Newbie with Oil Pan questions, Aviaid pan

[FFR6870]

Has anybody used the Aviaid pan and had any track time? How did it do compared to whatever you had before? I am trying to avoid the 385 oil starvation issue when tracking. Well, honestly for me it'll just be a road car, with occasional drag racing.

If you are running an Aviaid pan, are you also running a cooler? What size lines? -10 AN, -12 AN?

Are you running and AccuSump as well? If so, where did you run the oil lines? What valve did you use?

I'm sorry for the rapid fire questions, but I am about to re-build a stroker 460 (521), and am trying to get my ducks in a row on what I need to purchase.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
FFR6870 aka Brad

[D-CEL]

Hey Brad,

I currently have: Aviaid pan, cooler and Accusump with -12 lines and the electric valve. The starvation issue is real, proper oil level is crucial. The 385 series tend to hold a lot of oil up top, so the recommendation is to enlarge and radius the oil return passages in the block and heads. It is also recommended that you enlarge the pump to filter pad feed hole from 1/2” to 9/16” and blend those entrances. (http://www.highflowdynamics.net)

Jason

[FFR6870]

Thank you Jason, I greatly appreciate your answer. The block and rotating assembly is going to be gone through by a machine shop, I will take the website you referenced and ask to have the modifications made.

I have heard others say that running an oil cooler could actually contribute to the starvation issue, but I see you are using the -12 AN lines. Do you track the car? If so, with your setup, is the problem "fixed"?

Thank you again for your response.

[D-CEL]

Brad,

Imo, the cooler doesn’t negatively affect the system from a starvation perspective. The coolers capacity and flow restrictions are fixed and compensated for.
Yes I track the car and I would say it helps alot but doesn’t “fix” the problem completely. In long turns at high rpm the oil hangs in the valley, heads and the pump will suck the pick-up area dry, that’s when your accumulator volume come to the rescue.
I think the only real fix (albeit expensive) is a dry sump. I am putting one on my new motor.

Jason

[FFR6870]

My car initially will be used as just a street cruiser, with maybe 2 or 3 trips to the dragstrip a year. I don't really plan on tracking the car all THAT much, but I don't want to rule it out either. I was thinking, for now, considering what my "wants" are for the car, I might stick with the stock pan, but add a 3QT AccuSump. The "stock" pan that I have is a front sump.

In your personal opinion (or anybody that's reading this), do you think that would be descent for what I want to do? Or would it be better for me to step up the pan, and maybe get a rear sump?

As always, thanks!

[D-CEL]

Brad,

Here is a story for you. The first owner of my car (SPF 239) had a Canton road race pan. While racing the car (on a banked track) it oil starved and killed a rod, piston and cylinder liner (alum block) When the motor was rebuilt, he went with the Aviaid pan and the Accusump. That was in 1999/2000, 12 yrs later the motor still has 65 psi at idle. The other benefit of the Accusump is its ability to pre-oil the motor during startup. turn the key to the ACC position and wait for the oil pressure to come up, then start it, never turns over dry.

I would go with the Aviaid and Accusump, you will be money ahead in the long run


Jason

[FFR6870]

That is what I will do. Thank you so much Jason, you have been a terrific help.