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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ I've been thinking...

Posted by: mike_the_man Feb 16 2005, 11:24 AM

So, last night I couldn't sleep. As I layed awake, naturally I started thinking about my 914. Converting to a six has been something I've always wanted to try, but the cost has always scared me away. From everything I've read, the oil tank seems to be one of the big $$$ items. So, I got to thinking...

My friend is building a Lotus Europa, with a Cosworth engine. He's using a oil tank that he was able to get very cheap, it's fairly small in size, and hold around 6Ls I think. It won't fit in the fender, and it's pretty much a box shape.

Now, what if you were to relocate the battery to the front trunk, and put this oil tank in the battery location? It's not a whole lot bigger than a battery, so I think it would likely fit. Any thoughts?

I'll try and post some pictures of the oil tank today, just to give y'all an idea of what I'm thinking. I don't like to cut corners, but it seems like this could be a way to save considerable money.

Posted by: nein14-6 Feb 16 2005, 11:34 AM

Mike,
Any form of dry sump tank will work. One of the main reasons that I like the stock location is the fact that the oile inlet is on that side and it’s almost a strait shot. If you put a big line (-16AN), you will have a significantly smaller chance of starving the motor.

Posted by: McMark Feb 16 2005, 12:43 PM

Seems like I've heard of people putting alternative tanks on and having foaming issues. But that's just hearsay. Use an alternate tank and see what happens.

Related question: you want the tank inlet down low so the pump doesn't have to work so hard, right? So it wouldn't be good to put the oil tank in the rear trunk because of the height?

Posted by: mike_the_man Feb 16 2005, 12:55 PM

I think that some baffles in the tank would prevent foaming, wouldn't it? Thats what my friend did.

As far as the pump working hard. Wouldn't it still have to work petty hard if you had a front mount oil cooler? That seems like a long distance to pump the oil. In my mind, it wouldn't make a huge difference as to where the tank was mounted. If you were to remove the battery tray, and get it down pretty low, it might not be too bad. Once again, I'm mostly talking out of my arse.

Posted by: michel richard Feb 16 2005, 01:26 PM

The biggest expense of a conversion is, by far, the engine. The difference in the cost of a stock tank (or like-stock tank) and something else is not very big.

If you're going to try and save cash, do it
1) on the motor mount - you can fabricate your own,
2) the tin - you can make your own re-using part of the /4 stuff,
3) the oil lines - find old 911 lines, save the fittings, buy generic hydraulic hose.
Not the tank - it's a neat location, it's tall, it works
Not the engine - that would defeat the purpose.

Michel Richard

p.s get a short stroke engine and rev it up !

Posted by: mike_the_man Feb 16 2005, 02:23 PM

So what's a 914 oil tank worth? I know the OEM 914 tanks are stupid expensive, or at least seem that way to me. What would be the cost of a repro, and how easy are they to find?

Posted by: michel richard Feb 16 2005, 02:53 PM

Off the top of my head, $500 - $ 600 US. Sounds like a lot, but it's a key component of the project.

Posted by: mike_the_man Feb 16 2005, 04:06 PM

My buddy bought this one for less than $100. It holds 1 gallon. I'll get some pics tonight. A $400-$500 saving is pretty major, in my books.

I woudln't cheap out on the engine, but it seems to me that there are plenty of non-Porsche pieces that would work, and could be significantly cheaper. Of course a little fabrication may be required, but I'm ok with that.

Now, where can I find a cheap engine?