Dry sump oil system pro/con

[ERDi]

Hi gents!

As I might purchase a R300 I want to get some info about optional features like the dry sump oil system.
I have searched the net and figured out the system gives you a continious oil flow even in fast bents as well as the possibility of a reduced engine build height due to the lack of the oil pan.
For which function does it work in a Caterham? Does the additional oil pump as well as higher amount of fluid mean Katie will become significant heavier? Would you suggest booking this option?

Thanks a lot in advance and best regards

Jan

Edited by ERDi on Tuesday 6th July 11:04

[MikeO996]

Seen as fairly essential if you're taking it on track to prevent oil starvation in the bends.
On the down side is a PITA to check the oil level but this is a very trivial gripe. (You have to check the level within a minute of turning the engine off).

[ERDi]

Oil check within 60s shouldn't be a problem.
What about Katie's weight? How often/on which milage do you change oil on a dry sump oil system compared to a conventional one?

Edited by ERDi on Tuesday 6th July 12:03

[MikeO996]

Others on here will be much more expert than me (wouldn't be hard), but I would certainly expect a R300 to have dry sump if I was shopping for one, and that might be worth thinking about if you ever might sell it.

[Shaun_E]

Are we talking K series or Duratec?
If K series then I would definitely want a dry sump. I am told that the Duratec install is OK without but I have no experience of them.
It adds a couple of kilos as the bellhousing has the oil tank built into it although you can fit the kit with an external tank instead. Oil volume with the bellhousing tank doesn't increase(it's about 5 litres) - with the external tank it may be more.
Sump height is unchanged although a slightly different shape.

Edited by Shaun_E on Tuesday 6th July 14:30

[ERDi]

Right now am looking for a Duratec as I think it should be a little bit easier to pass TÜV (German MOT) in terms of engine noise, eventhough I think as a driver of a car as small as a 7 loud pipes could save lives...
Would you suggest looking for a used K series one?

Edited by ERDi on Tuesday 6th July 16:36

[David Long]

The Duratec works well with the Raceline wet sump but it can have oil surge problems on the track and a dry sump is a 'must' if you are serious about track driving.

There is more than one type of dry sump for the Duratec but they all tend to use the caterham tank in front of the engine and hold about 7L of oil and are heavier overall. I have the Titan system which has an internal chain driven scavenge pump in the sump so you don't gain any height advantage. I am not familiar with the Raceline system, which uses a pump in the original position and has a shallower sump, but it does seems to be normal choice now.

Edited by David Long on Tuesday 6th July 19:16

[ERDi]

To be honest I am a bit confused, Caterham, being a highly respected drivers cars manufacturer, states the Superlight series to be a "Track oriented specification for high performance", which in my opinion includes some high speed cornering, then again you suggest the optional(!) dry sump system to me at least if I am going to push it at a track.
How comes experienced Caterham offers this track oriented car with a wet sump when you as spare time track drivers are affraid of it not being able to handle cornering at high lateral acceleration properly?
Don't get me wrong, maybe I do exaggerate, but to me, as I've never owned something similar to a 7 before, it's all about _THE_ purest driving experience out there and therefore I am looking to spec a Caterham which is as lightweight as possible and still should include everything it needs to be a well balanced, good-natured and "healthy", both for the driver as well as the material, car.

Edited by ERDi on Tuesday 6th July 22:42

[V7SLR]

Be careful not to confuse "Track oriented specification for high performance" with driving on track. Any Caterham is a high performance car - driving on track is a completely different matter! With an R300 on track you'll be cornering at speeds substantially higher than you would on the road - the stresses you put the car through on track can be immense and the oil system is obviously one area that should not be compromised. A 130 odd bhp Caterham on "road" tyres will not have too many issues and an Apollo tank may be deemed to be fine, but more power, stickier tyres, and for track use a d/s is preferable.

Stu.

[ERDi]

Thanks for your reply, made things perfectly clear even for the noob I am
So I think purchasing the dry sump option is a real good thing, even when I think I am not going to track with it as much at the moment the engine will be on the safe side when I change my mind.
Still I'd be highly interested in the amount of extra weight Katie is going to carry through this, is it like 5-10kg or a lot more than with the w/s?

[Steve-B]

the weight ain't much to be concerned on your car at all! just eat 1 less pie/week and you'd be fine on the day

[subirg]

I was advised by CC that for normal caterham SL use - i.e. odd road trip and lots of track day driving on CR500s you don't need a dry sump on anything up to and including an R400 Duratec. For race, and use with slicks, it's recommended.

I have been running an R400D with wet sump for the last 3 years - mostly track use. It's been absolutely fine. Which is more than I can say for that damned noisy diff!