Has anybody ever autocrossed without a deep oil sump and not had a problem with oil starvation? Due to a parts combination, I may have to lose mine, but I won't do so if it's gonna cost me an engine. I've got an external oil cooler so I've got plenty of capacity, but I just don't want it to starve under side loads. Asking for the benefit of others' years of experience. Thanks.
Mark D.

Autocrossed for over ten years with stock class and street prepared teeners.Did not run a deep sump.Never had a problem-Always limited skid pad runs to a few laps.Ran deep sump on our prepared four banger -when we started making more than 150 horses.JJackson

Can't you run a tuna can at minimum? I'd be worried given fact you run Qualcomm. That's more of a mini road course with elevation changes that you will want some level of protection. I'd be worried about longer duration turns where car isn't level.

I ran streets of willow and then 4 years of ax with only tuna can and never had issues with my 1.8 powered car.

You'll be find of 90% of the course layouts. Be careful when you see the turns that are over 180 degrees where you are turning hard for over 6 seconds or so.

There is another option... It may just be time to go to dry sump. Great info, guys.
Mark D.

I run just a tuna can. Never had any problems.

Hi Mark,

My Chevy V8-914 used to oil starve while on track. My cure was a 3-Qt ACCUSUMP (holds 2 Qts of oil) which hold high pressure oil in reserve to feed into the engine's main gallery the second the pressure drops.

Since you already have an external oil cooler, you can just add an Accusump via a "T" fitting where the cooler feeds back into the engine. The only other bit needed is a valve to control use of the Accusump.

Here's Summit Racing's page on Accusump options:
http://www.summitracing.com/search/?keywor...usump&dds=1

For $175 - $185, it's a very affordable solution.

Best,
Terry

I run a half quart high and have never had problems. I plan on running an Accusump with the new motor. Cheapest way to insure oil pressure IF I were to get into a starvation situation.

Have run a tuna can on 4 different 914-4s...never seen a green light on track or at an ax....20+ years of running them that way!

Dan fails to mention that there is only 1/8th of an inch between his tuna can and the pavement. He runs them 914's low to the ground!

New one isn't that low Rob.....Konis won't let me go any lower!

Need to find some threaded collars that will work with them.

Bradley hooked me up. I could go quite a bit lower with my Konis...

Click to view attachment

My car is typically running flat out with side loads as great as I can carry.

Have never had a problem with oil starvation, but I've always run an Accusump.

Cheap insurance I think.

Mine's a little towards the low side too. With the current deep sump my ground clearance is about 3". I think I'll do the tuna can for now and go to dry sump when I can afford it (probably when I build the full on DP motor). Given your combined experiences I doubt I will have problems, especially since I'm down on net grip anyways. Plus, I have a low pressure safety on the car, so I think the engine is safe. I just don't want to be tripping it mid-run. Thanks guys.
Mark D.

Back when both the 914s and I were young, I used to run a lot of track events, and oil starvation was a real problem on long sweepers (turn one at IRP, turn 3 at Blackhawk, etc.), even with a deep sump. I would also agree with the idea of an Accusump - cheap insurance that's easy to install.

I ran my 1911 for years with stock oil system and no problems. I've got a shallow tuna can on my 2366 now.

That's what i used to do with my 1.7 and 2.0. Never had an issue either, even after i went to slicks.

I run the tuna can and a 1/2 qt with no problems in 10+ yrs of autox. NA and turbo.

What would be interesting would be to put a video camera on the Acccusump gauge to see when, during an event it emptied it contents into the motor. Might be happening a lot.

what is a tuna can, can anybody explain, please?

The red arrow is pointing to one version of a tuna can.

Click to view attachment

right, but i still dont understand. what is it and what does it do? just contain some more oil? where do you get it? thanks.

confines oil better under side loading. keeps teh oil pick up wet while most of teh oil sloshes to one side in a hard corner.

it wasnt till I got into instructing alot that I noticed that OK was not really OK. the oil presure would flicker and twitch before the idiot light would come on. as a driver, we only have time to glance at teh gauge long enough to see it showed presure. it was starving, ya'll were just a little busy to notice