Hi
i could really do with some advice on dry dumping a k series engine in my Caterham, i am going to start using the car on track this year with places like the Nurburgring booked already. With the wet sump i am concerned about oil surge, i also don't have an Apollo tank.
My thoughts were to dry sump the engine and my problems would be solved, i have read disaster stories around the k series being dry dumped.
Could anyone shed some light on some of the issues surrounding dry sumping a vvc enigne as i was looking to put a vvc head on my engine and by the angle of the engine im sure it previously had a vvc enigne. This would mean i have the wrong engine mount to mount the pump to ?
I have tried the search function and struggling to find anything on it in BC.
From what i can find out the r500 k series had a bell tank with a small version of an Apollo tank so is this the ultimate set up ??
I fitted a Pace dry sump kit to my R300 with a 237 bhp 1.8K and have had no problems at all. Pace sold out to Neil Brown Engineering a while back:
https://www.pacepumps.co.uk/dry-sump-kits
The dry sump parts needed are no longer available from either Caterham or Titan, except for the aluminium sump pan. Complete systems do come up for sale secondhand from time to time.
I have no knowledge on the availability of the Pace system from the company mentioned in the previous post.
Fitting an Apollo tank is perfectly adequate for track days/sprints/hillclimbs (but probably not if you're planning to use slick tyres). They also come up for sale secondhand, and much much cheaper than a secondhand dry sump system.
There are no compatibility problems for the VVC.
Malcolm
I to ran Pace in my K series days and used Pace many moons ago on other cars to, delivery from them currently seems a little patchty, might be worth talking to NBE directly.
There's an ex pace employee who makes easy clean tanks and sells them on ebay for very sensible money, or you can get get normal tanks that fit on the end of a short footwell from Ralloy in York.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185606506345?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=185606506345&targetid=1814673647462&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045420&poi=&campaignid=19089547614&mkgroupid=142438599285&rlsatarget=aud-1657461040028:pla-1814673647462&abcId=9303859&merchantid=6995734&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg7uv8Jz1_AIVqejtCh0fLQZhEAQYBCABEgIVwvD_BwE
Just a note on Apollo vs Dry Sump:
To the best of my knowledge, an Apollo tank is not a dry sump, its an air/oil separator. It doesn't pump oil under pressure to the engine, therefore wont help with oil surge on track. It's not the same thing at all.
Happy to be corrected, but that's my understanding anyway.
"You only live once - but if you do it right, once is enough" - Mae West
That is correct. The K series, as installed in a Caterham with a shallow wet sump, is particularly prone to bearing damage from aerated oil, especially when driven hard. The Apollo with help reduce the risk of this, but will not give any/little protection from oil surge eg with higher cornering forces with slicks. There are plenty of cars that have been on track with road tyres and Apollo only and not come to any harm.
However, if you have neither, fit an Apollo. You could be searching for a long time to source the bits needed for a K-Series dry sump system and might never get there! Even Apollo kits can be hard to come by but that's the nature of running a K-Series.
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Pace have the kit in stock just need to buy a tank, remote filter head and pipes. I want the oval shaped tank that I've seen in a few cars that fits between engine and chassis x at the front of the engine, i cannot seem to find where they are from but im still looking
Couple of used apollos just appeared on ebay.
the tank is best located on a short footwell, keeps the mass off the front axle.... K's came with the Pace tank here.
What the difference in short footwell and I'm guessing long footwell I've only really seen the footwell finishing at the end of the scuttle level with drivers