F4R Dry Sump Oil Pressure

[AAAutosport]

We have a Formula Renault F4R turbo engine with the Renault dry sump installed. We have been slowly upgrading this engine over time to address our issues causing fast wear. One thing I'd like to tackle after a hot weekend at the track is oil pressure. Our car saw 14psi of hot oil pressure at idle and an average of 32psi of hot oil pressure on track. We have another engine with oil squirters removed which still doesn't have the greatest oil pressure (28psi hot idle & 54psi average on track). I have these oil pumps cranked up as high as I could go without modifying the PRV. Is there anything else to do to these engines to help oil pressure? We are using the renault oil filter heat exchanger that connects to the cooling system so we don't have to worry about oil cooler pressure loss. Our oil temps peak to about 240f on track in 98 degree weather.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Do you have vvt? Or is it not used on the formula engines?

The exhaust cam journals wear out and you lose oil pressure there. You can run an oil restrictor in the block to help improve oil pressure as well.

 

[AAAutosport]

Do you have vvt? Or is it not used on the formula engines?

The exhaust cam journals wear out and you lose oil pressure there. You can run an oil restrictor in the block to help improve oil pressure as well.

Yes I believe we are because the sensor is still there and connected to our ECU. Where in the block would you put the oil restrictor?

 

[NorthloopCup]

Yes I believe we are because the sensor is still there and connected to our ECU. Where in the block would you put the oil restrictor?

Right ok. There’s only one place to put the restrictor in the block mate as there’s only one oil feed into the cylinder head.

 

[AAAutosport]

Right ok. There’s only one place to put the restrictor in the block mate as there’s only one oil feed into the cylinder head.

Ahh gotcha I see. Sucks because I just had the head off two weeks ago! Next time I pull it off I'll definitely look into adding that and removing the oil squirters.

 

[JamesBryan]

What oil are you using, 10w60?

 

[AAAutosport]

What oil are you using, 10w60?

Yes Motul 300v 10w60

 

[JamesBryan]

Yes Motul 300v 10w60

Good stuff.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Ahh gotcha I see. Sucks because I just had the head off two weeks ago! Next time I pull it off I'll definitely look into adding that and removing the oil squirters.

Get a piece of 25mm silver steel (from memory the cam journals are that size) and put it in place of the exhaust cam. If it turns freely, the cam journals are worn and the head is essentially scrap. You can get the cam journals line bored, but I’ve only found one place in the UK that could do it - and they said they’ll never do another one because it was that much of a pain in the arse!

 

[JamesBryan]

Get a piece of 25mm silver steel (from memory the cam journals are that size) and put it in place of the exhaust cam. If it turns freely, the cam journals are worn and the head is essentially scrap. You can get the cam journals line bored, but I’ve only found one place in the UK that could do it - and they said they’ll never do another one because it was that much of a pain in the arse!

Even harder for him in Florida.

I bet there can't be many of those engines over there.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Even harder for him in Florida.

I bet there can't be many of those engines over there.

Lol that’s not ideal then

 

[AAAutosport]

Even harder for him in Florida.

I bet there can't be many of those engines over there.

I have a feeling whatever is in the US is here with us already lol

Get a piece of 25mm silver steel (from memory the cam journals are that size) and put it in place of the exhaust cam. If it turns freely, the cam journals are worn and the head is essentially scrap. You can get the cam journals line bored, but I’ve only found one place in the UK that could do it - and they said they’ll never do another one because it was that much of a pain in the arse!

How fast do these journals wear? This engine has maybe 80hrs on it from new.

 

[NorthloopCup]

How fast do these journals wear? This engine has maybe 80hrs on it from new.

Well 80hrs ain’t that much on a road engine, but on a race engine it’s quite a lot mate.

There’s not much scope for increasing the oil pressure on the formula setup either as the oil pump is pretty s**t tbh.

 

[AAAutosport]

Well 80hrs ain’t that much on a road engine, but on a race engine it’s quite a lot mate.

There’s not much scope for increasing the oil pressure on the formula setup either as the oil pump is pretty s**t tbh.

Gotcha yeah we refresh every 50hrs but never pay too much attention to the cam journals. I guess I should be happy with 54psi with the squirters removed lol. I'm just used to 80psi in my Honda engines.

 

[AAAutosport]

Another question, has anyone tried shimming the prv spring to increase the oil pressure? I know the Honda B-Series engines had the option to swap out the spring for a stiffer one. I personally always just went with the ACL oil pump but maybe I could make a shim to bandaid our F4R until I refresh the engine again.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Another question, has anyone tried shimming the prv spring to increase the oil pressure? I know the Honda B-Series engines had the option to swap out the spring for a stiffer one. I personally always just went with the ACL oil pump but maybe I could make a shim to bandaid our F4R until I refresh the engine again.

It’ll be the same as shimming the standard oprv mate, so yes it has been done and I’ve done it myself. Small penny washers are all that’s required to do the job of shimming.

 

[FrogJam Motorsport]

what diameter crank/oil pump pulleys are you using and whats your rpm limit? depending on the answers you could look into altering the pulley ratio to spin the oil pump a bit faster...