To do my oil filter relocation, I hit up the team at Improved Racing. They have recently released their low-profile oil filter takeoff adapter. Also, I am a sucker for good packaging and their products were very well packaged in these boxes with a separated compartment for the smaller bits and the big parts in bubble wrap. They were very space efficient too!
This is the remote oil filter mount from Improved Racing. I chose -10AN fittings to handle the oil flow. I had used -12AN on my oil cooler setup, but I anticipate I will have a shorter run of the oil lines along with not using any sharp 90-degree fittings, so pressure drop will not be an issue. Improved Racing uses higher quality Viton o-rings instead of cheaper EPDM on their fittings. It’s the little things like o-ring material selection that prevents oil leaks over time. The remote oil mount comes with a mounting bracket and you can plumb the flow directions in a number of different ways allowing it to work in any application and placement.
A new product from Improved Racing is this low-profile oil filter takeoff adaptor. All the parts are neatly packaged of course. Improved Racing basically carved out all excess material possible on the exterior to create the smallest and lightest package possible. It takes more machining time (i.e. cost) to do this.
As much material as possible was carved out on the inside too and attention to detail was paid on getting oil flow into and out of the ports with the least pressure drop possible.
Here is another view of the flow into and out of the ports for maximum flow. In the center flow area where the oil is coming back in, Improved Racing carved out the inner diameter larger than the flange and also used some nice fillets for smoother flow. So, the complexity in machining is much greater and also more expensive. That’s what it takes to get better flow.
8 comments
Do you think a proper shroud on the radiator for the fans would improve the efficiency of your setup? Very similar to this: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/der-16927
The fans are only needed in low-speed operation. Once at speed, there’s enough airflow that the fans are not required. At speed, those shrouds just become a flow resistance and reduce cooling. That particular shroud you linked does have a couple flaps that open up when there’s enough airflow from vehicle speed. In my opinion, shrouds should only be used when the heat exchangers are placed in locations where they don’t get significant direct airflow. So one place shrouds are commonly used is on off-road racing trucks were the radiators are placed behind the cab.
Killerbee catch cans are cool and all, but I can’t comprehend paying $375-$420 bucks for them. Especially when there are alternatives that work flawlessly for $150 or less.
They do command a premium for their billet ones. They have been developing lower cost alternatives like the black one. I’m really digging this new compact AOS which should work well in my application. It seems modern cars with DI systems have much less oil collected in catch cans. The S2k does generate a fair amount, but because I’m planning to constant drain, I don’t really need much storage volume at all.
back into the oil pan? I heard its not a good idea to do that cause it also collects moisture, any truth to that?
I think it depends on the particular vehicle and how their PCV setup is configured. As a casual observation, basic inline and V engines, it’s pretty simple. Flat engines liked in Subarus and Porsches seem to have more complex systems which are maybe more prone to condensation. On my S2k at least, I only ever got significant oil in my catch can from track use and it came out looking like regular oil, no milky stuff. At that point, the oil is hot enough to boil off any water.
https://motoiq.com/project-s2000-part-22-testing-new-goods-and-more-intake-mods/5/
It’s hard to believe the Improved Racing remote filter mount doesn’t have dedicated additional ports for sensor fittings, especially given the price. Using that ARK adapter adds potential leak paths and bulk. It may be best to utilize the unused ports of the Improved Racing remote filter mount and install adapters for the sensors. You may be able to drill and tap into the top side as well.
Will running the catch can return line into your turbo drain line overwhelm the turbo drain? You may need to increase the diameter of the return after the tee.
On the remote filter mount, where I’m using two plugs, you can get the plugs with 1/8 NPT sensor ports. The sensors that came with the ARK Design MFD2 are most likely 1/8 BSPT. I decided to leave well enough alone for two reasons: I’ve been running the sandwich plate with sensors for over a decade with no issues and I think it will give me a bit more flexibility in mounting. I’m already claiming space for the oil filter and cooler, so stacking the sensor sandwich plate just takes some more space in the same direction. If I add the sensors to the remote filter mount, they will stick out the opposite side of the oil lines, increasing the footprint. For the turbo oil drain, I was planning to use a -10AN line, so it should be plenty big. I guess I haven’t shown it yet, but the timing chain cover was already tapped and welded with a -10AN fitting for the turbo oil drain return.