Road Racing - Oil level, cooler, and Accusump experience

My oil came out sparkly after an open track day I decided I probably had oil starvation and potentially heat issues. I was running about six quarts at the time. I switched to 7 quarts and then the oil came out clean but everytime I started it up after a run it would pour smoke out the exhaust for a few seconds. The overfull oil sucked into the intake and then cooled then got burned off during the next start-up. I was also seeing 230-240 water temps and they would climb each successive run so I thought I was heat soaking the oil. So I added an oil cooler and Accusump. This weekend I ran a two day NASA HPDE event - 175 minutes of track time. I haven't changed oil yet but the dipstick still looks new. Ran 220-230 water temps and had about 6-6.5 quarts in the pan. No more smoke on start-up with the slightly reduced level. The Accusump is the electric version with the 34-40 PSI pressure switch which I have wired to a light. At first I never saw the light come on but as I pushed it harder throughout the day and a ~1/2 quart of oil or so got sucked/burned/?? out the light started coming on for a second in a couple corners - long right handers. I added a quart back in and didn't see the light anymore except on rare occasions later the second day. On the oil cooler I notice that the water temp didn't ratchet up each run and it cooled off much faster after a run so I think it's definitely helping keep things in check. I also managed temps to keep them at or under 230.

So from my first hand experience:

- Without an Accusump or dry sump or baffled pan or whatever run 7 quarts and expect a plume of smoke at start-up after a hard run
- 6.5 quarts is iffy and 6 is not enough
- Accusumps do help as oil pressure otherwise drops in long right handers
- Oil cooler helps control water temps and keeps the oil in very good condition after running balls to the wall for 175 minutes and 300 miles on the street to and from the track.

Hope others find this useful in deciding how to make their LS survive. Now I need to install an oil temp gauge to better understand the cooler. This was all running full road race slicks so the g-loads are fairly high. Those running street tires could probably get better results with the stock system.

Cameron

good info, thanks.

Can you provide any info or details on the oil cooler setup you have? I know for autoX it's not really required, but eventually I will do some HDPE event and would like to have it in place.

Also, 112 heat index has been the norm here in south texas and omg...it cant be good for the oil or engine. We usually get to run 3 times a group and I can only imagine how hot things are getting.

I'm actually getting my manual hi speed fan switch working this week to use it between runs when staging. That should help a little.

Cameron, that is good information and very good refresher.

The LSx motor, especially 97-00 versions, were in fact prone to oil starvation during high G load turns.

The cross-bolt main design compartmentalizes the block, oil rides up the side, the pick-up pumps its compartment dry and bingo ... oil starvation.

01 and 02 version had windows cast into the main web and reduced the liklilhood. I have some pictures around somewhere where I added 8 quarts of water to an oil pan before it reached the indention in the pan for rod cap clearance.

I popped a 98 TA motor with 60K on it and in 99-00 SLP supplied the local track with 6 Camaro SSs as track cars. They were popping motors almost daily. GMs solution was to overfill by a quart, when it was recommended to put 5.5 quarts in an LS1.

Your observation is correct ... it will smoke on start-up and even "puff" on corner exit. An LS6 PCV conversion helps, but doesn't eliminate the issue.

Interesting. I just checked my data for a few recent races.

In turns 13-14 at No Problem Raceway, I have sustained Gs of .9-1.1 for 8 seconds. This is a 270* right-hand turn onto our front straight.

I have never had my oil pressure light activate. Stock oil pan, no accusump, 6.5 quarts (give or take). A friend of mine has an LS2 in an RX-7 and turns at least 1G. He has an accusump and has never had it activate while on course.

it will smoke on start-up and even "puff" on corner exit

I was overfilling mine a quart for a total of 6, no wonder they were asking why I was smoking a little. Makes sense now.

Hey I found this article but no parts list, any one have any info for parts?

http://www.superchevy.com/technical/engines_drivetrain/accessories_electronics/0405sc_chill/photo_08.html

Interesting. I just checked my data for a few recent races.

In turns 13-14 at No Problem Raceway, I have sustained Gs of .9-1.1 for 8 seconds. This is a 270* right-hand turn onto our front straight.

I have never had my oil pressure light activate. Stock oil pan, no accusump, 6.5 quarts (give or take). A friend of mine has an LS2 in an RX-7 and turns at least 1G. He has an accusump and has never had it activate while on course.

tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... ;)

Actually, 6.5 may've been the difference.

Hey I found this article but no parts list, any one have any info for parts?

http://www.superchevy.com/technical/engines_drivetrain/accessories_electronics/0405sc_chill/photo_08.html

DO NOT USE THIS METHOD!!!! There is so much restriction n those barb fittings, it's unreal!!!!

