How I almost killed the Alltrac...

[gtfour77]

I have been told on several occasions that I am losing oil pressure on virtually every right hand corner. It can be seen in every video posted on youtube since my oil pressure gauge is right in the middle of the frame. In Nebraska it was quite obvious with the very grippy surface and very long sweeping turns. If you watch my 2009 Pro Solo Finale video you can see the gauge dropping down to below 20psi for several seconds in couple of the long right handers. These were fast corners (approx. 45-55mp at quite high RPM), especially on the left course coming into the finish. The car had a strange bogg-like behavior on these corners, just wasn't as rev happy as it usually is, especially after playing with the cam timing earlier in the year.
Here is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JJ4AOfK-0k

And here is the damage:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8929648@N06/3968464343/sizes/o/in/photostream/


I've had a bad feeling about this for a while and ended up tearing into the bottom end last night. After seeing a milky metalic paste-like looking substance at the bottom of the pan I knew something was wrong. Fortunatelly the bearing did not start falling apart (flaking), just started to wear badly while not lubricated during the hard right hand turns.
Solution? I just ordered a new Moroso oil pan designed specifically for the heavy duty autocross and track cars equipped with plenty of baffles and trap doors.
Here is a picture of it: https://www.horsepowerparts.com/images/products/closeups/MOR/20935.jpg

Lesson? Toyota makes great cars and parts but sometime when things get pushed beyond the manufacturing standards/limits things have to be upgraded. This pan should have been replaced last year when I first built this engine. It wasn't and I almost payed dearly for it. Fortunately the damage is only $40 worth of rod bearings. (main bearings are in great shape as was everything else...rod bearings take the biggest beating when starved from oil due to the forces produced on the rod bearings when combustion occurs).

Tip: Check your oil before every event, make sure the oil is near the "full" mark. Some stock/SP cars can produce great G-Forces and when the oil gets sloshed away from the oil pickup bad things happen. Check your oil pan design and make sure your car does not have any oil pan design flaws.

[johnnytavo]

You've already taken that thing completely apart, geez.

Is there anything you can or are allowed to do to prevent it from happening again. I guess this problem lies in the oil pan? or oil pump?

I think this link is working.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8929648@n06/3968464689/

[gtfour77]

I didn't have the post finished when you replied. oops.

It took me about 15 minutes last night to remove the bearings thanks to the trusty air tools and quick release exhaust.(V-band connections)
I am not actually taking the motor apart, just changing the rod bearings (both rods and mains can be changed with only the oil pan removed fortunately)
The celi will be back in action in a couple of days....

[crobin4]

I suspected that happening to one of us at some point. Been eyeing the Moroso Pan for Subaru fo a while, now. I figure by the end of next year I'll need to be using that and an oil separator for each head.:headbutt:
Glad you caught it in time! :biggrin:

[gtfour77]

Yes be careful Chris, even our local Riverside can have bad effects on some engines. Past few events had mostly right hand turns which some engines don't like. If I remember correctly hondas don't like left-handers since their oil pick up is on the left side of the pan (reverse from toyota).
Get that pan of you can, I keep hearing it solves oil starvation 100% even at track events.


Another tip for those who do not know what to look for:
When you change you oil next time, drain it into a dark clean container and look at it under a good light source. Now run your finger tip through it in any direction (submerged about 1/2 inch) If you see ANY amount of sparkly little dust particles following you finger path you have a problem. Oil should be perfectly clean with nothing shiny in it unless you have a fresh rebuild.... Even then you should not have any "shiny dust" in your oil but tiny particles in the oil filter pleats is ok. It should disappear within the next oil change. You can check this by cutting your used oil filter apart at the top and "unrolling" the pleats...

[MasterBlaster]

Wow! Glad you caught it before something catastrophic happened.

Might have to start using the record funtion on my Defi's at events from time to time and see if my oil pressure drops at all.

[gtfour77]

Wow! Glad you caught it before something catastrophic happened.

Might have to start using the record funtion on my Defi's at events from time to time and see if my oil pressure drops at all.

If you have that function I'd use it... Although your car is much newer and and I am sure they designed subaru oil pans way better than my "antique" car.. :smile:

[MasterBlaster]

Ahaha antique! LOL

Yeah the OEM oil pickup tubes breaking are the only common issue in that department that I've read about.

[gtfour77]

Ahaha antique! LOL

Yeah the OEM oil pickup tubes breaking are the only common issue in that department that I've read about.

I have never heard of that on subarus... sounds like a catastrophic failure to me...ouch! Do they make upgraded tubes? Is it a manufacturing defect?

[MasterBlaster]

Yeah there's at least one company making stronger pickup tubes. The factory ones are prone to cracking and sometimes even breaking off at the flange. Here's a little bit about it:

http://www.killerbmotorsport.com/index_files/OilPickupStory.htm

[crobin4]

Subys don't like turning left or right!:tongue:

Yes, it can be a serious problem on boxer engines without a dry sump oiling system. Litchfield ran into problems on the high speed high G tracks in UK with their Time Attack Type 25 Spec C. They ended up building their own baffles and running two oil separators (one for each head). They had no further problems after that. The problem didn't seem to come up until pulling around 1.9G peaks.

[johnnytavo]

I didn't have the post finished when you replied. oops.

It took me about 15 minutes last night to remove the bearings thanks to the trusty air tools and quick release exhaust.(V-band connections)
I am not actually taking the motor apart, just changing the rod bearings (both rods and mains can be changed with only the oil pan removed fortunately)
The celi will be back in action in a couple of days....

Ooh changing bearings lying on your back looking up into the engine : )

[TimMaddox]

Get a baffled oil pan with trap doors, and a deep sump.

[gtfour77]

Get a baffled oil pan with trap doors, and a deep sump.

Itsa coming today!

[gtfour77]

New pan arrived today:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8929648@N06/3972436826/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8929648@N06/3971669573/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8929648@N06/3971670995/sizes/o/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8929648@N06/3971668913/sizes/o/

Looks really good, we'll see how it performs.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3499/3972436826_009e0d700f_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3971669573_99e83b0b09_o.jpg

[evilnissan]

Very nice and very glad to hear you cought it in time.

[mordant80]

doesn't look like you'll ever have to worry about the welding on it..

[gtfour77]

Very nice and very glad to hear you cought it in time.


Jeremy, when are you going to come out to play with us again??? Hopefully soon!:partay:

[TimMaddox]

Nice oil pan! You didn't melt down my two wheels to make that did you? If you did, you put them to better use!

[DennisBlevins]

That pan is a piece of art. Reminds me of the old drag racing stuff from when I was a kid. Nice quality work!

[Jason V]

LOL at Marteen... editing the wrong post!!

[gtfour77]

Nice oil pan! You didn't melt down my two wheels to make that did you? If you did, you put them to better use!


You got me! I was just going to buy you new wheels to make my job straightening them easier... heh

And yes Dennis, the pan looks even better in person, the welds are near perfect everywhere! Moroso is good quality stuff. Even their springs (running them on the front of the trac) are great.

[gtfour77]

LOL at Marteen... editing the wrong post!!

Crap, I always click the wrong button! Fixed! heh