R32 Sedan - Grip and Drift (have my cake and eat it too build)

[Duncan]

No, none of our classes allow E85, and yes I check it regularly (every engine change) and there has been no deterioration, just a bit of discolouration

[soviet_merlin]

6 minutes ago, Duncan said:

No, none of our classes allow E85, and yes I check it regularly (every engine change)

Huh, you are driving a Subaru now?

Or maybe it is you who is driving up RB prices...

[CRSKmD]

25 minutes ago, Duncan said:

No, none of our classes allow E85, and yes I check it regularly (every engine change) and there has been no deterioration, just a bit of discolouration

I hope you mean engine oil change haha

[Duncan]

14 minutes ago, soviet_merlin said:

Huh, you are driving a Subaru now?

Or maybe it is you who is driving up RB prices...

 

2 minutes ago, CRSKmD said:

I hope you mean engine oil change haha

I didn't mis-type

[MBS206]

1 hour ago, CRSKmD said:

I hope you mean engine oil change haha

Duncan often changes engines before changing the oil...

[Duncan]

16 minutes ago, MBS206 said:

Duncan often changes engines before changing the oil...

Indeed, it is much easier to get at the filter with the engine on a stand

[MBS206]

27 minutes ago, Duncan said:

Indeed, it is much easier to get at the filter with the engine on a stand

You don't need to lean as far to pour the oil in, or change the spark plugs either 😛

[CRSKmD]

On 3/11/2025 at 3:56 PM, MBS206 said:

You don't need to lean as far to pour the oil in, or change the spark plugs either 😛

the ergonomics are real

[CRSKmD]

I made a little more progress last night and added some E85 safe fuel tank baffle foam in behind the stock cam cover baffle plate. 

It still feels really wrong shoving foam inside the engine but apparently its fine based on it pretty much being the MINES/Hi-Octane RB26 cam baffle kit and the few posts here I have found of people doing it and the lack of posts saying the foam broke down and ruined the motor... Still plan to check it frequently though lol

The last step for this round of oil control modifications I plan to make is to add some -12AN fittings to the cam covers and connect them to some (already existing luckily) -12AN fittings on the sump. Basically a sudo head drain/sump breather/pressure equaliser without having to remove the motor and do the one on the rear of the head.

My plan is to add them to either the tops or the sides of the cam covers at the back. unless there is a compelling reason to have them at the front on the sides which i have seen a few times though they were all on RB26 cam covers from memory so that may be due to the stock breathers being on the back and the integral baffle being different ?

 

 

[GTSBoy]

It won't likely matter where along the cam covers you put the big fittings. I would suggest putting them on the sides if you can, simply because it will reduce the flow up through the baffles and thus reduce the amount of oil that gets put into the foam. It might not matter, but it seems like something to consider as a worthwhile thing to avoid.

[CRSKmD]

9 minutes ago, GTSBoy said:

It won't likely matter where along the cam covers you put the big fittings. I would suggest putting them on the sides if you can, simply because it will reduce the flow up through the baffles and thus reduce the amount of oil that gets put into the foam. It might not matter, but it seems like something to consider as a worthwhile thing to avoid.

That's a good point. The rears of the covers themselves have no baffling at all though.
Higher up more chance of air for venting the crank case. Lower on the side more likely to be submerged.

I might be able to fit them on the sides but with both the sump drain fittings being on the drivers side the passenger one will need to make a U Turn and be nearer the turbo. But it will look neat being not up on top.

Edited March 12 by CRSKmD

[Duncan]

If you do go with drain back, make sure everything is foam or wool filled so it actually does something, and ensure there is a screen somewhere in the drain to catch anything that comes loose from the packing. I don't drain back

[MBS206]

There's a Vic drifter who has a vid on YouTube where he does some head drains like your setup, and gets them in some good spots and it also stops the potential for oil pooling in the hose and reducing its effective diameter.

[CRSKmD]

2 minutes ago, MBS206 said:

There's a Vic drifter who has a vid on YouTube where he does some head drains like your setup, and gets them in some good spots and it also stops the potential for oil pooling in the hose and reducing its effective diameter.

Cam Marton or something?

[MBS206]

15 minutes ago, CRSKmD said:

Cam Marton or something?

Can't remember, sorry! It was while I was going around for random stuff last week with COVID

[CRSKmD]

Getting holes drilled into to cam covers and AN10 fitting welded on.
My sump has 2x AN10 fittings on it already.
These are the options I have come up with that can be done without needing to remove the sump to add more fittings.

In all options front of passenger side cover connects to VCT head drain bung (i know this isn't the best spot but my feeling is it must do something).

Option 1 (pink). The back of each cam covers gets its own line to sump.

Option 2 (blue). The back of each cam covers are linked and share a line to sump. The front of drivers side gets its own line.

Option 3 (Black). Drivers side are Tee'd together and share a line to the sump. Passenger side rear gets its one line to the sump.

[GTSBoy]

I dunno. I think any one of those from each side to sump is probably enough. Remember - this is about creating a path for gas flow up from the sump to the cam covers. That gas flow then has to leave via the lines to the catch can. There's probably little point in providing 100% more capacity from sump up to covers cf. what you have from there to the catch can.

Put in the 3 convenient ones? Any which way that you see fit. That'd be my thoughts.

[CRSKmD]

My plan is to go the pink option. But still add the 4th fitting near the oil cap and just cap it off for now. 
That way I can add 2 extra to the sump and have 4 dedicated breathers/drains if I ever remove the sump for any reason. 

[MBS206]

Realistically, if you're trying to give airflow up from the sump, to the breathers, and then that excess will vent through the catchcan, skip the cam covers, and take sump straight to the catch can.

[GTSBoy]

^^ It's a valid point. Sometimes you (and in this case, I) stand too close to the problem to see the solution.

The oil control thread eventually came to a recommendation about running lines from cam covers and sump to the catch can.