-10AN minimum ...

LG Motorsports had a very nice piece that they had custom made from billet stock that replaced the piece above the filter and used a truck gasket to allow oil flow.

It also had a port already machined to install an electric sender for either temp or pressure.

Next use a quality cooler like Setrab. I have a small, 6x9 cooler with a ducted fan. Works fantastic.

Great info....damn just noticed my damn low speed fans arent even kicking on? WTF.

The temp settings for the high speed fans makes them kick on, but by then the engine is heat soaked....

Luckily I have a temp switch already installed so I'm using that to trigger the low speed fans.

I need to re check PCM settings and take it from there......no scanner or tuner :(

tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... ;)

Actually, 6.5 may've been the difference.

Well, when we rebuilt the engine, I put in the oil pan baffles that Improved Racing made. No use in snubbing my nose at fate!

Also, I'd be worried about sticking my oil filter down below my oil pan like that. I noticed several long gouges in my oil pan recently. It was from going off and coming back on track, which happens occasionally. If my filter stuck down, I'd have ripped it off.

Go with a remote mounted one, if you are doing an oil cooler anyway.

Go with a remote mounted one, if you are doing an oil cooler anyway.

with a snadwich adaptor

My experience is the same as the original posters. I ran my old LS1 at the factory recommended oil level, and blew it up last year after four years of constant autocross. I now have a L92 converted (mostly) to LS3 specs with an aftermarket cam. I'm running an Improved Racing oil pan baffle and keep the oil at 6.5 - 7 quarts when running. I get enough oil blow by on startup and coming off the corners, most folks think I'm about to blow up again.

Any of you all try a catch can to take care of the smoking?

Over the winter I'm adding an Accusump to the mix.

My experience is the same as the original posters. I ran my old LS1 at the factory recommended oil level, and blew it up last year after four years of constant autocross. I now have a L92 converted (mostly) to LS3 specs with an aftermarket cam. I'm running an Improved Racing oil pan baffle and keep the oil at 6.5 - 7 quarts when running. I get enough oil blow by on startup and coming off the corners, most folks think I'm about to blow up again.

Any of you all try a catch can to take care of the smoking?

Over the winter I'm adding an Accusump to the mix.

Did you send a letter to the editor of GM High Tech Performance? I read yesterday about a guy trying to update an L92 he had in his garage to LS3 specs. Or something like that.

Did you send a letter to the editor of GM High Tech Performance? I read yesterday about a guy trying to update an L92 he had in his garage to LS3 specs. Or something like that.

Nope, wasn't me. My car has been running with the L92/LS3 for the past few months.

I thought that was a little too coincidental.

Can you provide any info or details on the oil cooler setup you have? I know for autoX it's not really required, but eventually I will do some HDPE event and would like to have it in place.

I'm actually getting my manual hi speed fan switch working this week to use it between runs when staging. That should help a little.

I used Canton 90 degree remote filter adapter, Canton remote filter, Setrab cooler (NIB off e-bay with FBI evidence tape wrapped around it ....), & -10 Aeroquip Pushlock lines. I have been running 10W30 M1 - what weight is everyone else running as that will impact oil pressures at higher temps? I'm also see the Accusump actuate sometimes at idle with hot oil using the 35-40 PSI switch. Seemed to get worse over the weekend and oil was new when I started. This was 175 minutes of track time. I wonder if the oil is breaking down to the base 10W like they tend to do? How often do most change oil? After much reading I considering changing to GC or Penz P.

Since my g-tech is on the fritz I dont have measured sustained g-loads on track but at autox I'm over 1.2 with the slicks.

As far as the fan goes I have a three way switch and a single SPAL fan. It's on, off, or PCM controlled. During street driving I almost always leave it off. On track it's off unless I forget and leave it PCM controlled. I turn it to PCM controlled during cool down lap and if I have to idle in grid for extended time. I only turn it ON in the garage playing flights to MARS with my 5 year old (it's VERY loud).

Cameron

EDIT - mine is an '02 and before all this my oil pressure idiot light never came on either but the oil came oil sparkly ...

thanks heavy...I'm going to start looking into the cooler parts more closely. I'm also looking into a racing baffle for the pan.

I'm still wondering which Setrab cooler you guys pick. There's so many.

Interesting. I just checked my data for a few recent races.

In turns 13-14 at No Problem Raceway, I have sustained Gs of .9-1.1 for 8 seconds. This is a 270* right-hand turn onto our front straight.

