*** For info in regard to Laminva oil coolers & Apollo tanks***

[CHRIS CLARK]

It may be of interest to some that there can be loss of indicated pressure with the fitting of either/both of these devices. The Apollo tanks loss of up to half a bar is well known.This is because of its bleed back to the cam box. Less known perhaps is the cooler loss. Talking with Matt at 'Think Automotive' he informed me that the Laminova water/oil cooler units that some of us have fitted can also 'lose' up to half a bar of indicated pressure.

 

Ummm. Still looks 'iffy' on the gauge though!!!confused.gif

[Mike Bees]

I'm not seeing any pressure difference with my Laminova in or out of the circuit.

 

As they come the sandwich plates are pretty horrible, mine was fettled (you know who you are wink.gif) to reduce it's resistance to flow.

 

Mike

 

 

 

Edited by - Mike Bees on 7 May 2002 10:55:44

 

Edited by - Mike Bees on 7 May 2002 10:56:11

[Peter Carmichael]

Mike,

 

Where are you measuring the pressure in the circuit? Do you have a remote pressure sender? This reads the pressure before the filter and therefore before the sandwich plate. Fitting restrictions in the form of Laminova/Apollo would just add to the indicated pressure with a remote pressure sender.

 

Remember that pressure is just the symptom of oil flow/supply. As long as there is *some* pressure in the galleries, the oil supply is keeping up with the engine's demands. Problem is that the remote sender doesn't measure pressure in the galleries.

 

I still find it hard to believe that half a bar is disappearing through the flow from the Apollo tank bleed, but Rob Walker has done the experiments. I am tempted to attempt to repeat the results, but I will wait until after Curborough. I find it far easier to believe that the various restrictions equate to a significant resistance to flow at full chat, with comensurate pressure drop. MSTV (mileage seems to vary).

[V7 SLR]

Interesting... I got no drop at all in pressure, but obviously that's because I fitted mine between the scavenge pump and the dry sump bell/tank housing. Where is yours mounted Mike? ISTR you had your water side fed directly by the radiator which would indicate you tapped the oil filter feed for the oil side.

 

I'm interested in any fettling to aid oil thoroughfare. Where is the fettling done (I know who, or can guess anyway)?

 

On another note, I wish I had wired in my oil temperature before my Winter mods. Over the Winter I fitted both the Laminova and a lower threshold thermostat, and I know this has been said before but doesn't it take a long time for any temperature to get into the oil..!! Because I didn't wire up the oil temperature sender before installing the Laminova I have no idea how long the oil took to get up to temperature previously. I've got the Laminova plumbed into the "heater" water circuit in an attempt to inject heat into the oil from start-up, but I was still amazed at the time it takes. Typically 15 to 20 minutes of driving..!!

 

I rather hope that the oil temperature sender supplied as standard with the bell/tank housing is of the same resistance/temperature as the water temperature sender, because if it is then I'm getting a max of 60 degrees into my oil and it appears to be rock steady. I'd like to think that the Laminova can be credited with that. OK, I've not attended a trackday since, but a 25 mile thrash back from Stoneleigh should have been enough to raise the oil temperature a shade.... you'd think.

 

Bloody good little device.

[John Vine]

I've just fitted a Laminova to my Apollo-equipped 1.8K SS, but I can't comment just yet on oil pressure as the silencer's sprung a leak and is currently with the welder! More news in a few days, I hope.

 

JV

[Mike Bees]

Peter,

 

Yes I do have the remote sender. I wasn't trying to imply that fettling the sandwich plate negated any potential pressure loss, merely that the sandwich plate is a bit ugly in it's unfettled form.

 

Nig,

 

My Laminova is plumbed into the coolant circuit between the water rail and the rad., and into the oil circuit via a sandwich plate (which you don't have) hence it warms the oil on it's way in to the engine.

 

The Laminova appears to make no difference to the oil temperature read at the bottom of the tank, which still takes an age to get off the bottom of the dial, but it does heat up the oil on the way in to the engine - I know this because the pipe gets hot. I also "know" it because the oil pressure takes less time to drop from it's normal cold pressure to it's normal hot pressure (on the basis that hotter/thinner oil further down the line will reduce the pressure the sender sees).

 

What I really need are oil temperature senders on the way into and out of the engine, just to really know what is going on.

 

The reading from the sender at the bottom of the tank is damped by the heat capacity of all that oil in the tank. Well hopefully "all that oil in the tank" anyway...

 

Mike

[Peter Carmichael]

Mike,

 

I was trying to resolve your "no pressure loss" experience with the "pressure loss" experience of others. My guess/recollection was that you had the remote sender and this means that you are *not measuring the oil pressure that counts*.

 

...but it does explain why you didn't see a drop in oil pressure. My guess is that you have lost oil pressure, but just at a point that you aren't measuring.

[Mike Bees]

Oh dear. How do I get to measure it where it counts? Does the non-remote hanging-down-in-the-road sender position achieve this? Is so why doesn't the remote sender take-off plumb into the point where the original sender fitted?

 

Mike

[Peter Carmichael]

The non-remote measures it in the right place. There is a solution at a price...

 

...Nippon Denso alternator leaves room to mount a sender on the top of the filter head. POA.