X Flow dip stick

[blueyedbiker]

Here's a question, how long is a X Flow dip stick?

Mine's a flat yellow job with all below the High marker missing.  The top of the tube is clamped to the last inlet manifold bolt and it's a CCC shortened and baffled tin sump pan.

The critical distance I guess is between the oil level and the bottom of the block and with the 3.25 litres of oil (which I'm told is correct for engine and filter) the level just touches the bottom of the dip stick.

Ta.

[elie boone]

Any markings on it ? or a Ford part nr otherwise Burton do 2 versions, you could check and or transfer the max indication on the new dipstick.

[blueyedbiker]

It's either broken or been cut off at the H mark.  Mike Calvert (son's best mate) lives up the road so I can perhaps compare with him, his runs with one of Jim Whitings' trick ali sumps but regardless of sump shape or design the oil level should have a relationship with the bottom of the block.

I looked at the Burton ones and the flexible one looks circular in cross section (mine's flat) and it does say not suitable for extended tubes.

The joys of running obsolete engines eh?

[Tony P]

Not quite sure where you want to measure to or from on the stick, but...

I have a Caterham-issued wet-sump Supersprint Xflow engine sitting in my Dad's garage - I can measure it later today if you don't reach a conclusion in the meantime. I didn't have to replace the dip-stick when swapping to a James Whiting alloy sump (on the engine now), or having to shorten the original dipstick (though I may have ground a new mark onto it after putting in the appropriate/desired amount of oil). The dipstick is a tight coiled type (like an old-fashion curtain wire) with a flat blade at the business end. The tube is as you described, above.

(In the past someone here mentioned - or should I say, blabbed? - that I had a small 'stockpile' of James Whiting alloy wet sump pans... To pre-empt any questions - it is true, but I don't really think I want to get rid of any of them. At least, not at the moment...)

[Tony P]

<< but regardless of sump shape or design the oil level should have a relationship with the bottom of the block.>>

Not sure I follow that (?) I'd have thought that shape, design or capacity all affected block-to-oil surface; have I misunderstood you?

[blueyedbiker]

Hi Tony, thanks for your comments, I've just checked the tube and I think it would take the coiled wire type so the only issue is the length.

I don't know for certain about these things but I'd have thought that the crucial aspect is the relationship between the oil level, the strainer/oil pick up pipe and crank shaft at B.D.C.  The shape will determine how much the level will drop when the galleries are full and the capacity along with the baffles will be critical in response to G forces which is why I came to the conclusion that I did.

Steve at Vulcan recommends 3.25 litres, does this tie up with your experiences?

Should you decide to part with a JW sump please could I be first in the queue?

[Tony P]

Ah… or should that be Doh!

I was just thinking about not wanting the locus of the crank journals to be ploughing through the oil - I forgot all about the oil pick-up!

My old, standard Caterham dipstick, (c1991 issue), measures 214mm from the mid-stick ferrule (that bears on the stop near the base of the tube) to the end of the ‘blade’ reading end; the top ferrule, which ’stoppers’ the top of the tube, is 240 mm above the ‘stop’ ferrule.

Don’t know if that’s what you need. But I’d be tempted to start with a known/correct amount of oil and work backwards from that… I imagine the only important thing is that the stick seats firmly in the tube without bottoming-out in the sump, and the bottom end is deep enough to be in the oil - and put your own mark on it to match the level with your preferred amount of oil in.

However, on my present form I’m possibly missing something else vital (no jokes please…).

I think I normally have a little but more oil in that that, but not much. After venting the crankcase breather into the rocker cover (and other end of the cover vented to catch tank) - another JW recommendation of the time - I get very little ever reaching the catch tank.

Re. the alloy sump… I’ll probably have to review the amount of “stuff” I hoard, as I may be losing my Dad’s garage space, so I’ll certainly let you know if I need to have a ‘cull’. I still have a Xflow flow in the Seven - hence my continued hoarding of such things.

[blueyedbiker]

Thanks for that Tony.

Now here's a thing, I borrowed Hon. Ed's dipstick and it's too wide to fit my tube (ooooh matron), however, whilst explaining my plight to my eldest son (blown Elise, 200+ hp) he says "I can help you Dad".

It turns out that my yellow plastic job is a "standard" dipstick ie. not a standard X flow one and that they always break off at the bottom.  It also turns out that a standard Elise dipstick is perfect so I now have 2 genuine Lotus parts on the car, the other is an Elise air filter housing which I've modified into a fuel filler tube cover.

The oil level, having added the 3.25L, was just on the H of the old stick and the Elise stick has an extra inch or so below.

Cheers,

John.