Clone Oil filter
 

I've been reading raydhd thread about the magnetized oil dipstick. I drilled a 1/8th hole from the out side but not all the way through of one of the oil drain plugs on my 460 and inserted a 1/8 X 5/16 rare earth magnet into the hole. It magnetizes the whole drain plug and by doing it this way there is no chance of the magnet coming loose inside the engine. Trouble is I forgot to check that plug when I changed the oil day before yesterday. I have a drainzit hose connected to the other drain hole to make changing oil less messy and easier to do. I believe in using good synthetic oil (Mobil1 EP 5w30)drained and replaced often. Like every 10 to 15 hours of run time. I'm also adding a couple ounces of Lucas enhanced with zddp oil additive with each oil change.
Where I'm going with this is a question that Shepard asked a while back about adding an electric oil pump along with an oil filter to my engine. Maybe not run the oil pump until the engine gets warmed up, maybe just wire it to come on when I start the engine. Not sure which yet.

Here is a picture of the oil pump I'm thinking of buying for this. The pumps sell for around 60 bucks and an oil filter mount is another 25 or so. So for around one Benjamin total I can add an oil filter to my engine.


What do you guys/gals think about this idea?

I really really want this engine to last and feel that anything I can do within reason to ensure that it does is money well spent.

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

I love the idea of filtering the oil. Like you said -- run the pump when it's hot. Return the oil into the valve cover. Taking the oil out of the block on the front bottom drain -- the furthest away from where it goes back in. It will help cool the oil a little. Also if you set it up right -- the pump could be used to change the oil with zero mess.

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

My engine tilts slightly, maybe 5 degree, more like 3 or 4 degrees to the rear and I have a drainzit hose connected to that oil drain plug so changing the oil is a breeze with no mess whatsoever. Plus I can pull my carts front wheels up on the shop floor in the door and that tilts the engine back some more as the slab is about 5 inches up from the level of where the rear wheels are resting and that gives me a good drain.
The more I've been sleeping on it since you suggested it the more I like the idea of adding the oil pump and filter to this engine. Like you said it will cool the oil somewhat plus it will add about a half court of oil capacity. I believe in lots of good clean oil in my toys. In the whole scheme of things good oil is cheap.

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

Its a great idea, especially if you put a lot of hours on it or run in high temps. You could also get a larger filter and hold more oil, you can add a cooler they are pretty cheap. While my mower does have an oil pump it also has remote filter and a cooler, its a sweet setup. That one even uses hydraulic hoses to connect it all. You can get little power steering coolers cheap, they are about what they use on lawn engines with oil coolers.

Almost makes me think of the cooler guys here use on sleds for grass drags. They put brass couplings on the coolant hoses (larger version of air hose couplings). Then they fill a cooler with ice with a radiator in the bottom, screw a 12v trailer water pump on top, attach 12v power and circulate the coolant a few minutes to cool off the motor for the next pass. Unhook and you are ready. You could do the same thing with 5qt (or however much) of oil and an filter, every 10 hours of riding just suck all the oil out and filter it and circulate new back in. Should last quite a while before you replace all the oil. You would have to change that a little since the oil is not a closed system.

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

I'm more inclined to want this setup for the oil filter as for a cooler
My oil temperatures will get up to 220 if I'm running hard and fast for an hour or so. Mostly I'm in the woods traveling at 8 to 10 mph, much of the time 4 to 5 mph and at those speeds the oil temp will climb up to the 185 to 195 range. This after a good hour or so of running and several big azz hills to climb.
Today is the last day of my 90 day warranty. Which if I understand it correctly is voided anyway due to the cooling tin I added to the engine from the get go. In an open go-cart I can see maybe running one of these engines without the cooling tin but in a mostly closed up golf cart engine bay without the open flow of air across the fins I question whether the engine will not be overheating, hence my adding the cooling tin. Back through the years I've helped friends with their air cooled engines that they've removed and left off some of the cooling tin for whatever reason then they have problems with their engines due to high temps. Only air cooled engines I've seen without an enclosed fan force feeding air over the cooling fins is motorcycle engines but they have longer fins plus they're out in the open where they get good air flow without being force fed air. I will err on the side of caution when it comes to cooling whether air or water cooled.

I want the oil to warm up enough to boil off the condensation.

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

David - is that pump self-priming? Any specs on it - flow rate, amps, etc?

I've collected a few parts to add this to my cart. I'm spoiled with the stock Kawasaki engine in the Club Car that uses a filter. The manual states 100 hours between oil changes.

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

The little pumps posted are for either oiling or return oil for a turbo of a small engine with no pressure system or the turbo is lower then the return port. The pumps vary but pump around 2.5-3.5 gallons a minute. Require no priming and 12 vdc @ 6 amps. They don't pull 6 amps unless you're pumping against an restriction. Check and make sure you get one that's constant duty, they cost a little more. I would set it up to pump after it gets hot for best results.

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

And the temperature click switches like a lot of clothes dryers etc have on them to turn the pump on and off. You can get them at any temperature you want. In fact I have one that is adjustable that I put on my homemade welder I made from a 100 amp alternator and 8 hp B&S engine years ago. On it I put it on to turn off the current to the rotor in case the alternator got too hot. Never had a problem with that alternator as my little welder is 100 Percent duty cycle. Complete with automatic idle. Sweet little welder even though I no longer use it and have it mostly as a conversation piece. It got me one hell of an electricians/R&D job back years ago when a gentleman seen it and asked me if I made this welder and I said yes. He said I need you on my team and hired me on the spot. I did a lot of R&D for this company.

stock alternator except for the diodes. I removed the stock ones and mounted 6 20 amp diodes, 3 for the positive and three for the negative on separate heat sinks with the alternator fan blowing air across the heat sinks.

I had to over run the alternator to get welding voltage. I have it set up turning at 7200 rpms and the welding voltage is 22 V. takes a steady hand to get the arc started but welds beautifully.
I connected an industrial switch so I can change the alternator from a Y to a delta connection for High and Low. Use the throttle of the engine for fine tuning. Mostly though used the delta and 3600 rpm engine speed for 90 percent of my welding. built several trailers with that welder. All still in use today 40 years later without a problem with weld breaking.

Sorry I got off on a tangent there but I just relived a moment in my life all those years ago.

Oh and those clik switch contacts are rated at 10 amp

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

How are you going to mount the button thermostat to the block? It would have to touch the block to read properly. You want internal temp of the oil. In the trucking industry they have high temp shutdowns on some engines. It uses a predetermined temp grounding plug like what you used for your oil temp gauge. If the engine over heats or the oil pressure falls off -- one of the switches ground and shuts the engine off. They can be bought in a variety of fixed temperatures. I was going to use your idea of the m20x2.5 bolt -- I found some allen socket head bolts -- drill it through and tap it for the sensor. What temperature would you have it turn on?

Re: Clone Oil filter
 

I'm thinking along 140 degrees or so but that could be left to ones discretion


On my welder I just made a bracket that held the thermoswitch against the alternator housing using one of the bolts that hold the alternator together. I'm sure something could be devised. If one had the engine apart he could drill and tap a couple holes for that