engine accumulater for start up

[fordracing65]

Anybody use an engine oil accumulator for start up, it sounds like a good idea, just wondering if it really helps with engine life, we all know how harsh starting an engine can be on parts.

[Tommy]

Note: this is more opinion than fact.

I bought my accumulator to protect the engine during sustained turns on the track. I also use it for start up. I doubt that an accumulator would save enough wear and tear to justify its cost if used only for start up. The two exceptions might be if you routinely let the engine sit for weeks between starts, and if your engine tended to crank over more than a second or two before starting.

Food for thought: If you drive your Cobra an average of once a month and crank it three times on each occasion, you'll start it 36 times per year. If you drive you family car daily and crank it four times a day, you'll start it 1,460 times per year. You'd have to crank your Cobra a awful lot of times to generate engine wear approaching that on your daily driver.

[fordracing65]

Good points, I just thought a high compression race motor is different than a daily driver, for wear and tear.

[FUNFER2]

Tommy- I agree with you.

I did receive a accumulator from Canton for my new engine build, but don't plan on racing my cobra much, just can afford it. I will use it for start ups if I haven't fired the motor for several days, and it just looks good. lol

Another main reason is, if I loose oil psi while driving it can help to save the engine.

[WardL]

So what is an accumulator and how does it work? This much I think I get: oil reserve that keeps oil on bearings somehow?

[Tommy]

WardL,
Visualize a cylindrical tank with a piston inside it. On one side of the piston is a charge of compressed air. On the other side is an opening that is plumbed to one of your oil lines. When the engine cranks and oil pressure begins to build up in the lines, oil is pumped into one side of the tank and begins to push the piston against the air. When the oil pressure stabilizes at say 50 PSI, there is an identical pressure in the air charge trying to push the oil back out of the tank and into the oil lines. If the engine were to lose oil pressure briefly (e.g., during a prolonged hard turn when oil sloshes away from the oil pickup), the oil in the accumulator would be pushed back into the system to slow the drop in oil pressure. Then, when the oil pump resumed pumping oil, the accumulator would be recharged for the next time.

If you put a valve on the opening to the accumulator, you can store up oil under pressure by closing the valve before you shut off the engine. Then, if you want to pre-oil the engine before starting it, you can open the valve to release the pressurized oil back into the system a moment before starting.

[RICK LAKE]

fordracing 65 Sorry not buying the dry startup. If the motor sits for more than a couple of days, the oil ALL ends up back in the oil pan. If you run an additive like lucas oil suppliment it sticks to metal parts. I have done this test with 4 different vehicles. There where no dry starts after having the motor sit for weeks(3 or more). The normal problem was rockers and lifters tapping for the first 5-10 second until oil pressure has built up. The noise stops.
Here's what I can prove
The oil pressure reading your on your dash IS NOT the pressure going to the back rod bearing if this is an FE motor unless it's a side oiler where bottom end gets oil first and upper ends gets it last. There is anywhere from a 5-15 psi differents from bottom end to top.
DRY starts are DRY starts, Metal on Metal rubbing. I have been running an accusump for 10 years. I have had no failures of the motor that are from bad oil pressure. 2 broken rocker shafts, different times and ran 1.2 miles around the course at race speed until saw a 20 psi reading. If it had not been for the extra 3 quarts of oil and the 40 psi pressure from the accusump I might have blown the motor.
Weight, it's nice to add 20 pounds to the bottom of the car to help even out the corner weights. Mine is mounted under the car on the frame. There is a shield to help protect the aluminum tank.
Long "G" turns again keeps pressure with 40 psi or high through some of these 180 degree turns. Auto cross is even worse to run in. Quick right and left turns. Oil has trouble getting back to the oil pan under "g" load.
There are guys here who have money to spend on motors and rebuild every year or other year, I don't. I got 9 years out of 452 motor and now 5 years on stroker 482. The only pain is to remember than you have to fill the tank after every run. A small note on the dash helps you to remember. IMO the added plumbing and $350.00 for the tank is a no brainer. Motor cost is $20K. That take me about 6-8 years to get this kind of money to build another motor. This is a rich hobby.
Have another idea, spend the money and go dry sump and never have to worry about track racing but still have the dry start problem. If I had a camera that I could but pictures of 9 year old bearings from 452 motor. There is no wear on rod or main bearings. Only the coating is starting to wear off. Do have a groove in 1 bearing from broken rocker shaft and head damage. I can install the crank, rods and all the bearings in another motor and run them if the clearances are within specs with no worries.
Bottom line, PRE OILING WORKS. This is done on every motor built with prelube on all surfaces. Go to the rag mag's and read any build up. Before dyno or breakin motors are prelubed. The choice is yours. Rick L.

