L7 FST Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 VHPD engine, wet sump, mechanical gauge, plenty of oil, no baffle. Oil pressure has started to drop to sharply to 20 (from normal 55) on left hand corners. Then back to normal under gentle acceleration. Have searched Techtalk but no real clues. Any ideas anyone? Thanks Stephen Superlight R no.108 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Outcast Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Check your oil level with engine running it will be low Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A10ROX Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 If a long bend such as Mallory Park and with 'grippy' tyres then a wet sump can be an issue with oil savation .. but I thought the pick up was more of an issue on right hand corners A10ROX now garaged with D10ROX (Red GT3)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L7 FST Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 oil level definitely fine and full should have said I also have an Apollo thanks Superlight R no.108 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Outcast Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Road use or Track? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L7 FST Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 Problem emerged on track at Bedford a couple of weeks ago. I stopped and came home. This morning, first run since then, I got the same problem on the road, cornering at very moderate speeds.. It's really strange Stephen Superlight R no.108 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jam3s Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Stephen, Dont quote me on this but i have read on a few sites of issues with the anti surge foam in the sump can break up and obstruct the pickup, its a long shot but its all i can think of. J J7BYY Kwak Green SLR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L7 FST Posted March 6, 2010 Author Share Posted March 6, 2010 Yep - thanks- but no foam ever used so can't be that. I'm running out of ideas! S Superlight R no.108 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve T Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Mine does the same, same setup but not VHPD. Plenty of oil too, never had foam in either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie. Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 How high do you fill your oil? Do you tend to overfill it? Willie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L7 FST Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 When it first happened I of course checked the oil level straight away - it was about half way on the stick so I added a bit more than half a litre and it showed a reading at the top. I've had a K series 7 for several years now so I'm pretty familiar with the black art of oil filling. Whatever the problem is, it's not too little (or too much) oil! Any more thoughts? It's particularly odd that there's no apparent problem on right handers... Stephen Superlight R no.108 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 yep surge, get a mechanical guage and then you will realy scare yourself with the pressure drop. The electrial guage has a very slow (by comparison) rate of movement. here is my Duratec R .... C7 TOP Taffia AO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Think he said he has one already ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Day Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 If it's any consolation mine used to drop to 2 bar on LH bends. That was with no foam, Apollo, & Hellier baffle. It did the same with foam & no baffle as well & ran like that from 2001 to 2006. When the engine was stripped (up-grade, no failure) there was a small pit (less that 1mm) on one of the big-end shells. OP was 3.5 bar when hot & above 2000 rpm. However if it's only started to do that then I would investigate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Outcast Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Sounds like you've covered all the bases. If it's only just started happening as you've said then it looks as if [everything considered] you may be heading for premature bearing failure Personally I'd never track a Car without a Dry sump BUT that's a hobbyhorse of mine as until I'd fitted mine I went through bearings like confetti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie. Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Stephen, Have a read through this thread here. Well, the first post anyway. The photo referred to is this one here. Like you I was getting surge on left handers. I took the engine out and measured the line of where the sump was (red line on that picture). I then measured the dipstick high and low oil levels and drew them on (purple & yellow lines). My theory was that because of the angled install in the Caterham, oil gets trapped above the gasket (Seen on the right hand side in the photo), and for it to get to the pickup, it has to flow up the gasket, drop into the windage tray and then filter down into the sump. I reckoned that it couldn't do this quickly enough during surge. Also, because the small triangular volume of oil below the gasket would flow towards the deeper side of the sump where the capacity is greater (If you know what I mean), it doesn't get up to the pickup in time. I decided to remove the windage plate and sump gasket and try fitting the sump with silicone sealant. I got no more surge. Happy with this, I then refitted the windage plate (It does combat windage) with the sump gasket cut so it had no deep shelf/lips. I ran the car on the road and track with R888s and never got any more trouble...although previously I had been able to with a decent corner. As others have said, the best solution is a dry sump, it'll also de-aerate your oil...which can be a problem on wet-sump Ks. I got seriously shot down on that previous thread by the dry sump brigade, mostly for being young and foolish, which I freely confess to being...that said, I fixed my wet sump problems, and none of them did 😬 Its entirely up to you if you want to try it for yourself. I was happy to try it, as it was worth a shot before either toasting my bearings or buying a dry sump, both of which are costly modifications. Willie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjp Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Dry sump -no problems Boycie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Outcast Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 I suggest you modify the sump gasket as recommended by DVA here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L7 FST Posted March 7, 2010 Author Share Posted March 7, 2010 Thanks very much everyone for suggestions - Willie's mod may be the way to go! Stephen Superlight R no.108 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie. Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Stephen, go for it If you do, I suggest that you try it first of all without the sump gasket, and just a small (And I mean small) smear of suitable instant gasket type sealant. That'll show you if it works for you or not. Also, keep the oil level up at the max. Engines tend to be a bit different, and although I am 95% sure you'll have success...a new sump gasket is about £30 I think, so no point in chopping the old one unless its definitely fixed it for you. On mine I cut the gasket so it just left a 1/2" or 3/4" wide strip all the way around the mating face. If its already been fitted you can see the mating face indented into the gasket. Willie p.s. I also fitted a Think Auto high pressure switch and wired it into the shift light. There's a grub screw between the switch terminals that adjusts when it comes on, I set mine to flicker at hot idle. Meant I could really commit to corners and not try looking over at the oil pressure gauge, if the light blinked you wouldn't miss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L7 FST Posted March 20, 2010 Author Share Posted March 20, 2010 Willie: YHM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpy the 7th Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 Do the DVA sump mod a new sump gasket is about £30 I think, so no point in chopping the old one unless its definitely fixed it for you. You're not chopping the old sump, you're just putting two hole in it. If it doesn't work for you? You can always use the bit of sump with two holes in as a 'Lone Ranger' mask 😬 rog C7 TNT - it's Dynamite!(Honda Irish Green and Peugeot Graphite grey) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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