Accusump Plumbing

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by carbuff

Ron tried to convince Canton that there was enough of a market for units of a different color than blue, but unfortunately they didn't think it was worth their effort to offer a black unit. We tried...

This stuff is made for RACE CARS --- Racers don't care about being all color coordinated....


FYI - the one in the Lotus is electrically operated.... with the ignition switch.


The one in the Mustang is a manual valve on the tunnel by the driver seat. I kind of like the electric version in the Lotus because with all the other "stuff" going on - sometimes I forget about the valve.

I open it before cranking - watch the pressure go up - then fire off..... I don't close it then until I'm done with the event and finished. I close it just before I shut down. These race cars SIT for awhile between events --- and I feel better about a quick pre-lube after that prolonged down time.

Personally I think you're making it too complicated - but that's your deal. It's really just there as an emergency back up / momentary oil pressure loss... I don't see the need of an additional filter and all the other stuff. It's just a simple in and out pressure vessel. A lot of the race guys put a big red low oil pressure light on the dash somewhere, as most of the time we're way too busy to be checking the gauge constantly. I glance at mine (if I remember to) on the straightaways only.

[GregWeld]

Check Accusumps installation guide - page 3 in the link provided here.


This is really ALL that is necessary for what these do. When the small amount of pressure stored in the Accusump is done... it's done! This takes very little time to bleed off. It reestablishes pressure quickly if the pump and pressure in the motor is operating properly... but it's not like you can go on driving with low oil pressure.


http://www.accusump.com/accusump.pdf/instructions.pdf

[carbuff]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

The check valve is simply a flapper. They aren't restrictive and the one I used was fine for oil. I didn't trust an oil filter for back flow protection. Not all filters have a back flow valve so make sure you get the right filter.

Agreed. I've been researching oil filters today also of all things... I tend to agree with not trusting the filter, so I'm looking at the valves now too. Seems you can use them for oil as well, at least a couple of them are listed that way.

Originally Posted by Vegas69

I had great success with my accumulator. Just make sure your oil pan is your first line of defense. An accumulator is simply the back up plan.

I am running a Champ LS pan that has the 4 diagonal baffles in it. I've learned a few things which I was doing that were wrong before that caused part of my problem, one of the biggest being having my catch can lines routed backwards such that I was sucking oil into the engine, causing my oil level to fall... Not smart.

Originally Posted by GregWeld

This stuff is made for RACE CARS --- Racers don't care about being all color coordinated....

Yeah, yeah... That racecar Ron Sutton fellow is making the leap, why can't the suppliers also? ;-)

Originally Posted by GregWeld

FYI - the one in the Lotus is electrically operated.... with the ignition switch.

The reason I can't do that alone is that the EPC I'm using will be set to open at a pressure above my idle oil pressure. Thus at idle, when sitting in traffic for example, the Accusump will dump most of its oil into the pan. For a track car you would rarely be in that condition, so it's not really a concern (Canton said the same). But for a car that sees a lot more of its miles on the street as opposed to the track, that's not the best option. Thus the control from the HP EFI.

Canton does have a 25-30 PSI switch, but they suggested I'd be better off with the protection from the higher pressure switch, and I tend to agree.

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Personally I think you're making it too complicated - but that's your deal.

Never been told that before...

Originally Posted by GregWeld

Check Accusumps installation guide - page 3 in the link provided here.

This is really ALL that is necessary for what these do.

Agreed. In reality, that's the same circuit that I drew above, except their thermostat is after the filter instead of before it. Otherwise I'm looking to tee in the Accusump after the cooler and before returning to the block like they show. And I'm going to run the electric pressure control valve and solenoid. I just now need to decide if the check valve is worthwhile to add or not...

[carbuff]

One other related question. Maybe I should ask this in another thread, but we'll see if anyone here knows...

I'm considering ways to prime the LS before I try and start it this time. I'm sure that spinning it for a long time trying to build pressure in the external cooler and lines didn't help my bearing problem, especially since it had sat for so long. I'd rather not do the same thing this time.

Any suggestions for ways to prime this thing? One idea I have is to use the oil galley port on the front of the block that I wanted to run the Accusump into, add a metric to AN fitting there and put an AN cap on it. But when I need to prime the system, like the first time or after an oil change, I could remove the cap and figure out a way to pump oil into it, to at least fill the lines and cooler.

Has anyone done this, or have another way to get oil into the system without spinning the motor? My lines and cooler hold at least a quart, and it took a good while to get pressure up the last time when we were spinning it all...

