Finally the LS Miata is Sump-thing

I’ve taken far too long on this ‘simple’ project. Numerous factors played into the delays and procrastination. From loss of motivation caused by my day job to other car events and my birthday. So very sorry Xin for the delay. I’m confident you’ll enjoy the end result. I promise I have taken the time to think through each part of the build and end up with the cleanest and most reliable result I can create.

I’ll probably think of a better mouse trap in a week, but for now I am very satisfied with the result.

Post for today mostly containing pictures as the majority of work was just mounting or cutting oil lines.

There are now almost 20 feet of AN-12 and 7 feet of AN-10 oil lines in the car.

Mess of AN Fittings

I felt like I just kept ordering them and they kept piling up….Never ending

AN List

So many fittings and so much $$$$.

Good thing they work so well and look sweet.

There was a plan

I tried to layout the fitting to ensure I didn’t miscalculate. Pretty sure the final configuration was a little different.

AN-12 for main oil lines

AN-6 for the valve cover breather

Final Routing

After much deliberation I ended up running the oil lines along the outside edge of the passenger frame rail. It was the coolest route, mostly protected and didn’t require squeezing through tight spots.

Xin Don't Bottom Out!

You’ll risk shearing off oil lines. They are quite protected, but never underestimate the ability of a driver to destroy your hard work. That includes myself…

AN Fittings are Terrible

…to assemble.

After assembling 24 of these things I can say I’ve learned some tricks and also frustration about their finicky assembly. Following instructions was not terribly clear as they are written for any AN fitting whether -3 or -20. Essentially the key is to make a clean cut, put the socket into a vise with soft jaws, work the hose into it, lube up the nipple and screw it in gently with force until at least a few threads bite. Then tighten as far as possible.

I ended up testing many of the lines with air pressure via a cobbled together setup instead of buying the pre-made set from Earls.

The biggest lesson from this effort was how terrible pipe threads seal. You very much need to use pipe sealant, Teflon tape doesn’t work reliably.

Sorry Xin

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken a hammer to it… It was necessary and promise I resealed it.

If I don't say so myself

This is a lovely bracket. Hand made with a bandsaw and step bit with some careful sanding.

Captures three bulkhead fittings.

It's permanent now

This is holding the lines behind passenger front tire. If the lines come free they could be eaten by a tire or scrapped to nothing on pavement. 1/8” plate welded solid to chassis.

Lines installed

They may look like they hand down too far, but there was a compromise to be made as no one makes a 50° bulkhead fitting. So choice was closer to wheel or ground. It will be held up with brackets.

Hey it was my birthday while building this thing! Don’t make me blast you!

#wrongpart strikes again

Part of this upgrade included wiring in a controller reverse lock-out solenoid to make it a bit safer and less workout.

Keep in mind this is a T56 Magnum bolted to a Chevrolet LS 2. For whatever reason it doesn’t have a Chevrolet sensor and because Ford and Chevy aren’t friends the connectors are different.

Had to reorder wiring plugs after discovering this gem VSS.

I’ve upgraded to a whiteboard list of todo’s. Oh and my Ultima is #onaboat

Spinning Googley Eyes

What I believe is proper oil height while engine is running

Final Notes

A few key learning lessons for my next build or yours!

You must prime the oil system when installing a dry sump pump and tank. There are many air bubbles throughout it. I modified a 26mm socket with ears that fit inside the pulley to spin via a drill. Haven’t named him yet, but he helped me both prime the system and make a mess (I overfilled initially).

=> When priming the system ensure you have enough oil flow to circulate back to tank and overcome vertical rise in return lines. This car has the tank about 1 1/2 feet above the pump and took pump RPM of ~1000 to get oil circulation.

=> When priming you can crack a line or the oil filter open to relieve air pressure. This helped me greatly.

=> Oil level must be checked while running and should be approximately 2/3 between the tank supply and return lines. Right picture above shows this.

=> Double check for any leaks, easy to fix while still in the garage. Less so when its on fire at the side of track.

Don’t Let Bully Get Your Pressure Up!