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ZX12r oil surge?
twybrow - 9/6/12 at 06:56 PM

Having taken my car to a very wet and slippery trackday yesterday, I noticed that under very heavy braking (i.e. coming to an emergency stop), the original bike oil warning light came on. I have a mechanical pressure gauge plumbed into the same port, and I didn't see a complete pressure drop, but it still concerned me... By the way, I have a shortened/reshaped sump, with a home made baffle plate above, and the oil topped up to the top of the sight glass....

Is it time to invest in an Accusump, or is it nothing to worry about?

mark chandler - 9/6/12 at 07:30 PM

Accusump is a safe bet, I stuck one on for peace of mind as only ~£200 second hand.

It also provides more oil as it flows in and out so makes up for the chopped sump to a degree

Hellfire - 9/6/12 at 08:00 PM

We try to maintain the oil level on our ZX12R at 3/4 full in the sight glass with the engine running. We have a SPA digital oil pressure gauge fitted and have never yet seen a drop in pressure (apart from two occasions when we lost all the oil due to a dodgy oil filter that unscrewed itself )

Phil

Tris - 9/6/12 at 08:12 PM

If you can get hold of one, Andy Bates's machined sump is fantastic, and sorts all of your oil issues. Problem is andy hasn't made any for years, so your looking at getting one second hand.

Ive had/installed a couple of ZX12's - one with Andy's system with never missed a beat, the other with an accusump. The accusump'ed engine lasted 3 track days before blowing, although i think some of that was possibly due to the length of oil pipe between the engine and accusump (our installation required a 3 ft length of pipe - i think you really need to get it as sort as possible).

twybrow - 9/6/12 at 09:45 PM

So do you think this is a problem then? It was always at low revs and under no load, but still not ideal...

I have been thinking of an Accusump, for peace of mind really. Only thing is I am a bit baffled by all of the options - and I don't want to remove the bonnet every time I drive....

Nick DV - 10/6/12 at 02:03 AM

quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
So do you think this is a problem then? It was always at low revs and under no load, but still not ideal...

I have been thinking of an Accusump, for peace of mind really. Only thing is I am a bit baffled by all of the options - and I don't want to remove the bonnet every time I drive....


Get yourself one with an electrically operated valve, and fit a switch on you dash. You won't have to get out of the car then I got one second hand and did just that.

Cheers, Nick

Moorron - 10/6/12 at 08:50 AM

Have you conisdered that its your mods to the sump that may be causing the issues? or as stupid as it sounds some dodgy wiring on the pressue sender?

I cut my sump down and then added more capacity to the front of it and i have never noticed mine do that. But i havent tracked mine yet so i might be blowing my own trumpet to early.

I would try and test it out on a country road, so you can replicate the problem. Then replace the switch (£5?) and see if it fixes it.

I wouldnt comment normally, but you said it was a wet trackday so you couldnt have been pushing that hard. If it was on slicks on a dryt day i would be suggested the dry sump route but i think your problems are different and you need to look at it from a different angle?

This is locost builders so do it cheap, do it twice lol

matt_gsxr - 10/6/12 at 09:35 AM

What oil pressure does the stock light come on at?
I fitted a 40psi sensor/switch as it gives a bit more warning.

twybrow - 10/6/12 at 10:55 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Moorron
Have you conisdered that its your mods to the sump that may be causing the issues? or as stupid as it sounds some dodgy wiring on the pressue sender?

I cut my sump down and then added more capacity to the front of it and i have never noticed mine do that. But i havent tracked mine yet so i might be blowing my own trumpet to early.

I would try and test it out on a country road, so you can replicate the problem. Then replace the switch (£5?) and see if it fixes it.

I wouldnt comment normally, but you said it was a wet trackday so you couldnt have been pushing that hard. If it was on slicks on a dryt day i would be suggested the dry sump route but i think your problems are different and you need to look at it from a different angle?

This is locost builders so do it cheap, do it twice lol






Mine is cut down, extended, and as said, a baffle plate fitted above...The pickup pipe was shortened so it satjust a few mm from the base of the sump. I too have not seen the same on the road - it is the very heavy braking that sets it off, and in particular that last couple of seconds where the car comes to a final halt.

How quickly do mech pressure gauges react? If the pressure really had dropped right off, should the mech gauge not do the same? I appreciate, they are a little laggy in their reaction, so it might be that lag that stopped it showing the drop.

Matt_gsxr - being a bike, the oil pressure light comes on at a very low pressure - somewhere between 5-7psi from what I found online.... If you fitted a 40psi light, is it not on everythime your engine idles?

[Edited on 10/6/12 by twybrow]

BobM - 12/6/12 at 05:50 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MoorronI wouldnt comment normally, but you said it was a wet trackday so you couldnt have been pushing that hard. If it was on slicks on a dryt day i would be suggested the dry sump route but i think your problems are different and you need to look at it from a different angle?

+1

eddbaz - 16/6/12 at 05:57 PM

how about a billet 360 deg. rotating swing pickup sump, brought mine from ab performance, great bit of kit.