Oil Pump Mods - Max Effort

[CaseyHooligan]

I'm experimenting with oil pump mods in order to increase flow volume and efficiency at lower rpm's and also add reliability...

So, I'm in the middle of building a solid turbo street engine, a 93' B230FT(squirter) with Wiseco Pistons, RSi rods, ect. Also I'll be running a remote oil filter and cooler.
This engine will be built for lower-RPM power and reliability so I'm motivated to improve the oiling system, mainly the stock oil pump since there is no "performance" pump available.

It seems most people get by just fine with an OEM or stock style oil pump as long as the oil transfer tube o-rings are installed correctly and in good shape..
So why would I bother modding a perfectly stock oil pump?

4 things:
-Can't leave well enough alone.
-Fixing things that aren't broke
-OCD
-Reckless Curiosity

This is my first Volvo engine so please offer some constructive criticism if available.
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List of items purchased:
IPD
-120580 Oil Pump Redblock OEM $413.06(one sale)
-Oil Pump Shaft Reinforcing Ring, 1pc $8.95

SUMMIT RACING
-ARP-670-1002 M6X1mmX25mmLong $11.81 5pcs
-ARP-671-1002 M8X1.25mmX25mmLong $12.23 5pcs

MCMASTER-CARR
-9220K381 Smooth-Bore Seamless tubing 3ft. $9.93
-4464K563 3/8 NPTF pipe plug 302 Stainless $1.87 1pc
-92235A108 Flanged head SHMS M4X0.7mmX10mmLong $7.30 50pcs
-1185N37 Brown Viton O-rings, 1.5mmW 14mmDia $8.83 25pcs

iMATERIALISE
-Oil Pump intake, 3D Printing, SS/Bronze $108.14 1pc

LINE2LINE COATINGS
-Abradable coating, Oil Pump Internals $93.27

TOTAL W/O Tax and Shipping: $675.39
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I'll follow up with more detail in following posts, Thanks!

Improved Pump installed

[CaseyHooligan]

I started out by purchasing a brand new stock Volvo OEM pump from IPD for a small fortune.



Disassembled and inspected.





Not happy with the intake screen, much flimsier that what came out of the car, Volvo cheaping out on replacement parts?

[CaseyHooligan]

After having a good look at the OEM pump, I decided it could use a bit of port smoothing.
I also lapped the mating surfaces and gear ends.
Lastly I gave the castings a little part line smoothing.

[CaseyHooligan]

The internal clearances were in-line with stock tolerances but I'd read that some engine builders were playing with a coating process for their oil pumps that effectively allowed them to run "Zero" clearance. It's called an Abradable Coating, think of piston skirt coatings but thicker, and a bit "fuzzy". the fuzzy outer layer is allowed to wear-in during initial operation, leaving only the bare-minimum clearance allowed by the geometry of the rotating parts.
It's apparently used in the turbine engine industry a lot.
Main advantages are higher efficiency due to tighter clearances and longer life.
Well hell, let's give it a go!

Housing, cover and gears all coated.


After coating and reassembly, the pump was tight, but after a few revolutions, it spun freely and I cant get a .001" feeler gauge in between the rotors and housing without screwing up the coating.

[Kenunot]

That's sick. Really nicely done.

[Tfrasca]

That pickup tube brace/locator is bad ass.

[CaseyHooligan]

The next challenge was dealing with the interference between the stock oil transfer tube and the ARP mainstuds, the main studs really wanted to occupy the some space.
Also I was nervous about the stories of the o-rings popping out...

I figured the best thing was to make a new oil transfer tube that solved those problems(hopefully).

I kinda' did it the hard way, started out drawing the stock oil tube in CAD.
3D printed the stock tube model in SLS nylon, then carved away the problem area.



After I had some reference models, I increased the tube inner diameter to match the inner oil passage diameters(Block and Pump), and designed new fittings with redundant o-rings to ensure a better seal into the pump and block. Then another SLS print to check fit.



When I was happy with the new tube and fitting design, I then fabricated the tube and fittings from seamless steel tube and round stock, adding an addition support bracket to ensure that the tube stays in place.
TIG brazing was used for the welding process followed up with a little black oxide coating.
You can see the progression here.







Overall, I feel good about the new transfer tube.
-Better flow
-Redundant o-rings
-Support bracket to limit movement
-Clears Main Studs

In the future, it would be nice to have the tube mandrel bent and maybe get better at TIG brazing. But I think it should work as intended.

[Tfrasca]

Amazing. Any plans to sell transfer tubes?

