waddisme

See POST #12 for update:

Found this on fleabay for pretty good deal:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SETRA...item4157b991d7

Oil was 295* at VIR this weekend in 89* ambients after only 5 laps. 1 cool down lap and it was back to 272*. However, it fills my catchcan and then gets all over my motor when that hot. Using Amsoil 10/40 but same when using Amsoil 20/50 last year, except it didn't spew all over motor. Currently have B&M 70274 cooler w-10an lines. Coolant stays at 200* so I know it is not an airflow issue. Oil pressure was 28lbs at that temp if that matters.

Wasserott

That's what i use. Beauty of Setrab is you can change the ends between -10 and -12 AN fitting. That's about the right size as well.

travisnd

Oil shouldn't be getting that hot with a cooler already in place. If its filling up the catch can in one session then you're pressurizing the crank case which generally means blow-by or something amiss in the valvetrain.

waddisme

Actually, can filled up on previous day. This was only the 2nd time I have done a 2 day event, so I didn't think to check it until after it was splattered on motor. I ran the next session shifting at 5500 rpms and oil stayed below 275* and c can did not have even a teaspoon of oil in it. I might be dealing with 2 separate issues here, but when oil doesn't get extremely hot, it doesn't spew or fill up can. I ran 20/50 for first 2 years on new motor and still oil would break the 290* barrier w/eoc, and it was suggested I try a thinner oil before going to bigger cooler. Bigger cooler seems like next logical step.

Bills Z06

I use a Seatrab oil cooler also. Good stuff! What type of oil catch can are you using? Is it plumbed correctly? It's very easy to get the lines wrong when installing it. Did you install it yourself or was it already on the car when you bought it? If it is installed correctly, then I agree with travisnd about the pressurization problem.

RX-Ben

I would not put anything other than an Earl's/Mocal/Setrab on the car (if air cooling the oil). The 40 row is huge. I would say too big unless you are into the 500hp and flog the car.

waddisme

Can was installled 4 years ago by Williams Perf in Mooresville and has worked fine.

Car is na at 513 rwhp and yes, I flogged it all weekend at VIR. I had an instructor for all 7 sessions and he never let me take a turn off let alone a session. Setrab says this size is good for 450-600hp. Coolant temps never get above 190* until oil gets hot, then it will get to 205* so I think there is enough rooom to fit it in front of rad.

Thanks everyone.

RX-Ben

Yikes. Keep in mind that you will be in double digit oil temps on the highway unless you cover it/run a t-stat.

waddisme

I have a tstat that I never put on my old set up. Jury was still out on whether or not it would constrict flow. I made a homemade cover that I used when not at track for old one, so may try that first. Thanks.

waddisme

Do you have yours mounted in front of ac condensor on bottom, or to one side? Running a tstat also? TIA.

Pumba

Some of you may be aware that I use to have a vent cap atop my right-hand valve cover:





This worked fine for me, along with two catch cans, and Smith Brothers oil flow restricting pushrods until earlier this year. In early August after I changed my transmission ratios in my C6 ZR1 trans and I installed the C6 ZR1 differential, for which you can only get a 3.42:1 ring and pinion, I ran into a situation where oil blew out of the vent cap.

My home track is Waterford Hills in Clarkston, Michigan. Waterford has a long left-hand turn called Swamp Turn. With the change in final drive ratio, I was coming through Swamp at 6,500 to 7,100 rpms. This was a much higher engine speed than when I had my 4.10:1 final drive ratio.

The result was oil blowing out of the vent cap, dropping down on the right-side of the engine, coating everything, including the headers. Lots of smoke and a BLACK flag.

So, before I went to Road America for the Corvette World Tribute I needed a solution.

The solution was to throw away the vent cap. I took another cap and drilled and tapped it to accept a 1/8 NPT 90-degree barbed elbow. To the elbow I attached a 3/8-inch I.D. fuel line and ran it into a brass tee, to which I had earlier connected the hose between the top of the right valve cover nipple and the catch can inlet:





From the outlet of the catch can I took another 3/8-inch fuel line and plumbed it over to the right front wheel well area where the battery use to reside. I fed the open end of the hose into a one-pint plastic bottle that I mounted in the wheel well:





I was taking no chances. If the valve cover catch can filled up, I wanted an overflow bottle.

After each track session at Road America, I checked both of my catch cans for oil. The result; there was no significant oil in either can. Remember, Road America does not have any sustained high G left-hand turns.

Back at Waterford with the new system, the catch can attached to the right-hand valve cover had about 1-inch of oil in it after each track session.

With those two tracks as a reference, I now drive on tracks that have sustained high G left-hand turns with the system shown above. For normal street driving and tracks like Road America that do not have those sustained high G left turns I run the system shown below:




The small piece in the top of the catch can is 1/8 NPT - 90 micron air compressor breather that allows the valve cover catch can to vent to atmosphere.

-

waddisme

Update:

Weather Sat at VIR was about 12* cooler than last month if that matters. Oil temps with Setrab never got above 253* even after a full session of thrashing and tapping rev limiter. Apparently, it is doing its job. Coolant temps were about 10* higher than normal, 198* vs normal 189* (Dewitts), but I guess that should be expected seeing oil cooler covers 1/2 of radiator now. I have to say I am please with results even with the effort it took to install. Did get about 2oz of oil in catch can after 2 hard sessions, but never had oil puking on the motor.