Mike Simard

I just pulled the oil pan off of a 79 and my eyes bugged out when I saw the fine mesh screen that seperates the sump from the crankcase.

For a track car, I can't picture the oil getting down to the sump very well and it seems like it would be beaten into a froth by the crankshaft which in turn makes it even harder to get down the the sump. When did this oil pickup/sump style change? Is this something that everyone should change before seeing track use on an early car? Are there more oil pickup/sump configurations or is it just early and late?

In my case I'm going to use a pickup from an 87 and try to resist the urge to build sump trap doors, I just wanted to get this engine ready for temporary duty.

RyanPerrella

i dont think that pan has seen daylight since it was screwed onto the block 28 plus years ago.

Mike Simard

Yea, it's like unsealing an ancient vault. Isn't it exciting?!

hacker-pschorr

I dumped that setup on my 81, and will on my 79 once I pull the pan off.

AO

Mumified!

BC

Mike - the plastic plunger type of pickup, with the full screen is just not there on the post (IIRC) 85 motors. Maybe even before that. But all that is sure as hell there through 82. So maybe it ended with 83 or 84. The pickup is as you describe for the 85+ motors - metal with a screen at the bottom (Which was not clean in my 89 motor)

Louie put in a whole sump cover over that area, and gave it a drop down shape around the pickup at about an inch or 1.5 inches.

I took some interesting pictures when I was trialfitting your girdle to my bottom engine half with the pan, so I can see how the scraper will interact with your aluminum spacer/girdle - even with 3/8 its damn close at the middle and back to the crank - probably even closer with a stroker crank.

Are you doing a dry sump for your 7L? The regular engines still need something to separate the deep sump area from the rest of the engine. At least a 1-2 inch rim around the deep area at the edges so its no so easy for ALL of it to simply roll back under accelleration into the flat area, or climb up the front by the crank at the front under braking.

Honestly, I think this clusterFk of an area is the worst part of the whole 928. But I still love them.

Mike Simard

Louie has already addressed this? The guy is amazing

So do the later one-piece pickups use anything inside the pan like the plastic 4 leaf clover looking thing?
The PET is confusing, it lists that screen for the early years but also has the same part# for all years of the pickup tube.

I wonder what the percentage of bearing failures is with and without the screen?

I'm drysumping my 7L engine. It will have something for windage that will probably be usable in normal engines, we'll see.

If any car was ever able to survice on track with that fine mesh screen in place it speaks of the strength and virility of 928 engines!

BC

The screen was clear on my 81 and 78 motors. So I think it may depend on usage and oil type. But...

There was no plastic thingy in the pan on any motor I have seen personally before 82. I think they knew the oil starvation issues, and were "trying new things"


All years have the metal pickup with the metal bowl as the the ref part number? Which means they superceded? Well, then to me that means they REALLY didn't like the plastic bowl one.

drnick

mike, ive copied louis otts idea and put a metal plate over the deep part of the sump at the front with a hole for the pickup - i am still seeing fluctuations in oil pressure in corners. my guess is that if the screen you have there was not so varnished it would probably work with hot oil dopping through and might usefully reduce windage. it looks like the i-johnson setup closes of the lower part of the sump with only fine gaps to allow oil to pass through as well.

Rick Carter

Hi Mike,
I'm interested in the "something for windage". As of now I'm strongly considering the crank scraper.
Thanks

SwayBar

There is no doubt that the best way to go for a real crank-scraper windage-system for the 928 is Ishihara-Johnson's! Anything else, and you're just kidding yourself, and will be second-class at best.

C'mon, these motors are too expensive to be fooling around otherwise!

And he does have a dry-sump version for the 928.

Mike Simard

Swaybar, I don't think it's right to call something "second-class at best" when you have no idea what it is and why it is that way.

Mike Simard

Nick, does you pan look like this with the 4 walls around the pickup area? I don't know which pans have this or all of them but it looks like it could keep the oil from moving around.

Mike Simard

Rick, it would be a pleasure! The crank scraper is probably a fine piece.

My windage 'tray' will basically be a louvered steel shield intended to allow oil to return and not be battered. I want to avoid screen materials and would prefer ruggedness and simplicity although louvers add complexity. I'll post some pics when it's ready.

Disclaimer: I like to design and make my own stuff because this is my dear 928 project and is a labor of love. Whatever I design and build is the result of that desire and is no indication of how I regard your friend's/mechanic's/whoever's product. If I were building a house I would probably make my own nails. If what I do bothers you feel free to ignore me and do your own thing.

928nut

Mike, I am about to drop the pan on my '79. Does it come down straightforward after you remove all bolts and break the gasket bond ? I think I read something about the "guts"
hanging up on the screen, etc. Since you just did yours, can you clarify if there are any hidden issues, pointers. Thanks

928nut