Sprints & Engine Advice

[anonymous-user]

Hello all, glad Christmas is over, my belly is bloated...

Im setting my car up for sprinting at the mo, and it occurred to me I should ask about the engine (too busy on the set up!). Any prolems with RV8s (such as lubrication/oil starvation) anything I should be taking into account...

Cheers

[shpub]

Look at the class regs as they will dictate what you can and can't do within the class. As for oil lubrication. Make sure it is topped up. That will be fine.

[anonymous-user]

Cheers Steve. I have been reading your web site and done some research. It occurred to me that I hadn’t thought much about the engine. My mate prompted me to ask the question after we remembered his Ginneta G32 suffered oil surge problems and he had to do some mods.

Thanks.

>> Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 27th December 12:13

>> Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 27th December 12:13

[chassis 33]

Oil surge can be a problem with standard sumps. People like John Eales do "trap-door" baffle sumps for about £200, which is quite a few beer tokens but cheaper than a blued crankshaft because it ran without oil!

The engine can also retain a fair amount of oil under the rocker covers and in the lifter galleries. On modification to do is to drill a couple of holes in the front of the block to allow oil to drain into the timing case (which also helps lubricate the timing gear).

Another cunning mod is to redrill the cam bearing oil holes 180deg out, with a smaller hole. The cam is typically over lubricated so suffers no ill effect from a slightly reduced amount of oil, the up shot is that when the cam bearings bed in and loosen up left oil is lost from here meaning there is greater pressure at the bottom end of the system. Be very careful to get the bearings fitted correctly though!

Des Hammill's Power Tune book has most of the above info in, as does the David Hardcastle. Most V8 engine specialists will be able to advise you too.

Regards
Iain

[GreenV8S]

Oil surge tends to be more of a problem at track days where the tyres get a lot hotter. If you do find you have trouble with it, try overfilling the sump by 10mm or so.

[lazyitus]

Just a thought..

The 350i is a great car to sprint. I did a couple of sprints in my old 350i, one of which was at 3 sisters in Wigan.

I did OK for my first outing setting a semi decent time for my first sprint. The next time I sprinted at 3 sisters was in my Griff500 and naturally (for a learner) I thought the Griff would be far quicker.

How wrong I was. For all the grunt and power advantage that the Griff has, I only managed to knock minimal time off my first sprint in the wedge.

The lesson learnt in my really basic sprinting experience was that the wedge is more suited to sprinting than the Griff, particularly on a twisty track. Driver skills come into the equation massively but from my experience, a wedge is a better 'twisty track' car than a Griff in basic format. Not as quick but when all's said and done, the far less powerful wedge is easier to drive as a novice than the powerful Griffith.

I love my Griff and if finances allowed, I'd upgrade to Nitrons etc, etc. But ultimately, if I had that spare cash, I'd buy a cheap wedge and keep the Griff for best.

Good luck in your venture. As said above, overfill the oil marker slightly and you shouldn't have a problem for sub-minute long sprints.

[shpub]

I have a John Eales trap door sump on the 520 and had no problems what so ever. I ran the car as standard for several years with the standard sump again with no problems so you should be fine. The important thing is to chcek those oil levels and top up as necessary.

[anonymous-user]

Thanks for the replies gents. I have the David Hardcastle book, some good tips in it. I am concentrating on set up rather than power (as Jon describes, and heard many times before... set up/tyres/driver rather than grunt). I have a spare 3.9 that I will be reconditioning and will do the mods to this next year.

Intresting point about the Griff, I heard they are better than Chims? but in any case, I missed a wedge so much I had to go back to it after having one. My grin returned when I heard that sound again! I think I am just stuck in the 80s!!

Happy New Year All

[wedge]

Glad to hear that another wedge is joining the Hillclimb and Sprint fraternity.
Are you thinking of following a championship that specifically caters for TVR's, such as the TVR Speed or Midland Speed championships?

[dickymint]

wedge said:

Glad to hear that another wedge is joining the Hillclimb and Sprint fraternity. Are you thinking of following a championship that specifically caters for TVR's, such as the TVR Speed or Midland Speed championships?

Hiya Simon, welcome to the Wedge forum. You by any chance related to THE Steve Cole - of SEAC Yellow Racer fame?

[anonymous-user]

Will do the TVR Speed eventauly when I have th car set up well, but I am starting off here first... www.lcamc.org.uk/ the TVRCC is a memeber club. My G32 mate is also sprinting with this club.

[Boosted Ls1]

Overfilling the sump by a small amount is a good idea but a Group A big winged trap door sump is the best 'wet' set up and get the spring loaded pick up to suit. Doubt you will find one of these sumps nowadays.

Next best safety idea is to fit an accusump

Boosted.

[wedge]

Hiya Simon, welcome to the Wedge forum. You by any chance related to THE Steve Cole - of SEAC Yellow Racer fame?[/quote]

Thanks for the welcome. Sorry, no relation to the esteemed ex works driver.
Simon