BritishV8 Forum

I'm going to do this mod so I figured I'd start a thread about it. The mod is to add a bypass from one lifter oil gallery to the other to better balance oil flow between the two sides.

I measured the gap between the block and the flywheel. There is 1 1/2" to work with. Should be more than enough. SWEET! I'll go look for parts at Ace tonight. Seems like a pretty simple mod. We'll see how it comes out.

My intuition is that this might be a smart mod for racers, and it might make a real good tech article topic too. Please take lots of photos!

Cool! Ok.

I took another look at the 215 Buick block and it has a drilled passage at the front of the block between the lifter galleys. Your mod is already there! For some strange reason on the larger SBB blocks they did it differently, resulting in a threaded hole in the side of the block near the oil pump, which the 215 block does not have.

Jim

I'm not seeing it on the Rover block, I don't think. Here's a pic. Can you see it here?




On this block it's the front cam bearing that has the passage to transfer oil across...

FWIW here's a couple of oil gallery schematics from an F85/Olds 215 (which is probably same as Buick). Not sure about a Rover block, though.

Take your photo from the rear of the block facing the front and you'll see it.

Jim

SHit! I can't do that. It's all assembled. Does anybody got a late Rover block laying around they could take a pic of the inside front of the lifter valley to show what Jim's talking about?

I found a pic but the rez is too low. Here's where you're talking about?




I can kinda make out a pressed in brass cup. Is that what I'm seeing?

Maybe I should do the rear block mod anyway?

While your back-there,Nic, you might want to plumb for pressure gage take-off and something like a Moroso 1.5 qt., 1 pc. oil reservoir,(poor- boy accusump).(1) at the front of oiling system , even better,= 3qts of additional oil in system with-out windage or pan clearance issues. Better to take pressure reading near the end of the trail. Trick is to install solenoid valve on resevoir, to facilitate "cold start prelube" = longer lasting engine. roverman.

I like the idea. You're saying put a little solenoid pump and pump what's accumulated in the remote reservoir back into the lifter galleries just before start up, right?

Nic - I'm heading out shortly. If nobody post a pic, I'll pull the 4 loose bolts holding my intake - no valley gasket in place.

Nic and folks, Imagine a 1.5 qt. aluminum bottle, mounted vertically to max of 20 deg. tilt, filled with atmosphereic pressure(air). You start the engine and it fills the container with pressurized oil. In the event of pressure loss,cavitation?, the pressurized oil feeds automatically to maintain pressure untill its empty or pressure comes up. Solenoid control valve gives the option of when flow takes place. Maybe "peep" Moroso, pn.23930 ?  roverman.

edit..

Let me know if you want more pics.

That works just fine. So, Jim, at the top of the pic, that little boss with the two holes in it is the gallery crossover?

Sure Nuff. Odd that they abandoned that construction on the iron motors, don't you think?

Jim

Quote(Art wrote)
While your back-there,Nic, you might want to plumb for pressure gage take-off and something like a Moroso 1.5 qt., 1 pc. oil reservoir,(poor- boy accusump).(1) at the front of oiling system , even better,= 3qts of additional oil in system with-out windage or pan clearance issues. Better to take pressure reading near the end of the trail. Trick is to install solenoid valve on resevoir, to facilitate "cold start prelube" = longer lasting engine. roverman.

(Nic wrote)
I like the idea. You're saying put a little solenoid pump and pump what's accumulated in the remote reservoir back into the lifter galleries just before start up, right?

(Art wrote)
Nic and folks, Imagine a 1.5 qt. aluminum bottle, mounted vertically to max of 20 deg. tilt, filled with atmosphereic pressure(air). You start the engine and it fills the container with pressurized oil. In the event of pressure loss,cavitation?, the pressurized oil feeds automatically to maintain pressure untill its empty or pressure comes up. Solenoid control valve gives the option of when flow takes place. Maybe "peep" Moroso, pn.23930 ? roverman.

There are lots of photos of Accusump oil accumulators in our new photo gallery section..
Here's one example:
(The solenoid valve is under the green plastic cover. A pressure gauge is at the far end.)


I like the idea of giving the bearings a pressurized shot shot of oil before starting the engine, but I'm still a little foggy on details of how the system works. I'd like to see detailed schematics of how to plumb Accusumps, with all the variables (e.g. dry sump systems.)

Q1: If you've got five quarts of oil in the oilpan, and you release a three quart Accusump, doesn't that mean you'll have almost eight quarts of oil in the oilpan until you build up pressure again? (I wonder if maybe a smaller Accusump might actually be better.)

Q2: Should there be an oil filter between Accusump and engine? To me, it looks like an Accusump would seriously complicate cleaning out an engine following a bearing failure. Are the tanks designed to be taken apart and cleaned?

Good questions, Curtis. I hadn't even considered the clean out issue. Although the container would be taking oil off filter side if I take it off the back of the block from the lifter galleries. Maybe it wouldn't get pieces in it that way??

The point about extra oil in the system is a good one...

Curtis and all, Regarding Q1, I would want the gage visable from where I'm normally starting the engine. Further, I would want perhaps, a temporary,(impulse-on) switch for "short" pre-lube cycle, no need to flood the sump, and a normal-on switch for engine running. The Accusumps with a "floating piston", I'm familiar with, have a snap-ring,  usefull for disassembly, cleaning/inspection of debris. Regarding Q2, 3 quarts should be fine when using impulse lube,(watching pressure gage), during cold start-up. The  1 piece,(bottle) accumulator such as Moroso # 23930, is just that, a "bottle",1.5 qts and cheep. In case of engine failure, one would, drain the bottle, if not already empty, and observe the contents. It's at the end of the oiling system so least likey to get contaminated. 100% flush clean or throw-away. Dry sump systems need none of this stuff by their de$ign. roverman.

Do they just use an electric pump then? I suppose I could just add a momentary switch on the dash to hit just before startup.

Nic, think of it as a "Bank" for extra oil savings. The oil pump in the engine supplies the pressurized oil to the resovoir,(accumulator). Loss of oil pressure,  with or with-out solenoid control valve allows pressurized oil,"saved" in accumulator to re-enter oil feed galleys to maintain pressure. Quite basic compared to dry-sump, but effective. roverman.

OH I get it. SO the reservoir stays pressurized. That sort of re-pressurizes the system just before startup, right? That makes sense. So you're saying just use some type of servo valve with that opens with the "run" switch for the motor. Cool!

We always just put a ball valve on the bottle and opened it up just before hitting the start switch, shut it just before shutting down the engine. But solenoids are cool too..

Jim

For a street car I'd recommend a solenoid vavle that would be open when the ingition switch was on. You turn on the key and get a shot of oil into the engine just as you start to crank it. While it's running it refills the acumulator and that's there in case you get the pick up uncovered during a high g maneuver then just give it a bit of a rev when shutting down to get the pressure up to max and turn off the key holding the oil in the tank until the next start cycle. Nothing to worry about or valves to remember. The only downside is when you change the oil, then you'll have to drain the accumulator and do a "dry" start when you first crank the engine and then top off the oil level once the accumulator is filled.