So I will be doing an HPDE for the first time in my Evo here in Utah at Miller Motorsports Park. I'm excited.

However, I was thinking about some of the horror stories I've heard about Evo's locally that went out on track and ended up spinning a bearing due to oil starvation.

I plan on running 20w-50 out on track, but I wanted to know from some of the more experienced guys out there if an Accusump system is a good idea, or if I'm being paranoid. Now by good idea, I mean is it overkill for a novice such as myself, who will not be running the car at more than 7/10ths?

I'm mostly concerned with the longevity of the motor. No, it is not my DD, and yes, I am fully aware that racing it will have a direct effect on it's lifespan.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

 

of all the evos i've worked on running track time, i've never seen an oil starvation problem. i have seen an evo spin a bearing on the track, but coincidentally, it was bone stock, and the dealer fixed it under warranty. i suspect it was low on oil to begin with before going out on the track.

i personally had my oil PUMP begin to fail on the track, and i've also had the oil cooler banjo bolt back out a little spraying the track with oil (and consequently starving my motor for oil). neither of which were problems you'll see with a BPU car. mine was pushing 600whp.

we usually keep the oil full, and check it regularly through out the weekend. and i wouldn't add the accusump. just one more failure point IMO.

 

Awesome! Thank you for the quick reply. I'm just trying to budget everything out so that I have a car that's safe and reliable. Good to know.

 

Put in a half quart of extra oil, that's the poor mans trick.

 

Agreed. If you get an oil pressure gauge, you'll see the pressure dip in hard right-handers (along with the fuel coincidentally).

Potential starvation is directly related to extended g-forces. So unless you're running super sticky rubber on high banking for an extended time, you're danger level is minimal. Keep the maintenance up; change the oil often and keep it filled; etc.

 

Check the oil often.. I have 133k miles on my stock block/turbo and I've been tracking it for 7 years. 50-60 track days easy.. These cars are tanks!!

 

Depending on the configuration of MMP, there are only a few hard right handers, I can think of one that's uphill as well. As far as oil goes, since we're on the topic, anyone able to recommend me a decent oil? I've used RP a lot in the past and have always like their 20-50 weight.

 

Keep in mind all this advice of "add a bit of oil" and "you'll be fine" stops applying when you increase grip levels well beyond stock. Add some real aero, really sticky tires, and better suspension and you'll want more oil safety (and fuel for that matter). Accusumps are a common addition to that level of track cars, and the next step would be a full blown dry sump.

 

Hardly worth mentioning those things to a first time HPDE'r, don't you think?

 

Yeah, I'll be out on street tires with very few suspension mods beyond the standard sways and some crappy well-used coils. The car is wingless atm, which I hope to at least have the factory wing on before I go. Also, I'm putting down 300 to the wheels, which is much more than I need, hence why I won't be going over 7-8/10ths until I feel ready.