1/2 Fip" reducing elbow, but that would be hard to find, PLUS I do not want to drain too much oil out of the heads. (As these drains do indeed drain quite a bit!)

My flared hardline which was meticulously bent around to clear everything, firewall, coolant lines, turbine housing, and the frame, it's perfect. Was not easy to do! Especially making it so the oil would always drain down due to gravity!

Both Sides


And, here is where I went cheap... Regrettably, I would do it with proper bungs in the pan, but it was on the engine at this point, which is no big deal, because this worked for me all the same!

Cut approx an inch off the turbo drains, put in a tee, sweat some copper fittings, and plumbed it in! Was NOT easy, having to make sure it didn't leak and wouldn't pool with oil. It works so far!


For those that may question:

- The OEM plugs on the back of the head are 1" Npt, they took the 1" x 1/2" brass bushing I had perfectly which tightened well. To get the plugs out, I used a suitable nut big enough to fit in the Hex part of the plug, which I was also able to get a socket on as some was sticking out. If you can find an allen wrench big enough, good on you.

- As shown, I had a STOCK pan, I really wanted to get an upgraded pan, but I decided this mod after I was into my longblock build, and really didn't want to wait 2+ weeks to get a new pan, etc, plus I am experimenting for now, in an ideal setup one would weld in some bungs for the drains on the pan.

- Materials: All of mine were Free, as I have it all at my place of work. I used some 5/8" Copper tubing I had (Aluminum would work too, and cheaper!), and brass flare fittings, as it was flexible and bent well using my bending tool, and flaring seals are quite trusty - You could use AN Teflon lines as well, but I really like hard lines, as when formed right, it clears everything, and will not move!

- Personally, I considered the SZ pan, but I am not sold on it, as it seems primarily built around drag racing, whereas this is mostly a road-racing issue we are facing here, maybe the EP racing moroso pan?


Thanks for looking, interested in hearing your thoughts on this. It is by no means perfect, but has worked well for the first 1000 Miles on my Z, no change in top end noise (still quiet with rebuilt lifters, etc), and the VG is very smooth! Oil pressure is great too.

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