Oil accumulators

[fekbmax]

Bottom line is that no matter the numbers, flow rate or opinions,  (including mine) , oil accumulators are certainly not going to hurt anything as long as there adequate amount of oil in the system.
To me its just plain and simple ,  accumulators = cheep insurance.

[Qikbbstang]

I did some web searching and sure enough found Peterson Fluid Systems stating their dry sump pumps can flow in excess of 30 GPM which tends to back up Fords claiming their 427 FE oil pump may be able to flow the 24GPM they state.
"Our Dry Sump Pumps are built around our Patent Pending 4 lobe rotor which provides excellent oil pressure and flow in excess of 30 GPM on the High Volume pump for the highest need motors."
   



Wonder how many guys messed up their engine/filter by following this Accusump Installation drawing? .....
      Cylindrical filters flow from the outside to inside, reversing the flow will send oil against the anti-drainback valve (which very simply acts as a check valve that prevents oil from draining backwards through the pump back into the pan. This is essentially a flapper valve and challenging it with pounds of pressure ass-backwards is not a good idea, oil pressure going backwards through the pleated filter pack will expand/rupture the media.
The drawing clearly shows the filter installed with the engines IN flow line going to the center of the filter and the OUT flow line connected to the side of the filter. My dad always said: If Mc Donald's who's known for burgers, screws up a hamburger that's a major problem. Likewise if you're in the automotive lube system accessories market you dam well ought to know the correct positioning of oil filters Inlets and Outlets in the system you sell..






http://gt4motorsport.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/accusump_plumbing.png

[Drew Pojedinec]

The image represents how it should be routed.
The filter heads that come with an accusump kit are like every other with two fittings on the head of the filter.  They are labelled in and out.

I'm starting to question your motivation for participating in this thread.

[cjshaker]

Because just one....more....whack....and that horse will be dead

[CaptCobrajet]

A accumulator only requires one line.  No "in" and "out".   A few years ago, I convinced Doug Garifo to make some filter adapters with a large 1/2" pipe thread in the passage that feeds the main galley...right next to the 1/4" pipe that picks up oil pressure.  Before that, we would drill the housing and weld a #10 fitting to the adapter.  From the beginning, I used only a Motorcraft filter BECAUSE there is a drain back valve, which I used/still use for a check valve to prevent backflowing the filter element.  It worked perfectly, and has worked perfectly for at least fifteen years on every FE we have put an accumulator on.  Wonderful product.  I prefer the three quart Moroso.  More is better.  BTW, BB...you are correct....25 psi in an empty 3 qt unit will hold 2.5 qts of oil with a 70-75 psi max engine oil pressure.  The compressed air does offset some of the capacity, and it varies depending on max oil pressure and initial air pressure in the empty accumulator.  I think it needs at least 20 psi air pressure with no oil in it.  It has to have enough force to do its job.  Using less air just to make it hold more oil will not be a good answer.  They absolutely work............no doubt about it.

[cjshaker]

Blair, you mention a good point that I was going to bring up earlier. While the Canton filter doesn't have a drain back valve, a standard block with a VERTICAL filter mount would only retain oil in the single passage leading to the cam. All the other passages will naturally drain through bearing clearances. So a drain back valve is of little use on an FE except on a sideoiler block where it would also hold oil in the side oiler gallery (since those passages lead UP to the mains, but even then only if the rear valve is plugged), or if you have a horizontal or angled filter mount that could drain oil out of the filter. With an accumulator I think it would be imperative that a filter with a drain back valve be used to keep from back-flowing the filter itself. I wouldn't recommend a Canton filter with an accumulator.

[Mistral_427TP]

My Moroso Accumsump is plumbed as shown link, BB.  I use Ford FLA1 or Wix oil filter.  "Out" from the block is connected to "IN" on the remote filter adapter. "Out" on the remote oil filter filter goes to oil thermostat and then the cooler as shown in the picture.  I use a one-way check valve also. Been using my accumsump for 2 decades.

