Dry Sump Capacity for vw1600 engines?

[JohnnyOTS]

I was good and searched the forums for dry sump capacities before posting - no one appears to have asked as far as the 1600vw engines are concerned.
So, what capacity dry sump tank should I be running for my soon-to-be-birthed FST Engine? If it matters, there is frighteningly little available space on my Adams Aero to put the thing, which raises the next question - where is the correct spot to locate a dry sump tank?

[Bill Bonow]

John,

Great question and it hasn't been posted before. The question is what is the minimum capacity. There really is no maximum, especially in an air cooled engine. So it comes down to space available and weight (if its an issue). The Evolution "currently" use a 6 quart "off the shelf" tank. Some are running 4 quart tanks and I think that is about the safe minimum. The Evolution is most likely going to a custom tank as the cost of the Pace tanks we have been using have almost doubled. The new design is just shy of 5 quarts.

The Adams has a spot on the left side of the fuel cell that a rectangular tank will fit in nicely. Jim Schings at SR Racing www.sracing.com made a tank up for Gomez Adams and could most likely build a clone that would drop in.

[JohnnyOTS]

Great Advice Bill! Thanks for the answers.

...The Adams has a spot on the left side of the fuel cell that a rectangular tank will fit in nicely. Jim Schings at SR Racing www.sracing.com made a tank up for Gomez Adams and could most likely build a clone that would drop in.

Unfortunately (for me) the fuel cell was replaced - the new one comes within 1 3/4" of the rollcage on the driver's side and has a puke tank built into the cell cover which takes up a chunk of the space behind the crossmember.

[Bill Bonow]

John,

In looking at this photo of the engine bay of your car: http://norcalfv.proboards19.com/inde...lay&thread=379
It looks pretty close to the area available we had in Gomez. I'd hope the overflow tank could be relocated? The tank was pretty narrow (~ 2") and the new owner just sort of removed bodywork to make it fit. You can see the tank from this side shot:



A little creativity with fiberglass and Wah-Lah, the tank is hidden.

[problemchild]

It is a challenge installing a dry sump oil tank in a short WB car designed for wet sump.


I created a removeable bulkhead and a slide-forward fuel cell so I could squeese it all in and be able to tighten everything up. It is still a PITA but the best compromise I could find. Atleast my oil tank is nice and low. It is a modified (shortened) Saldana tank as used on Midgets.





Cheers!

[problemchild]

I require about 6 1/2 qts to fill my system which was about the same as I used wet sump. Having watched through the filler, I expect that it would function from about 4+ qts but the oil seemed much calmer above 6 qts. The extra capacity is like insurance IMO .... just more time to notice there is a problem and shut it down!

[JohnnyOTS]

So I ask a question and who do I get replies from? The man responsible for championing the class in the first place, and the triple-champion! I love FST! Thank you Gentlemen So Much!

[Geno]

[quote=Bill Bonow;197359]John,

The Evolution "currently" use a 6 quart "off the shelf" tank. Some are running 4 quart tanks and I think that is about the safe minimum. The Evolution is most likely going to a custom tank as the cost of the Pace tanks we have been using have almost doubled. The new design is just shy of 5 quarts.



Bill,

Can you provide pictures and dimesnions of the old tank and how it fits into the EVO chassis?

Cheers, geno

[Bill Bonow]

Geno,

The Evolution was using a Pace tank from Pegasus, but the price almost doubled in a very short time. We are now starting to use a custom built tank that is less money and fits our application much better.

Here is the Pace tank set up:



Here is the new custom tank:



The new tank will hold about 4 1/2 to 5 quarts and sits much lower in the chassis.

To answer your Pace tank fitment question, it was a tight squeeze. The tank was 7" in diameter and 18" tall. The mount was a simple bracket with hose clamps around the tank that attached via 10-32 screws into to the roll bar bulkhead structure.

I can get specific photos if needed.

[Geno]

Bill,

Thanks very much for the great response and patience with the questions......! It looks like the new tank will work very well. What are the dimensions of the new tank and do you have a picture of the new tank with the engine in the car?

I also sent you a PM

Cheers, geno

[Bill Bonow]

Geno,

No photos of the new tank with the engine in as it is still in progress. The new tank is pretty straight forward. 3" x 5 1/2" x 24" tall. SRacing is building the tanks off of a simple drawing. They've built a number of custom tanks for various FST's with some basic info.

With a little luck, the engine and tank will be installed this weekend. I'll get some photos and post them here.

[dd46637]

My new tank should be done this week. 3x5x24 My volume calculator says it will hold 6.2 quarts. Plenty of oil for our engines.

Dave

[winsmith]

There is no set volume for any dry sump system. The size of the tank, length of lines, filter capacity all figure in. The best rule is with the motor running the tank should be 2/3rds full. Start with measuring how much it takes to fill the tank 2/3rds full, start the motor and measure the amount to add to get the tank to the 2/3rds amount. That is your capacity. If you get air in the line you can kill an engine quick.