72 Midget Dumb questions for the day

[Grampy]

Hello all
I'm building a vintage Midget and since I've been hauling this car around for years and still have a ways to go I bought an old SCCA 72 car. With your help I've got it running strong. I was at a vintage weekend at Roebling and found many cars running an accusump so I purchased one and I've ordered the fittings needed. First dumb question. My oil lines leave the lower side of the engine ( where the filter was) go through the oil cooler up to the filter and return to the upper rear side of the engine. so I will put the accusump in between the filter and the upper return, with a check valve, do I have the flow right?
Cooling the new car does not have a fan, appears to be a new radiator. In my boxes of parts I have a thermostat block out sleeve what does this do and should I be using one in this car. FYI I'm in South Carolina and will run in 60deg temps Jan and 100 deg June.

 

[vagt6]

Hello Grampy and welcome to the BCF fray!

You might try posting this question in the "Spridets" forum on this website, lots of good knowledge over there.

Sorry, I don't know the answer on this one. Hap Waldrop will, find him in the Spridgets forum.

Good luck!

 

[ChrisS]

My oil lines leave the lower side of the engine ( where the filter was) go through the oil cooler up to the filter and return to the upper rear side of the engine. so I will put the accusump in between the filter and the upper return, with a check valve, do I have the flow right?

No, the oil comes out the upper side drivers right and then goes to the filter. The check valve needs to stop backwards flow to the upper side drivers right port.

In my boxes of parts I have a thermostat block out sleeve what does this do and should I be using one in this car.

The sleeve helps keep the flow right in the head, it simulates an open thermostat but with less restriction. I use one in similar driving temps.

 

[RonMacPherson]

A couple of books by Carroll Smith might become the cornerstone of your technical library.

Prepare TO Win and Engineer to Win. He has written others that I also include in my library as basic texts..

 

[JerryB]

I was at a vintage weekend at Roebling and found many cars running an accusump so I purchased one and I've ordered the fittings needed. First dumb question. My oil lines leave the lower side of the engine ( where the filter was) go through the oil cooler up to the filter and return to the upper rear side of the engine. so I will put the accusump in between the filter and the upper return, with a check valve, do I have the flow right?"""""""""""

Heres what I suggest instead of using an external check valve. Use a Canton # 22-625 oil filter mount. (cantonracingproducts.com) it has two inlets and two outlets. This uses a Ford type spin on filter that has an internal check valve in the filter. Plumb in from the cooler to in.....out from the boss to "in" on the back of the case (block). Plumb the Accusump hose to the second in and use a pipe plug in the fourth bung. You can use a Fram HP1 filter or a Wix 51515 filter. The Wix will filter smaller particles but the Fram will have a higher flow rate. I use the Wix. You can get diagrams in the Canton catalog and also in the Moroso catalog...lots of good info on filters and Accusumps.


Cooling the new car does not have a fan, appears to be a new radiator. In my boxes of parts I have a thermostat block out sleeve what does this do and should I be using one in this car. FYI I'm in South Carolina and will run in 60deg temps Jan and 100 deg June.""""""""

You should be using the blanking sleeve in stead of a thermostat. That correctly ditributes the water flow. Block off the bypass hose fitting in the front of the head (underneath the front) with a pipe plug and the spigot hole in the water pump (with a 1/8" pipe plug).If the radiator you have is working rite and you have correct air ducting to it , you should be able to run the car at 180* or less in a 100* day. In cold weather you want to tape or block part of the grille so as to run the motor at 175* which is the water temp the A motor likes to see. Oil temp should be 220*. Dont forget to warm up the oil in the accusump when you warm up the car.

 

[bobmga62]

FYI..I have run an accusump within my G prod spitfire (now H) for years...

but, I only use it for pre-oiling the engine....If you are using an accusump, to supplement the oil pressure... you got serious problems that you shouldn't be using the accusump for....personally., I never run it within a race.. a big dimwit oil light once below 30lbs is what I like.. and if that goes on, thats when you hit the accusump on, and turn the ignition switch off..

and talk about pre-oiling.. finally switched to synthetic oil after many years of heavy duty castrol and such..

feel much more confident with oil up to operation with the synthetic... (btw run it in my street mga now... and boy, it likes to leak even more than dinosaur oil...

put the accusump in, but use it sparingly...

r

 

[Deleted member 3577]

Manual valve is better than the electronic one...

(Remote ones available with a cable)

I have a solenoid one with a 30 lb switch I'll sell cheap because it doesn't work very well :thumbsup:

 

[Michael Oritt]

I have the automatic switch setup on the Elva with a two-quart cylinder.

Given the rate the MG engine pumps oil--perhaps 50 quarts per minute at high revs--the Accusump will only supply a couple of second's oil in case of a catastrophic loss of pressure but it is better than nothing. I am always happy to hear a gush of fluid and see the OP guage come up to 65 psi when I flick on the ignition switch and the Accusump automatic valve opens.