Ecotec V6 Dry sump

[vlad01]

Looks very similar to the factory PS pump. I was speaking to Clarko up in QLD about maybe making a kit for the VN-VR to take one of these motor sport type PS pumps as he's done with the ecos. It's getting so hard to find good pumps for them now and no internal parts to rebuilt them any more. I think the main issue with VN-VR was the in/out of those pumps just don't clear or allow any hoses to be run on those engines in the factory location. But that pump might just fit?

[immortality]

I've been staring at this picture for a while now and am struggling to understand how this doesn't wreck the crank and valve train with no balancer?

Any one have any ideas how this would survive?

Maybe they have modified the crank and change it to internal balance?

[Gareth]

Looks very similar to the factory PS pump. I was speaking to Clarko up in QLD about maybe making a kit for the VN-VR to take one of these motor sport type PS pumps as he's done with the ecos. It's getting so hard to find good pumps for them now and no internal parts to rebuilt them any more. I think the main issue with VN-VR was the in/out of those pumps just don't clear or allow any hoses to be run on those engines in the factory location. But that pump might just fit?

That is a Sweet 1300 pump, all alloy. Seems to be the same bolt pattern as ecotec?

[Gareth]

I've been staring at this picture for a while now and am struggling to understand how this doesn't wreck the crank and valve train with no balancer?

Any one have any ideas how this would survive?

Maybe they have modified the crank and change it to internal balance?

But what absorbs the "whipping" of the crank?

[immortality]

Don't know. Maybe they were willing to sacrifice engine life for another .1 per lap? Maybe more with less rotating mass it will accelerate faster?

[vlad01]

I believe this is the reason they broke cranks and blew up constantly early in the series. They then switched from stock to a Scat billet/forged (not sure which) crank and that "fixed" the problem. They are pretty reliable considering the rpm and the limited suspension travel that causes them to jut a lot around the track and flutter the engine rpm as a result. Calder park with it's bad quality track was notorious for breaking cranks on these cars before switching to billet ones.

Valve train as far as I have seen have next to no issues. Actually surprises me as their setup is very "chev" like.

Biggest issue I have seen in recent years on these engines/cars is ARP bolt failures which is a thing, ARP are know to have had bad batches over the years. The FH guys swear by Carr bolts and have no failures but like mentioned the ARP ones have had random failures often enough to fall into the known bad batches. Having no harmonic damper is asking for trouble though. I def would not run without one, but I feel the 80s and 90s, motor sports was a bit dumb and trailed understanding and engineering knowledge the OEMs had at the time.

These days, all good engine builders know the importance of having a damper, even if it adds mass.

[Gareth]

Some more progress, now to start the plumbing.

[vlad01]

It's a shame Ross got bought out all those years ago and stopped making dampers outside primarily the JDM market.

[vlad01]

Came across this relevant video, the guy in it is really goofy but some interesting and surprising results with the oil windage.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk7r0TL0Or4

[Gareth]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaTbfvzNbxQ

Can't get a better visual than this