Hey all

I have just recently started tracking my Z at road courses. So far, just Mid Ohio a couple times and Putnam Park. I have an 04 Z and it has 70k on it. I have taken excellent care of it since I have owned it at 58k, but I am unsure of the healthiness of the engine. It is not my daily driver. I only drive it when its nice out and at the track. I am worried about oil starvation issues from tracking it and all the cornering. Does anyone know of any oil ban baffles or anything like that I could use? What do you guys use in your track cars? A dry sump would be best, but I am not tearing out the whole engine for that. Please let me know your guys thoughts.

Thanks
Dominic

 

it's really not a huge issue on the DE's for a variety of reasons, and really a non issue if it's doing dual duty as a street car too

engine health wise, do a compression check and ensure your car isn't eating oil and pressure is per factory specs.

 

You have several choices:

Spacer
Larger pan
oil cooler

 

Actually it is an issue with DE's depending on track and tires...

 

For hard track use I would add a baffled oil pan if available and an accusump for racing conditions...Anyone know of a good baffled oil pan for road racing??

 

I've done alot of time on a short tack(lime rock) on r comps (ao48) and never ran into even a hint of an issue with a bone stock oil system. The pickup design on these engines and the stock baffle plate dint really lend themselves to being issue prone from what I've seen first hand

 

I have run on Hoosiers and had issues in sweepers with low oil pressure many times and BFG R1's also....

 

I know some people have also had a bit of an issue on roval courses as well......that being said, for the vast majority of track use.....the stock oil system does pretty well.

 

I actually spun a bearing on motor #1 due to oil pressure, long story that I won't go into here, but...

I would recommend an oil pan spacer and/or a baffled pan.

For long term I would deffinitely look at a cooler setup.

Mid_Ohio is not that bad as far as sustained sweepers or high G turns.

If you plan on coming to VIR some time let me know, but you'll want a oil solution for that track

I'm not suggesting that you go to the extent I went to, but you'll want something. There is something to be said for long term motor health and oil preservation

 

Yes me too, engine toasted...

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I was looking for advice from guys that have been tracking for awhile and it looks like I got it. I am still fairly new to road racing. Anyway...I haven't looked into an oil cooler yet, but how are the oil temps on the DE's? I don't have an oil temp gauge, but I am considering getting one soon. Also, I know there are several types of oil pan spacers out there, but what about baffles?

Thanks again guys.

 

There are a couple of pans with baffels integrated into them, like the Power Enterprise and I think the Greddy, but on those becareful of ebay knockoffs. I've seen a couple that the casting was so poor that oil seeped through the aluminum and leaked. We fixed it by powder coating the interior and exterior of the pan, but it was a strange occurnace for sure.

I run a stock pan, with a JWT spacer and a HUGE oil cooler that came off of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck, I'm running 11 quarts of oil, the hottest I've ever seen my oil was 238F. In the cooler months I actually have to cover part of the cooler to let the oil get to temp. I'm not saying that you need to go that radical, but there are several nice oil cooler kits out there to do the job well, or you can piece one together yourself.

 

Have any pics of that oil cooler set-up lightning?

 

Hre ya go, the under the hood stuff is just a sandwich adapter and -8AN lines. I can get ya pictures of that when I get home tomorrow.

 

I run the Stillen Oil Cooler and no issues now....

 

That thing is massive Lightning. Appreciate the pics!

 

You can run 11 gallons of oil in you car with only a JWT spacer and the extra capacity of the oil cooler?

Also, about your max 238F oil temp, are you running NA or FI? I got 250F on a really hot, traffic filled day in Socal, but my oil cooler is MUCH smaller than yours (lol, nice monster you got there, I wish I had space for that, but can't with my intercooler)

 

11 quarts not gallons .....big difference lol.....He's NA as well.

 

Lol..oh yeah that's what I mean...

That still a lot of oil...

 

Don't get the Stillen Oil Pan as it is not baffled....The oil cooler keeps the temps inline...The Greddy TT oil pan is OK as it has two baffles...With the Stillen oil pan oil pressure was dropping under 30psi in high speed sweepers at Willow Springs Turns 2 and 9...Hope that helps...