Vauxhall 2.0 C20XE question

[skmelrose]

Hi

I went through the topics and have been unable to sort out an answer to the following question:

The car is a 1992 HPC that had been in storage for many years before being put back on the road. Forum members were a huge help with my previous questions so here's hoping.

Do I need to buy and install a foam anti surge baffle. I have no idea what is in there at present. I am not planning on racing the car but may do a track day at some point. It is still too cold in the garage to drop the sump but there are some signs of Spring. I have all he gaskets but not the foam as SBD does not carry them.

While I am under there I am looking to remove the existing lead acid battery and replace it with a lithium one that is removable in the winter without taking off the carbs.

Regardless of the snow and ice, I get to go and pat the car so it is truly proving year round please.

Thanks in advance

 

[Paul Deslandes]

Short answer is yes, unless you have dry sump.  Without it you'll have oil surge on cornering with the very shallow sump.  When you get the sump off, even if the foam looks okay you must change it as they rapidly deteriorate with modern oils.  They either clog or fall to bits - neither good!  Renewing every 12 months is highly recommended.

While you're in there you should consider the oil pickup pipe mod which has been documented in the archives from years ago.  If you can't find it I'll try and describe it again.

Paul

[Lotus Boy]

A few people on here have tried the permanent metal baffle replacement sold by Caterham Austria but i haven't heard about how it has performed.

I probably need to change my baffle this year and umming and ahhing about trying the metal one.  £54 for a piece of foam from CC is mildly ridiculous. I remember the days when they only cost 14 quid!

David

[Lotus Boy]

And to confirm, I absolutely agree with Paul's comments about the baffle and the oil pip up pipe mod.

When I bought my HPC it was ten years old.  Dropped the sump to find what resembled crispy seaweed you might get from a Chinese restaurant.  Spoke to the (one and only) previous owner and he had no idea it was a service item. I was very lucky that I didn't suffer oil starvation, flushed the engine through and had a sigh of relief.

David

[Paul Deslandes]

I've no idea who makes the foam baffle but if you could get hold of the foam you could easily cut it out with a craft knife.  Can't be worth more than a quid at the most!

The pipe mod involves removing the pick up pipe (three screws as I recall) and filing a chamfer of about 30deg to the end so that should the pipe end move down towards the sump (look for witness marks on the floor of the casting) the oil flow doesn't get shut off.  Very easy to do and good for peace of mind.  Don't forget to put it back on with its 'O' ring and Loctite the srews.

And then there is the mod to the baffle in the cam cover which helps prevent oil being 'held' in the top of the engine when revving hard. See here. 

Paul

[alan c]

Agree replace the foam but I would be very interested to hear if anyone has any experience of the metal baffle sold by Caterham Austria.

if it works it takes away the hassle/worry of the foam

Alan

[Paul Deslandes]

If anyone is interested enough to inquire or experiment, Google 'reticulated foam filter media' which is what is used to make the original.  A serious conversation would be needed with the manufacturer or supplier re its performance when saturated in hot synthetic engine oil, particularly re clogging and disintegration.

Good luck

Paul

[skmelrose]

Hi Everyone

I just want to thank all those who have provided answers, everyone is in agreement so I am going with the consensus opinion and ordering the foam. Once I have it here, I will see if any of the local race guys have access to the foam for future replacement.

The local rule here in Nova Scotia is that we need three good rains to wash the salt off the roads before venturing out. Today we have sunshine and plus temperatures (just) and both the bikers and car people are getting excited.

Thanks again, this is a great resource.

Simon