[CaseyHooligan]

Last big issue I wanted to deal with was the intake screen and cover thingy.
I mounted the pump and loosely fit the pan, it was clear that the pump pickup was shoved all the way into the front/passenger's side of the sump. Plus the screen cover is just a hole in a flat plate, hardly seems like an optimal situation..
So I designed a new intake screen cover in CAD(Fusion360), I'm hoping it will offer much less flow restriction and less turbulent flow dynamics. Plus I tried to bias the intake flow towards the center of the sump.
Instead of the bent tab/edge that holds the OEM cover on, I went full overkill and used 4 SHMS and a steel retaining plate.
I had iMaterialise 3d print the cover using the SS/Bronze infusion process, came out great!

Since the screen that came with the new OEM pump was a turd, I cleaned and reused the one that came out of the car. I managed to push the screen out of the outer ring with my thumb without even trying... Shudder to think of the screen coming apart while in the car!

[CaseyHooligan]

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

Amazing. Any plans to sell transfer tubes?

Thanks, not really planning on selling these, I can imagine they might be expensive if I did.

My take away from this whole oil pump saga is that someone should really make and sell a high-volume performance oriented pump like Melling's billet race pumps. But for Volvos!

[John V, outside agitator]

Nice work.. Outrageous price to get a different box for that water pump, but whatever, your money..One question: relief spring..What did you do?
Shirley you didn't just leave the limp OEM one in there?

[photoman327]

Great work and I was going to ask the same thing about selling them.

[linuxman51]

that's cool. I've also seen people tap and thread the pump and block, and use a larger line

[CaseyHooligan]

Originally Posted by John V, outside agitator

Nice work.. Outrageous price to get a different box for that water pump, but whatever, your money..One question: relief spring..What did you do?
Shirley you didn't just leave the limp OEM one in there?

I did! I left the limp-wristed stock relief spring in.. I know, I know, I'm not sticking to my "fix **** that ain't broke" mantra.
I'm going for flow efficiency and higher low-rpm flow and pressure and not focusing on some peak rpm pressure number.

Also, I should mention that of the pumps available, it seemed as though the OEM pump offered the better clearances/finishes and quality, but by a small margin and a HUGE $premium. So I dug deep and started with the "best" pump I could get.

[CaseyHooligan]

Originally Posted by linuxman51

that's cool. I've also seen people tap and thread the pump and block, and use a larger line

Oh really? Like AN fittings with hard line? I hadn't seen that, but sounds like a solid solution.

[Karl Buchka]

That looks really nice. Good job.

Devil's advocate: You just spent a lot of time and money solving problems that don't exist. The return on investment here is piss poor at best.

[BillyMaysHere]

Originally Posted by Karl Buchka

That looks really nice. Good job.

Devil's advocate: You just spent a lot of time and money solving problems that don't exist. The return on investment here is piss poor at best.

BUT you're saying there is a return!

[CaseyHooligan]

Originally Posted by Karl Buchka

That looks really nice. Good job.

Devil's advocate: You just spent a lot of time and money solving problems that don't exist. The return on investment here is piss poor at best.

Well, Fake Race Car isn't exactly a good investment either. But we do this because we love to do it. ROI be damned.

-Clears Main Studs <---- Actually did solve a problem that existed!

[Mueller]

Even if it doesn't add a single HP or make the motor last one extra mile, the mods you made are top notch in quality and detail.

Almost could be mistaken for a professional motorsports build.

[Tfrasca]

Plus, peace of mind that you wont be blowing out o-rings. Overkill? Absolutely. But it's still top notch work.

[Jack]

idle hands lead to masturbation so this is way better, right after the morning session

great work BTW

[CaseyHooligan]

Originally Posted by Mueller

Even if it doesn't add a single HP or make the motor last one extra mile, the mods you made are top notch in quality and detail.

Almost could be mistaken for a professional motorsports build.

Wow, Thanks for saying so. I love making/modifying stuff for myself, but getting positive feedback is icing on the cake.

[CaseyHooligan]

Originally Posted by Tfrasca

Plus, peace of mind that you wont be blowing out o-rings. Overkill? Absolutely. But it's still top notch work.

Thanks, I don't have an Engineering degree to use in order to optimize designs, so I tend to go beyond what seems rational!

[xmlhack]

Originally Posted by CaseyHooligan

Thanks, I don't have an Engineering degree to use in order to optimize designs, so I tend to go beyond what seems rational!

I too have looked at that tin lid with the bent tabs and the hole in the center. The melling pump doesn't have that. The pickup is all screen. I can't help to think the tin cover with the hole serves some purpose. I checked mine to the specs and decided to move on. I did buy the stiffer spring and the support ring.

Please post the height of your pump gears from that new pump.

[xmlhack]

Originally Posted by linuxman51

that's cool. I've also seen people tap and thread the pump and block, and use a larger line

Is there a post on this site that describes how they did that?