[Qikbbstang]

Yes this thread should be over. Mistral_427TP You stated: " "Out" from the block is connected to "IN" on the remote filter adapter."   Please note there is no IN/OUT indicated on the Remote Filter Assembly in the drawing.  Being without IN/OUT shown, the very POSITIONS of the in/out to and from the Remote Filter Assembly are incorrect. They show the oil entering at the CENTER of the filter and leaving from the SIDE of the filter. When it comes to filters they ALWAYS must discharge from the center of the filter. What is shown is ass-backwards making the oil flow through the filter backwards by the center and side port locations.

[Qikbbstang]

CaptCJ,  Blair I want to make sure I understand you. It sounds to me like you are purposely using a filter with an integral check valve and not using an independently mounted check-valve as AccuSump shows.   My concern is "normally" a filter's anti drain back valve which is in all reality a simple flapper normally would never see more then a single psi at best back loading on it when performing its normal back flow operation on an engine.  I believe the very flimsy by nature thin "rubber" back-flow diaphragm was never designed to withstand the pounds of pressure an accumulator could possibly exert. How much pressure could the thin rubber diaphragm withstand without being extruded through the dozen or so oil filters port holes in the filter head I don't have a clue.
Personally a check-valve to me is not a free ride, they exert restriction on the oil flow.
           I've even been thinking about how well an oil wetted gerotor pump would pump air/compress gas when the oil pick-up was not submerged in oil.  In other words I believe the spinning pump would do a great job on compressing air especially an air/oil mist into the oil system. What I'm saying is it is not like when the pick-up comes out of the oil all flow stops - flow continues but it's a compressible  air/oil mixture.     


From the beginning, I used only a Motorcraft filter BECAUSE there is a drain back valve, which I used/still use for a check valve to prevent backflowing the filter element.  It worked perfectly, and has worked perfectly for at least fifteen years on every FE we have put an accumulator on.  Wonderful product.  I prefer the three quart Moroso. 

[CaptCobrajet]

Back when I first tried it, I cut a filter apart and looked at the flapper/rubber.  It reminds me of a reed valve, really.  I think the one in a Motorcraft filter is thick enough rubber that it shoudn't fail.  So far, so good............on a bunch of engines, a bunch of times.  May be a case of an idea tried that just happened to work, but whatever the case, it works every time.  I also always test the check valve operation on every filter I screw on one that has an accumulator.

[FordEver]

Blair, Motorcraft Racing FL1HP or regular FL1A, which do you use/recommend with the the accumulator.

[Qikbbstang]

 ALL racing filters utilize "loose" filter paper so that restriction through the media is very low and flow capability is high, unfortunately the by-product is HP filters compromise "fine" filtration for high flow & low restriction.  HP filters are fine for race use, not thousands of miles.
   Personally I like using a remote dual filter base that allows running a pair of regular filters in parallel. Trust me the advantages of doubling the number of filters are exponentially good in every way. The only thing you will be missing from a HP filter is the high burst pressure.

I found you can find these dirt cheap at swap-meets just look for the ones that have MADE IN USA in the casting, there much better then the imports that look similar.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161804253381?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_nkw%3D161804253381%26_rdc%3D1

[BigBlockFE]

Absolutely know they have the floating piston (accu-sump site shows high prelube pressures) and understand Muscle Parts FORD GPM rating  must be a design spec though a gerotor pump is positive displacement so there is virtually no reduction of flow from loading as with centrifugal pumps. As mentioned I've long pondered the 20+ GPM number and just come to believe it has to be recirculating internally within the pump big time- but why in the world would they "by the book" design a pump/lube system with so many friggen GPM???.... .Bypass/recirculating a FE oil pump internally likely does not use excessive power,,, maybe?    Perhaps for quick recovery?...but I have no idea. The thought of a std auto filter even flowing 5GPM and trying to filter scares the hell out of me. It's got to be bypassing internally. Hard to comprehend many gallons flowing through an engines lube system. My engine builder mentioned watching a see into cut-away motor run where you could watch bearings and he was surprised at how much. Likewise I purposely scheduled my trip to the Circle Track Trade Show to witness Smokey run his Smoketron with strobes in the window pan that showed the blobs of oil slamming around the crankcase. 
I got to chuckle at saying they use pre-lubers in all out race cars that obviously are dry sumps - hardly transferable to a wet sump.
BTW Jay the Fram HP1 is a race filter and has a much different filter rating then a std or Mobil 1 Filter.

Great video...