Oil Pressure Fluctuating On Track
 

I've been tracking my V8 the past few years. It's been a work in progress. The past 2 seasons have been relatively problem free. I do about 30-40 track days per season. It was not really till the last 2 track events that I really felt completely dialed in with the car. By that I mean my comfort level is pretty much equal to my comfort level in my 1.6JR(M45)SC car that I've been tracking for about 10 years. As a result I am substantially faster in the corners. The way I gauge this is my ability in the corners to now stay with or get around the GT3's and M3's that used to shake me in the corners. Not exactly a scientific method, but it's an observation. Now I see my oil pressure dropping from 50 to 20-25 psi in the corners. Once I am out of the corner, pressure quickly returns to 50psi. I am considering the following options:
Accusump with EPC Valve
Racing Oil Pan & Accusump
Moroso Racing Oil Pump
and most expensive option of all:
Dry Sump
Anyone have any experience with any of these ?

Try adding an extra quart of oil. That fixed the same issue with my Shelby.

tbone:
That's an easy simple fix--but what about the overfill?
Is your Shelby a track or street car or both?
I guess it's not a problem for you.
I don't know if I have the balls to try this on a track car?
I'm not astute enough in these matters to know if it will or will not be a problem.

A lot depends on what engine you have. A SBF does really well with an accusump. But, from what I'm hearing - the LS engine does not.

However, you really need a better pan. A stock pan simply won't handle the g-forces encountered on the track. You need something with plenty of capacity, and well baffled with the proper gates. On the track, there is absolutely no replacement for that.

It should also have a windage tray. Otherwise, the rotating assembly will hit the oil and cause it to froth. Then you'll be sucking up a combination of oil and air - and that's a bad thing.

If you are running a high volume oil pump, it is sucking the oil out of the pan faster than the oil will return. I suggest that you start off with an extra 1/2 quart & see what happens.
On my Shelby, I am running 10.5 quarts. It has an 8qt. Aviad baffled pan w/ windage tray, oil cooler, & high volume pump. The extra oil "fixed" all of the oil pressure fluctuations.

Morris,
Since you are one of the few Fords running a stock oil pan most anything that fits within the general dimensions of the Mustang pan you have should work. Those of us with modified Martin pans don't have as many options. I'm sure there is a baffled pan out there somewhere.

-Jason

Jason
Are you saying keep the existing pan and add something like an accusump?
Or replace the pan with a racing pan and something like an accusump?
Would replacing the oil pan involve pulling the engine?

+1 to an extra quart of oil. I've done this in all my Ford and GM engines on the track with no problems.

Jim, just got off the phone with the guy that works on my car. He's a racer and the head Tech guy for NASA NE. His feeling are to go with a correct baffled oil pan. it seems he is not a fan of Accusump or Morosco oil pumps. He feels the add one more thing to potentially complicate things. He feels with the correct oil pan the problem should go away. Did not ask him about adding extra oil. For now the plan is an oil pan.

This is great advice. You'v got to have the proper pan for what you're doing. Start there and see how it goes.

I am also not a fan of Moroso pumps. I use either Ford Racing or Melling. No failures in 8 years of racing.

I have never found a good reason or a good recommendation to use a high pressure pump in a SBF.

Some pro builders use a high volume pump on every crate engine they sell. But some pro builders never use them. After a lot of research, I think if you're going to use external oil , components - coolers, remote filters, Accusump - then you should use a high volume pump.

If you use a high volume pump, you must use a high volume pan. The pump will suck a stock pan dry in no time at all.