[71RS/SS396]

Originally Posted by carbuff

One other related question. Maybe I should ask this in another thread, but we'll see if anyone here knows...

I'm considering ways to prime the LS before I try and start it this time. I'm sure that spinning it for a long time trying to build pressure in the external cooler and lines didn't help my bearing problem, especially since it had sat for so long. I'd rather not do the same thing this time.

Any suggestions for ways to prime this thing? One idea I have is to use the oil galley port on the front of the block that I wanted to run the Accusump into, add a metric to AN fitting there and put an AN cap on it. But when I need to prime the system, like the first time or after an oil change, I could remove the cap and figure out a way to pump oil into it, to at least fill the lines and cooler.

Has anyone done this, or have another way to get oil into the system without spinning the motor? My lines and cooler hold at least a quart, and it took a good while to get pressure up the last time when we were spinning it all...

External electric fuel pump..... Holley universal or whatever is cheap, something to use for a reservoir and some push-lock AN fittings and hose.

[carbuff]

Originally Posted by 71RS/SS396

External electric fuel pump..... Holley universal or whatever is cheap, something to use for a reservoir and some push-lock AN fittings and hose.

Seems simple enough, but where do you tap into the system? I'm thinking about adding a port on the front of the block where that oil galley out of the oil pump is, but I'm trying to decide what type and size fitting would be easiest. I'm targeting an M16x1.5 to -8AN fitting in the block, then just an AN flare cap to cap it when I am not using it...

[carbuff]

One thing I forgot to mention in the original post...

Canton strongly suggested that I NOT have the Accusump hooked up during the initial startup nor until I changed the oil the first time. Apparently it's not good for the piston in the Accusump to get the assembly and break-in oil in the cylinder. May or may not matter if the Accusump is after the filter, but it's easy enough to leave it disconnected during that time.

[71RS/SS396]

Originally Posted by carbuff

Seems simple enough, but where do you tap into the system? I'm thinking about adding a port on the front of the block where that oil galley out of the oil pump is, but I'm trying to decide what type and size fitting would be easiest. I'm targeting an M16x1.5 to -8AN fitting in the block, then just an AN flare cap to cap it when I am not using it...

We use the front port and Iirc we use a -10 line but had to turn down the points of the wrench flats on the fitting as it can interfere with some accessory drives. I reinstall the factory plug when finished.

[rickpaw]

Originally Posted by carbuff

One other related question. Maybe I should ask this in another thread, but we'll see if anyone here knows...

I'm considering ways to prime the LS before I try and start it this time. I'm sure that spinning it for a long time trying to build pressure in the external cooler and lines didn't help my bearing problem, especially since it had sat for so long. I'd rather not do the same thing this time.

Any suggestions for ways to prime this thing? One idea I have is to use the oil galley port on the front of the block that I wanted to run the Accusump into, add a metric to AN fitting there and put an AN cap on it. But when I need to prime the system, like the first time or after an oil change, I could remove the cap and figure out a way to pump oil into it, to at least fill the lines and cooler.

Has anyone done this, or have another way to get oil into the system without spinning the motor? My lines and cooler hold at least a quart, and it took a good while to get pressure up the last time when we were spinning it all...

Found this over at ls1tech.com

http://ls1tech.com/forums/tools-fabr...nder-20-a.html

The guy's using a Harbor Freight drill powered oil pump, and plug the output to the oil filter port, and input to a jug of clean oil.

[carbuff]

Originally Posted by rickpaw

Found this over at ls1tech.com

http://ls1tech.com/forums/tools-fabr...nder-20-a.html

The guy's using a Harbor Freight drill powered oil pump, and plug the output to the oil filter port, and input to a jug of clean oil.

That was a great suggestion! I have a Harbor Freight about 2 miles from my house, so I ran by there at lunch. I got this:

Drill Powered Pump

Then I ran over to Lowes and picked up some of this:

Clear Vinyl Tube 1" OD 3/4" ID

And with some stainless clamps I have lying around, I now have this to use when I am ready to prime:



In thinking about this, I will just pull the input -10AN line to the external filter mount and attach this clear hose to it. I'll pump through that filter, which will fill the cooler, other filter, and block after. Seems like that should work well, and the oil pump will then only have to prime the internal galley to the thermostat and line that goes to the external filter. Should do that quite quickly...

$35 or so in parts, and I'll probably re-use this when I do an oil change to flush the cooler and re-prime the system.