oil pump advice
 

lets say you had a $2100 motor and you were about to go to the track...and lets also say you have billet oil pump gears in a box because they didn't arrive in time for the engine build. Would you pull the motor and send it to the machine shop for the oil pump gear install, or just go ahead and blow it up on the track and then build everything up again?

I am swapping transmissions this weekend, and thinking about sending my motor back to the machine shop because I'm fairly certain its going to blow-up immediately when I get on the track. Is this crazy?

put them in.

fuck...not the answer I wanted to hear.

you already knew the right answer mr worry wart.

Go racing.
Don't go to redline constantly if you're worried about the oil pump gears. It's been shown that high RPM kills them.

Isn't it >7800 rpm that kills them?

You can add a loud Radio Shack buzzer to the oil pressure switch for peace of mind.

a friend blew one up last weekend, but I don't know how high he likes to rev it. Its a 400hp motor though, lol.

link? holy shit, this is awesome.

I used one of those piezo buzzers as a 'Screamer' setup for my bike. That is a good idea actually and would be easy to do. The sending unit is just a normally closed (no pressure) switch to ground, right?

So just get a piezo buzzer like this:
102dB Piezo Siren - RadioShack.com
Connect one side to the oil sending unit wire.
Connect the other to a switched 12V source.
Mount it under the dash somewhere.
Done.

Maybe have a way to disconnect power easily because it would get annoying IMO if used on a daily basis.

Hustler, are you ever actually going to fuckin' race that thing?

Less worrying, more driving buddy.


If you are pulling everything, you might as well put them in, but I wouldn't miss track time for it.

I do however like the buzzer idea.

Oh yeah based on my recent experience, when you do put in the billet gears, seriously consider replacing the housing too (get a new pump, switch out the gears).

yeah...I talked to wags today and if I can get the trans and rear end in the car by May he get's to do the virgin track day in it because I'll be far away at work. Actually, it breaks my heart to think of letting someone else blow it up without me ever getting to drive it on the track.

I watched at the s2k track event yesterday and a friend in a 206whp miata with rs-2's was destroying the field...it hurt. Its been 2-years since my car has seen the track. However, I'm starting to get cold feet now about tracking it. Everything is modified enough that I'm seriously concerned about reliability and thinking about turning my ugly miata into a naturally aspirated track car. If I blow this one up, I probably won't build another.

Wasn't the whole point of your build to make a bulletproof giant slayer of a track car?

Yes it's crazy. Don't be a vag. Maby your local wine and cheese miata club is more your speed.

I know how you feel. Just floor it and be smart about it. You will probably have a small coolant leak on the 1st day like I did and all will be fine. Dont overheat the car and things like that, be smart. Have it idle after a session, etc.

Now man up and go. Leave the billets for later or someone else.

a friend of mine popped a built-motor a couple weeks ago and then I kind of realized that there is basically no avoiding blowing the car up. I need to get a tow rig, trailer, and a lot more money if I'm going to track this thing. I think for a while it will remain a daily driver until I have enough money to get a truck and trailer at a minimum.

I'm at the end of this disaster currently, with my last day on May 8th...so I basically have no job after April unless there's another hurricane. I have a shit-ton of money saved up, but I shouldn't be going to the track when I'm unemployed. I've even been toying with the idea of selling the car and just keeping my ugly miata if I don't have another disaster lined-up by the end of the summer.

Fuck, sometimes you worry like a mother.


If you're expecting to never need to touch your car, maby other sports beckon.

its major carnage that scares me, not little shit.

You are at 250whp, not 350etc.
Quit worrying, you'l be fine.
Go drive the hell out of your car on some twisties like you posted in another thread and test it there before going to the track. GIve it hell for 5 min, pull over to check under the hood, MS, etc. Give it hell for 10 min, pull over again etc. Rape it for 15 min....you get the point. This is what you built the car for, now enjoy it. Don't make me come to TX and steal all your fame and bitches. Man up.
Like spooky said, be smart. Don't try to be the fastest car out there in the first session. Consider your first track day more like R&D.

werd^^^


You built it to enjoy it, come what may.


EDIT: Besides, there is no MT.net Museum yet, so drive the fucker, drive the fuckin' wheels off of it. If it breaks, you can say you did just that, that you drove it like a man. If you drive like a ninny on the road, it may last forever, but you'll never know what it was to flog the fuck out of it and have it ask for more on a race track.