Stratocaster

Yes, It is 1/8 BSPT.

rob.ok

Yeah I think that is the fitting thread. I just bought a fitting to -3AM and then connected it to the oil pressure sensor. Works really good. Just pull the bulb from teh dash.


I was not able to log oil temps. My sensor bit the dust and I don't know why. I have it installed in my oil pan at the plug. Basically I reduced the thread by installing a tread insert and then screwed in my M12 oil temp sensor and use it at the drain plug. Works pretty sweet


It was really cool out when I logged this data and so I'm uncertain if I need a cooler myself. I'll wait to see what temps I get during early summer months.



-Rob

Momentum

I'll post a log later, I just know the low oil pressure warning light went off on my dash a few times the track was a little to busy to look at the actual value.

SpitfireS

rob.ok Posted on Apr 12 2010, 09:51 PM
Just for break-in?
(I hope)
FYI: many used oil analysis have shown dino 10W-30 shears down into a 20 weight (= one grade thinner!), sometimes even after 1500 miles.
Running a 20 weight on the track in the F20/F22 is not recommended IMO.

The first time I used r-compounds (A048) on a track I lost an engine due to - what I still think - was oil starvation.
I never saw the oil idiot light but I wasn't paying attention.
I did see it in the car park @ idle.


Its good to see an engine running a 30/20 weight during -1 g and still producing at least 60 psi oil pressure.

(Stratocaster... pressure is transmitted equally, isn't it?
Isn't that a hydraulic principle?
No matter how small the hole (up to a point) the pressure is the same.
The flow is different)

rob.ok

I never run oil for more than 5 days at the most. Engine and tranny get fresh fluids before every event and the diff gets changed every 2 events. After that the car sits so miles are not even a concern besides I have no odometer.

I also blow by 1-2 quarts a day at the track. That means to run the car for one day I need to pick up 7-8 quarts of oil. This just got WAY to expensive with real synthetics. If I feel that the oil is getting too hot and thinning / dropping in psi then I'll experiment whit weights and or coolers. So far it's not needed.

I have never heard of a motor failing cause of what type of oil was used. It always has to do with pressure or heat... those can be controlled and monitored. This motor is also new and still being broken in. However I seriously doubt that I will switch back to true synthetics (BTW I hope you know that 3/4 of the stuff on shelfs or not true synthetics right? The oil industry is notorious for tricking people with that word...my oil and your oil could literally be the same...the only difference is I'm not gonna fall for the marketing ploy).


-Rob
-Rob

Momentum

Rob, I would look into where all that oil is going. I run amsoil 15w-50 so it's a bit thicker but with a stock motor and a krank vent like setup (slightly different) I go 4 or 5 track days before my catch can (which is less than 1/2 a quart) gets full. I've never had to add oil before I change it. I do have a stock motor though so maybe you have looser clearances. Either way a krank vent like setup would really help if you don't already have it.

rob.ok

Momentum, believe it or not... it's something that we all suffer from out here in CA. I think it is a particularity to Buttonwillow. There is a long right, high speed sweeper that is the root cause in my opinion. 20min at that track can equate 1/4 to 1/2 a quart. I think the oil is stand up on the sides of the valve cover through riverside and getting into the valve cover baffling. There is a hard braking point and another right over the crest of phil hill where the car gets pretty light and I'm pretty sure that the oil just shoots out the breather during braking / cornering there. I was actually black flagged and meatballed a number of times 2 years ago cause I was laying down the batman smoke screen haha!

I run 2 catch cans and I get just a tiny amount of oil out the PCV (always dark in color despite the oil being new) and a massive amount out the breather (alway looks like a cappuccino or some other milky / frothy coffee drink). It's been the same story for 3 motors. Some guys are even running returns back to the oil pan cause it's such a pain. I plan on welding on a few -10AN bungs to the top left passenger side of the valve cover to and totally cap off the front breather.

BTW the motor is fresh and it's all OEM for the most part.. I just shook it down on Sunday. If my plan to change the location of the breathers works.. then I might switch back to synthetic after I'm positive the motor has been broken in I just don't really see the need to yet.... You can even seen in the graph I was short shifting at about 8500 haha! Surprised no one called me out on that.

-Rob

Momentum

Yeah I would probably look into doing some different breathers and maybe even some custom baffling. That would be fairly annoying, especially if your burning the oil that's coming out that's not good for anything.

I would be interested to see if the problem persists with a setup like mine:



looking at the picture above the two lines with no valve both go to the valve cover as breathers in the stock breather and PCV location (no PCV valve). The large line going towards the passenger headlight is a breather with a one way check valve going to basically no where. The other line with a check valve goes to the manifold. Both valves are oriented so that air can flow out of the can but not in. It may seem like there is no need for the check valve on the breather line going to no where however there are advantages.

With that check valve in place whenever there is a lower pressure in the intake manifold than the crank case (partial throttle) a small amount of oil/air is sucked into the catch can until the pressure equalizes. Once the pressure is equalized it is nearly impossible for more oil/air to be sucked in. If that valve was open the manifold would continue to suck oil/air indefinitely because the pressure in the crank case would always be equal to atmospheric while the intake manifold was lower causing a constant flow rate through both valve cover breathers. This also has the advantage of creating a fairly low pressure in the crank case so when you get back on throttle it takes a few seconds to build back to atmospheric pressure instead of immediately blowing air/oil into the catch can again. The reason for the other check valve is obviously just the same as a PCV valve it just works much more reliably at high pressures.

Bikey

Do you run a baffled catch can? If so, why not run all your valve cover lines to the catch can? You could also plumb the bottom of the catch can for a fitting and run a return from the catch can to the oil pan?

Momentum

Some relevant data, unfortunately I lost my wing so I never really pulled enough G's during this session to see oil starvation but it generally happens around 1.7g's:



On a related note driving without a wing is really hard