Track Oiling Data (AiM Race Data Analysis)

[SoundGuyDave]

Yeah, I thought about the Accusump route too, but after you factor in the cost of the accumulator, valve assembly, AN lines, and everything else, a good oil pan seems like a better bang for your buck since you're preventing the problem instead of band-aid fixing it. It might still be a better option depending on pan availability and your budget. They're also somewhat common, so finding parts used is possible if you dig around.

The Accusump is really a bit more than a band-aid, but I get your point. Assuming that you already have access to the oiling system (remote filter and oil cooler in my case) then adding in the accumulator really isn't hard or expensive. My "Accusump rig" only had 8" or so of -10AN line and two fittings... IIRC, the whole shooting match was around $350 and is great peace of mind. Would I rather have a proper pan? Absolutely. Am I willing to throw $500-600 at it, plus dropping the K-member to swap it out? No, not on the 3V. Again, if/when I pop the motor, I would replace it with a Coyote, and at that point, yes, I would put the BossR pan in.

Honestly, 20 psi is pretty low for high-speed operation. I would be scared to see anything lower than 40 psi near redline. Do you get your oil analyzed by Blackstone, etc.?

I don't do oil analysis, primarily because it's not in the car long enough to worry. Mine is NOT street-driven, and hasn't been for years. I change out the oil every two or so track weekends, and after every enduro. I use 20psi as an alarm point simply as a tell-tale that something is going on... Generally, you're not going to see high engine load conditions at the same time that you see high latG conditions, at least I can't be WOT at the same time I'm sticking it in a corner at 1.4G, at least on the tracks around here, anyway! On cold startup, I'm seeing 90-100psi, and after 3 hours under race conditions (200-210*F oil temps), my hot idle is down to around 35psi. ANY revs on the motor, though, and it's up over that. I generally ignore my gauges when I'm on track, which is why I have the alarms set up for oil temp, water temp, and oil pressure... Generally a little too busy to study trends, I just give the gauges a quick glance on the big straights to see if there is something really out of range. I use the alarms to catch a transient condition, or to let me know that something is going on.

 

[Rehagen Racing]

While a pan like that is certainly something that I would consider, I just question the sanity of investing anything into the 3V motor at this point. I think when mine finally goes, I would be more likely to swap in a Coyote than try to build up a 4.6-3V.

We have done quite a few of the 4.6 to Coyote swaps and they work out great!

 

[ddd4114]

Generally, you're not going to see high engine load conditions at the same time that you see high latG conditions, at least I can't be WOT at the same time I'm sticking it in a corner at 1.4G, at least on the tracks around here, anyway!

You're right - and that's exactly what's scary about it! When you keep the engine speed high but don't put a lot of load into it, a lot of stress is placed on the rods. Combustion pressure acts like a "cushion" to partially negate the interial force of the rod/piston assembly as it decelerates near TDC. I don't really know enough about these engines to say how much of a concern it is, but it's definitely something that would worry me if I was taking the engine over the factory rev limit.

If your engine isn't modified internally, it's probably not a big deal. I'm just OCD and send oil samples to be analyzed so I get an idea of how much bearing material is floating around in the engine. So far (with a Coyote), I haven't seen anything alarming, and I have a factory pan. I make sure the oil level stays at the top of the dipstick, but I don't overfill by much if anything at all. After seeing the data in this thread, I'm tempted to pay a little more attention to oil pressure. Right now my car is only capable of ~1.2g, but I'd like to change that next season...