VX WET SUMP PROBLEMS

[John_Salmon]

The Caterham wet sump pan used on the VX 2.0 does not hold much oil and the oil it does carry is higher up closer to the crank. The engine is overfilled when compared to a normal road Astra configuration.

Hasanyone used the low sump from SPD or does this cause other problems.

[EFA]

So long as the oil is below the level of the plate which fits between the sump and the block you should not have a problem.

 

Are you just worried about lack of oil in the engine or is it throwing it out through the breather??

 

The Caterham sump is the only one which mates with the bellhousing lower bolts. Its also a very robust design when it comes to grounding out!

 

 

 

Fat Arn

The NOW PROVEN R500 Eaterid=red>

See the Lotus Seven Club 4 Counties Area Website hereid=green>

 

[John_Salmon]

The engine seems to be breathihg oil into the injection plenum untill 5mm above the origial VX mark. At this level it stabalises but is dangerously low and prone to surge. Is there any option apart from dry sumping to lower the oil level in the sump to VX levels.

[Chelspeed]

Don't even think about using the SBD wet sump pan on a Caterham. The SBD sump (presume you meant SBD?) is a lovely bit of kit, very well designed, very light and very well made but it was designed for a Westf1eld.

 

The engine in a Westf1eld is fitted flat (it's such a lard bucket there's room to do that) but in the sylth like Caterham it's mounted about an inch lower at the front to get the cam pulleys under the bonnet / nose. This nose down attitude makes the front lower corner of the sump the lowest bit of the engine. With an SBD sump the front corner of the sump pan acts like the sump guard on Colin McRae's focus, well it does on the first bump, after that it's more of an exxon valdiz impression. Mine lasted a little under 3 miles (about 60 quid a mile...).

 

The Caterham wet sump pan is totally different, it's about 100X more substantial, far far stronger, with very thick webs on the vulnerable bits. It tapers from the rear to the front to keep a constant ground clearance over the length of the engine. Unfortunatly the down side of this is as you say, too little oil capacity and what there is stored above the crank splash level.

 

If you've got a Caterham only use the Caterham designed sump pan (or go dry sump of course, the real answer but serious expense). If you've got a car with a Vauxhall engine mounted flat with adequate ground clearance then I'd be more than happy to recommend SBD's pan.

[EFA]

Goodness Graham, we agreed......nearly....

 

 

John,

 

The oil capacity of an engine in a production car is deigned to take a couple of factors into consideration which hopefully are irrelevant to Seven owners:

 

Generally Caterhams get the bonnet lifted between services so the oil capacity need not be engineered to deplete at a rate whereby maximum to minimum level duration is > 10,000 miles

 

The engine is less likely to be abused in a Seven - abuse being 3 hours at a constant 120mph on the M6/M1 (as I used to many years ago....)

 

So all in all the sump capacity can be les and you will not have a problem.

 

Filling the engine 5mm above the mark is a newish school of thought, but somebody has clearly removed the sump and checked the position of the windage plate to see how much opil can be got in. A good idea as it could help address the oil surge problem which hounds the Caterham wet sump VX. (Drive in a tight anticlock circle and watch the oil pressure gauge. STOP as the gauage dips!)

 

The most important thing with the VX is toi use decent oil. Comma SynerG is good as is Mobil 1 Motorsport 15/50. Any of the 0/50's tend to give rattly tappets!

 

To really cure the breathing problem SBD have a mod to the inside of the cam cover which stops the oil from the crankcase being blown into the breather systems. Its a bit Heath Robinson, but it does work.

 

See here http://www.sbdev.co.uk/Info_sheets/Oil_systems/Cam%20cover%20extra%20plate.htm

 

SBD sell modified cam covers if you find this easier.

 

Ignore the bit about blanking off the main crankcase breather - not necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fat Arn

The NOW PROVEN R500 Eaterid=red>

See the Lotus Seven Club 4 Counties Area Website hereid=green>

 

[Blatman]

I've seen it all............Arnie putting in a URL for SBD......must be Christmas......blush.gif

[stevefoster]

Wasn't there a fix for the VXI problem of oil being dumped in the plenum chamber?

Or is that the same as the breather prob for other VX engines....?

 

 

 

Edited by - stevefoster on 7 Jan 2002 23:36:51

[Chelspeed]

> Goodness Graham, we agreed......nearly....

 

I know shocking isn't it? Still we agree on engine choices so I guess that's the important thing.

[garyedwardc]

The QED replacement sump is strong and holds at least a litre more oil it's also well baffled and foam filled and comes with a centrally mounted better design of pick up pipe. Whilst ground clearance is reduced it has survived over a year of road use.

[I reply to every thread]

Steve - The fix for the VXi (James Bond) problem is the modified Cam Cover. It amounts to the same problem as the excess breathing prob on carb or TB engines.