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Thread: Pinto dry sump breathing

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    Pinto dry sump breathing

    I’m new to the dry sump and was wondering about it . Do I completely block off the crank breather or can I run a pipe from the tappet cover to the crank breather position to return oil to crankcase quicker. I also run a breather from the top of tapper cover to top of oil tank . There’s another breather pipe to a catch tank from the oil tank. Thanks for advice in advance .

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    Re: Pinto dry sump breathing

    if the dry sump system scavenges effectively the only external breather you need is on the oil tank itself. you certainly don't need to modify anything to make the oil return from the head to the crankcase faster, if you run the engine with NO breathers on the head the dry sump will pull the oil down from the head on its own. i would try it without any breathers coming off the engine and see what happens

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    Re: Pinto dry sump breathing

    I know most dry sump set ups will scavenge a mix of air and oil which gets de-aerated in the main tank which has the system breather. But if the engine has no crankcase / valve chest breathing surely there is a point that there is no air left ie. its in vacuum situation? I know ProStock drag racers often use vacuum pumps from their crankcases but that's more about crank windage and is for 6-7 seconds...........would long term, say 30 minute races, do harm? All the diagrams I can find don't indicate any engine breathers - seems wrong - as the phrase 'Nature abhors a vacuum!'

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Pinto dry sump breathing

    Many people deliberately try to pull a vacuum in the engine. It is 'supposed' to add a HP or 2 but you would most likely need a very decent dry sump pump to do that. My DS pump is a spur gear style which are 'apparently' not all that good at getting a vacuum. Gerotor (spelling?) are 'supposed' to be much better at vacuums. You need to make sure the engine is sealed up well also if you want to hold the vacuum.
    I use alot of ' ' as this is what I have been told by people who say they know but have never tested it myself.

    My DS pinto uses a single breather from the block (where the PCV valve goes) to a catch can. My rocker cover is sealed up. I used to have it going into the oil tank (the oil tank has its own small breather canister) but I had issues where oil vapour condensed in the line through the car and eventually filled it with oil. I guess I therefore did test having no breather from the block!!!
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    Re: Pinto dry sump breathing

    We had a NA Cosworth engine back in the 90's that had a Holbay single scavenge dry sump pump. It had both crankcase and rocker cover breathers into a T and then piped through the car to the top of the tank in the boot.

    We were out on a test one evening and after a good blast for some distance at 8500rpm there was the biggest cloud of smoke that came from under bonnet and car. On looking underneath oil was pouring out from the bottom of the bellhousing. It turned out it had blown the rear crank seal out. After investigating what caused the problem it was found that the breather pipe in the car was full of oil resulting in the engine not been able to breath. Needless to say we did away with that idea.
    Last edited by Forest_rallying; 21-05-2019 at 19:51.

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    Pit Crew Decade Plus User MK1_Oz's Avatar

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    Re: Pinto dry sump breathing

    Exactly the issueI was having (less the smoke).
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    Re: Pinto dry sump breathing

    Quote Originally Posted by MK1_Oz View Post
    Many people deliberately try to pull a vacuum in the engine. It is 'supposed' to add a HP or 2 but you would most likely need a very decent dry sump pump to do that. My DS pump is a spur gear style which are 'apparently' not all that good at getting a vacuum. Gerotor (spelling?) are 'supposed' to be much better at vacuums. You need to make sure the engine is sealed up well also if you want to hold the vacuum.
    I use alot of ' ' as this is what I have been told by people who say they know but have never tested it myself.

    My DS pinto uses a single breather from the block (where the PCV valve goes) to a catch can. My rocker cover is sealed up. I used to have it going into the oil tank (the oil tank has its own small breather canister) but I had issues where oil vapour condensed in the line through the car and eventually filled it with oil. I guess I therefore did test having no breather from the block!!!

    Gears pumps are far better than rotor pumps mate also have been
    Only thing to consider is if you run a roots style pump
    They are not as good at low revs
    But at revs they are dame good

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    Re: Pinto dry sump breathing

    The breather on a dry dumped engine depends on how good the pump is
    There is to ways it should be done

    Going on the fact we have a good system

    1 block off all breathers ( total seal engine)

    2 always block the block breather
    Then have a single breather from the head to the tank
    This will also have a one way valve in it
    N/a valve will let air in the block after a little vacuum
    Is archived
    Turbo valve will let air out the engine ( blow by )

    The amount of vacuum you pull is down to the seals in the engine
    To much will cause a squeaky noise which means you need to bleed a small amount
    Of air in ( just enough to silence it )

    I have kits out there on 9600rpm
    Totally sealed and there still going strong years and years on

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