I have never had my oil pressure light activate. Stock oil pan, no accusump, 6.5 quarts (give or take). A friend of mine has an LS2 in an RX-7 and turns at least 1G. He has an accusump and has never had it activate while on course.

tell you're friend in the RX7 to keep a close eye, LS2s commonly have issues in high G (sustained) left hand corners. Theres a huge thread write up about it on corvette forum in the autocross/road race section. i believe it goes for the LS3 as well...

well, the LS3's especially are having a helluva time staying on track and not blowing up. do a quick search on LS3 Corvettes in SCCA T1 racing, scca just granted the use of a dry sump system for both LS2/3 drivers, and LS3 drivers get a new GMHP baffled (batwing) oil pan to help with the starvation issues, and thus far minus 1 LS2, the dry-sump is working to keep them alive (and give them even more power :eyes: )

Mods I dont know if this is allowed...but how does this adapter look? I was thinking of using this with a setrab cooler.

http://www.c5racer.com/catalog/images/Oil%20cooler%20block%20flow.jpg?osCsid=6a5d4b58ef8 62a646879bff3742cceff

Yay or nae? I'm trying to cut the remote filter part out of the kit.

I'm still wondering which Setrab cooler you guys pick. There's so many.

http://www.setrabusa.com/pdf/Setrab%20USA%20ProLine.pdf

I use a 119FP

Oil temps went from "I dunno, the gauge only goes to 300* to 280* this past weekend with near 100* ambient temps.

I hate Mobil 1 oil. When temps get to 280+, the oil thins out too much for my comfort zone. I know some who swear its the greatest thing ever. I have changed to AmsOil 20W50 severe duty racing oil and my oil pressure varies only about 10psi regardless of temps.

mitch how did it turn out this weekend? Any links to on board video?

It was just too damn hot to get motivated to take any video.

I wound up in some great, wheel to wheel action with several competitors. And was able to set a new personal best ... but that is still a couple seconds or so off the track record.

I think I wound up with a 3rd, two 4ths and a fifth.

But, even in 100* ambient, water temps never got above 210 and oil temps peaked at 280. Water temps went to 180 and oil temps dropped to 240 on the cool down lap.

After much reading I considering changing to GC or Penz P.

I am running GC right now because I knew I probably wouldn't have time to get to any track days this season. It's a great oil and I'm pretty sure it improved my oil pressure, however I'm not sure I would trust it for track duty. Even though it's 0w30, it's been mentioned a bunch on BITOG that it's properties make similar to a 5w30.

I had Penz Plat 10w30 in the car last year when I was at Watkins Glen with the SCDA and the oil analysis from Blackstone Labs came back pretty positive. I would use Penz Plat any day over Mobil 1 but that's just my opinion.

hate to sound helpless....but where can i get the 10an lines? and if I'm going from the filter area to the front of the radiator how much length should I need?

thanks!

First of all, use Aeroquip fittings. They are indexable so that you don't have to worry about getting the proper angle on the hose during assembly.

Second, take the fitting to a local hydraulilc line building shop and show them the fitting so that you get the correct size ID hose.

Third, get hose that has a protective sheath over the outside of the braid. Grit and grime will work its way through the steel braid and them become sandpaper on the inner hose.

Fourth, you will need ~15' of line. That will be MORE than enough. You can always cut shorter ... it's very difficult to add. I ran lines from the filter area to the old battery locatin and I used two 7' lengths.

The thing to rmember here is the minimum bend radius on this hose. You just can't make a 90* turn. Long, weeping turns use up a lot of line.

Fifth ... use adell clamps and not just a bunch of zip ties. These lines are stupid close to hot exhaust, spinning steering knuckles and rotating belts and this is your engine lubricant we're talking about here.

Sixth ... if the cooler is higher than the engine port feeding it, then, over time, the cooler will "drain back" into the block, giving you that few seconds of running with the gauge reading zero oil pressure. If the cooler is level with or lower than the port, then you will seldom get an air bubble.

Seventh ... there are 2 types of sandwhich adaptors (if this is the way you chose to go). Oil to the cooler BEFORE the filter or AFTER the filter. I suggest the filter before the cooler. Deposits, sedimant and residue can collect and build up in the U-tubes of the cooler if the oil is unfiltered. If you have a magnetic drain plug, that's the kind of "dust" that can collect over time.

Alot of great points and info to consider. Looks like I have the budget, now I gotta get off my ass and put it together. thanks mitch

Heads up I'm selling my brand new accusump system. Put a thread in the classifieds. Prices negotiable. Everything needed to install into a car brackets, tees, etc. Also got a setrab oil cooler as well. Pm if interested.