11 replies to this topic

[blackoctagon]

I got a spare z22se sump a while ago. It was from an Astra, and had the oil sensor and sensor plug rather than the non-sensor version that appears to be in VX220s.

As I like to trim excess weight from things I decided to remove the unused bosses and other artifacts from the sump.

At first I thought this closure plate on the bottom of the sump may have magnetic properties to catch swarf, but having looked at some SAAB sumps and what was around it I decided it is more likley to act as some kind of stabiliser for the dipstick. It certainly provides no reservoir in the case of oil slosh.


This is it removed, and it is not magnetic


The next 4 images show where some internal bosses and casting roughness were removed:









A lightly sandblasted sump outer shot:


And the other side showing the big circular hole where the oil sensor connection bung goes. See further down for the VX220 non-sensor sump.



This shows holes created in the skirt and webbing. There is more meat to be removed from here, but this is a first-pass part, so simple holes are fine for now. The bottom end of the engine seems rigid enough that it's not even close to needing the bracing this could offer.



This shows some of the unecessary points being marked for removal:






Some hacksaw tuning. If you are following this and thinking 'This is for me!' be aware that you are removing the lower aircon pump boss if you do this, and there is no going back. It worked fine for me because a. I don't have aircon and b. I used the free space to fit my alternator lower in the chassis ( http://www.vx220.org...tor-on-a-z22se/ )





A few more general shots:

[blackoctagon]

The original baffle (see bellow) is cut in such a way that it gives way to the oil level sensor, so a new one was needed.
This was the first plate I made and put in place.


This second plate underlaps the first (you need to hold it in position while dropping the bolts through the first plate:


There is a lot said about using aluminium instead of steel for sump baffles. One issue is the general strength resistance steel has over aluminium, another is the hot oil and oil vibration loading combination can cause the aluminium to crack. Both are real issues, but i've seen plenty of aluminium baffles used for weight saving. Like a lot of things it's all about use and inspection. I'm not going to shave 100g off my 3.0D, 12,000 miles a year sump, but on an engine that will get checked regularly, has a very stiff bottom end girdle fromthe factory and indeed will be replaced within a year for my new engine i'll take the bet.
I feel a lot of the bad press on aluminium longevity is due to using them in old, wobbly bottom ends and pressed steel (i.e not very stiff) oil sumps.

The second plate has a multi folded baffle on the underlap to allow oil to flow onto it from the crank and close to the pickup, but it can't return the oil unless the sump is upside down. At which point i'd have other more pressing issues.


The all-important weight - 3.881kg, fully assembled


Ready to fit with some Elring Dirko Red and the oil sensor bung back in place:



The dirty one is the VX220 one, note the lack of hole, and the refreshed one is the refreshed one:







Soem oil semsor bung detail and a drawing:





The weight of the VX220 std part: 4.562kg


The lightweight sump with it's torqueing sequence painted on it to make it easier to fit under the car. The gun runs them in, and I torque them with a wrench.



0.7kg saved, but the oil volume will increase as the bosses for the oil sensor are removed, so to get the same level on the dipstick you'll have to put in more oil, so some useful weight added back.

Edited by blackoctagon, 19 June 2020 - 08:38 PM.

[blackoctagon]

Bonus component pictures and weights:

Oil sensor:


Hardware:


Strainer/pickup pipe:


Steel baffle:

[TheHood]

It's good to see a new, self evidently experienced tweaker on here. 👍

Will be watching your threads with interest.

Is this going to be an NA or FI engine?

[blackoctagon]

The new engine will be N/A. I am not chasing a number, but I am looking for a set of behaviours, namely a higher redline of around 7500 RPM and extra torque higher up to keep the power band as wide as possible.

The mechanical engine bits and assessing the thermodynamics are easy for me, but the software and control is my weak side, so a lot of the time to date has been taken up reviewing PCM maps and features.

I did disable the EGR system at the software level last week and noticed a nice change in low % opening throttle behaviour, but thats my biggest breakthrough on my own, so far. It's a journey.

Edited by blackoctagon, 20 June 2020 - 04:21 PM.

[Arno]

There is a lot said about using aluminium instead of steel for sump baffles. One issue is the general strength resistance steel has over aluminium, another is the hot oil and oil vibration loading combination can cause the aluminium to crack. Both are real issues, but i've seen plenty of aluminium baffles used for weight saving. Like a lot of things it's all about use and inspection. I'm not going to shave 100g off my 3.0D, 12,000 miles a year sump, but on an engine that will get checked regularly, has a very stiff bottom end girdle fromthe factory and indeed will be replaced within a year for my new engine i'll take the bet.
I feel a lot of the bad press on aluminium longevity is due to using them in old, wobbly bottom ends and pressed steel (i.e not very stiff) oil sumps.
 

 

Nothing fundamentally wrong with making baffles from aluminium. One major thing for this purpose is selecting the proper alloy type used, which is more often the tricky part of making/using bits of alu. Getting the right combination of strength, ductility, weld/machineability and operating temperature range.

 

Eg. in such an application you should never use 5xxx type alu alloy as it is a heat sensitive type (contains manganese) and develops cracks when exposed to temperatures over 80 to 90C for longer periods of time.

 

I get the feeling that sometimes people/companies forget about this and make alu parts from 'easily available' types from the stockpile so the wrong type is used and it leads to issues when in use. (also using wrong welding filler and such..)

 

Also bad design choices like alu sump baffle inserts that sit loosely in a steel pan (aka. a much harder material) is asking for trouble when vibrations start rubbing these together. The alu loses 

 

Bye, Arno.

[OneYet]

Interesting stuff!

[blackoctagon]

Arno,
I completely agree with all of that. Material choice and manufacture method are always keys to reliability.

It was the hot cracking that I was always warned of by the big boys, but when I looked at different grades of aluminium, I realised that there were aluminiums running in much harsher environments than a cosy, oily car sump.
That, plus other, smarter people than me were using it.

I've often wondered if duralumin would be better still from a fatigue point of view, but it's costs and availability are such that it porbably dosn't make sense against a good aluminium.

[FLD]

Nice job. 

 

The baffle you removed for the dipstick is one to pull out anyway.  Yes, it does give stability on the reading BUT many have found it retains oil in the dipstick giving a false reading when the level is actually low.

[blackoctagon]

FLD,
When I was in I saw there was a little breather hole in the casting for the dipstick tube to 'breathe', just above the top of the plate.
I can imagine that if it gets bunged up with sludgy oil then there would be retention and a false reading. Better without it, otherwise consider taking the sump off for cleaning as a service item........

[Johnboyhgt]

There's also a hole drilled in the bottom of the dipstick tube. I drilled mine out to 3mm last time I was in there.

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[FLD]

drilling out the hole helps as well as removing the baffle