[fordracing65]

The Canton web site says its used for cold starts, as well as racing, but they are also selling and promoting there product.

[Jerry Clayton]

and remember that any oil you get out of that tank in the turn will be replaced at the cost of the bearings supply as you go down that long straight------

[RICK LAKE]

Running 80 psi of oil pressure, have seen no loss of pressure going down straights without "g" turn. I have not seen blueing of bearings or crank, no wear on bearings. Maybe running 12 quarts of oil in a wet system is enough to not cause oil pressure drops when racing. I am running #10 lines but going to #12 on next motor. There are articles in diesel mag and pontiac mag about running accusumps. They may only use it as a pre oiler. I do see others use accusumps in autocross and hill climps in the 4X4 seen with 30-55 degree uphill runs. Rick L.

[undy]

Originally Posted by RICK LAKE

fordracing 65 Sorry not buying the dry startup. If the motor sits for more than a couple of days, the oil ALL ends up back in the oil pan. If you run an additive like lucas oil suppliment it sticks to metal parts. I have done this test with 4 different vehicles. There where no dry starts after having the motor sit for weeks(3 or more). The normal problem was rockers and lifters tapping for the first 5-10 second until oil pressure has built up. The noise stops.
Here's what I can prove
The oil pressure reading your on your dash IS NOT the pressure going to the back rod bearing if this is an FE motor unless it's a side oiler where bottom end gets oil first and upper ends gets it last. There is anywhere from a 5-15 psi differents from bottom end to top.
DRY starts are DRY starts, Metal on Metal rubbing. I have been running an accusump for 10 years. I have had no failures of the motor that are from bad oil pressure. 2 broken rocker shafts, different times and ran 1.2 miles around the course at race speed until saw a 20 psi reading. If it had not been for the extra 3 quarts of oil and the 40 psi pressure from the accusump I might have blown the motor.
Weight, it's nice to add 20 pounds to the bottom of the car to help even out the corner weights. Mine is mounted under the car on the frame. There is a shield to help protect the aluminum tank.
Long "G" turns again keeps pressure with 40 psi or high through some of these 180 degree turns. Auto cross is even worse to run in. Quick right and left turns. Oil has trouble getting back to the oil pan under "g" load.
There are guys here who have money to spend on motors and rebuild every year or other year, I don't. I got 9 years out of 452 motor and now 5 years on stroker 482. The only pain is to remember than you have to fill the tank after every run. A small note on the dash helps you to remember. IMO the added plumbing and $350.00 for the tank is a no brainer. Motor cost is $20K. That take me about 6-8 years to get this kind of money to build another motor. This is a rich hobby.
Have another idea, spend the money and go dry sump and never have to worry about track racing but still have the dry start problem. If I had a camera that I could but pictures of 9 year old bearings from 452 motor. There is no wear on rod or main bearings. Only the coating is starting to wear off. Do have a groove in 1 bearing from broken rocker shaft and head damage. I can install the crank, rods and all the bearings in another motor and run them if the clearances are within specs with no worries.
Bottom line, PRE OILING WORKS. This is done on every motor built with prelube on all surfaces. Go to the rag mag's and read any build up. Before dyno or breakin motors are prelubed. The choice is yours. Rick L.

I'm with Rick on this one...



I don't race the Cobra so I have a 2 quart for pre-lube duties only. Cobras by nature are ran infrequently (in most cases). Dry starts are not a good thing so it's nice to have 25-30lbs of oil pressure coursing through your engine before you twist the key...

[bobcowan]

I use the accumulater to protect the engine during hard braking and corners. I just use a simple open line. I tried the electric valve, but it didn't work as well, and it failed rather early. I use a HV oil pump, so I don't have any trouble refilling the accumulater.

I overhaul my engine every other year. I beat on it so hard, that I want to take measures to prevent a catastrophic failure if I can. So far, the inside of the engine has always looked really good. I could probably go 3 years on a rebuild.