04-12-2021, 10:59 AM | #1 |
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N20 oil cooler conversion + Accusump install
I track my car quite a lot and planing to do it even more, including competing in national time attack events, so I laid out a plan to install an Accusump to prevent oil pressure loss.
Since the N20 motor has no oil cooler there are no oil lines to tap the Accusump into so this plan was divided in two stages. Stage 1: deleting the factory water heat exchanger and replacing it with a air cooled oil radiator. My parts list ( so far ) is this:
Stage 2: adding the Accusump My parts list:
My first problem is that I can't figure out which line should be the cooler feed and which should be the return. On the thermostat housing, the circled part in the image is closed off by the thermostat, but in the technical documentation or RealOEM the only references to the oil lines say "oil lines", not feed and return. It probably doesn't matter but since my radiator has the lines on the side, I would like the feed line to go on the upper fitting and the return on the lower one, to benefit from gravity instead of fighting it. If anyone knows which one ( A or B in my image ) is input / output please share. More pictures:
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Last edited by ngl; 09-02-2024 at 01:03 PM.. Reason: updated parts list |
04-12-2021, 02:40 PM | #2 |
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I used port B to plumb the accusump, though I also used an S55 thermostat housing, not an N55 version. I'm not saying it's "right," but I also think it doesn't really matter. I will say that I see plenty of oil pressure when starting my car (I have it plumbed to dump oil before I start), so it "works" from that perspective. But I don't know if the accusump ends up with filtered or cooled oil or not.
FWIW I run a 3 qt accusump and a Mishimoto 25 row dual pass oil cooler. Seems to work well even in 100+F weather. Lately I raised the base accusump pressure to 1.3 bar (relative to atmosphere) so there would be more oil available at a higher pressure. Running the way they recommend will increase the oil supply in the accusump, but much of it will be delivered at a pressure I consider too low to be useful. If you have a data aquisition system (Aim etc) you can get a pressure sensor for the accusump itself and see when it is working. BTW you don't care about feed/return due to gravity (the oil is going the same amount of up/down) but because the bottom of the radiator is cooler. Again I have no idea if I got it right. There was a series of posts where someone installed an accusump on an N55 motor, and they had opinions on the right way to route it. Google search for "accusump n55" and you'll see a thread on another forum that shows pics. Also be wary of the AN fitting adapter; I got cheap ones on ebay and they leaked oil all over the place. I ended up replacing the o-rings and that solved the problem. Maybe your fittings are higher quality since they're Mishimoto branded. |
04-13-2021, 04:13 AM | #3 |
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I'm also thinking about using the B port for the accusump so it allows me to change the oil in it when doing oil changes. The A port would be blocked by the thermostat.
Physically the only difference I found between the S55 and N55 thermostat housing was the diameter of the oil ports, not sure if the thermostat is different, so I went with the cheaper version. I just got the valve today, how would I go about monitoring when it works ? Just monitor when the pressure switch gets energized ? Or you mean replacing the air gauge with a pressure sensor ? It would be nice to have the exact pressure captured by the data logger to see exactly what pressure the accusumps holds in each corner and how it intervenes when the oil pump looses pressure. I remember your posts about the AN fittings, I learned from your experience and decided to go with a reputable brand from start, thank you for sharing that.
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04-13-2021, 10:47 AM | #4 |
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Port B definitely allows you to change the oil for oil changes. BTDT. Be patient since it takes a while for the oil to fully drain out, at least when cold. Don't forget to preemptively add an extra quart or so on an oil change to account for the accusump. You should always top off after filling the accusump (duh).
I bought my thermostat off ebay so the price difference was nominal ;-) I replaced the air pressure gauge. I had an extra 100psi sensor laying around, but that isn't enough when the oil pump isn't in MAP control mode. Also note the pressure is always higher at the thermostat than at the oil pressure sensor on the block (according to the N20 tech manual, it's at the end of the oil passageways where the crank bearings are). I have a Moroso unit instead of Accusump, but it'll be fairly similar. The port for the gauge was 1/4" NPT. My end caps are held in by circlips; the Accusump might be a screwed on end. My sensor was 1/8" NPT so I needed an adapter. Given my end caps are "loose" this worked out since I could install the adapter with the end cap off the bottle first, and now I can swap sensors by just putting a wrench on the adapter. If you go this route think about whether you want an adapter or a sensor that goes directly into the end cap. The sensor I used is MLH100PGB06A, but there are tons of others that will work instead. |
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04-13-2021, 03:20 PM | #5 |
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This is very good info, thx. Do you have some pictures you could share ?
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04-19-2021, 02:02 PM | #6 | |
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The accumulator is in the passenger compartment; I have a bulkhead connector on the firewall (not visible in the picture). [edit] Not pictured; I cut off the extra coolant hose, tapped it for 3/8" NPT, and used some aluminum plugs. I used some epoxy like JB Weld to seal it and hold it in place. That way it wasn't dangling around or in the way. |
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05-31-2021, 10:38 AM | #7 |
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Progress update:
After waiting for a month I was informed Mishimoto never even processed my order for the hoses, so I would have to wait another 1 or more months or cancel the order. So I canceled and was offered 2 TurboWorks hoses instead. Because I want to get the car on the track before the year ends I said yes and got them installed this weekend. Sadly though, one hose is leaking where the hose is installed on the fitting. Wish this products would have some sort of quality control. So now not only I can't race the car, but I can't even drive it Nice upgrade. I think it's time I learn how to install fittings myself, at least if/when they fail I know who to blame. Some pictures below:
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12-08-2021, 09:23 PM | #8 | |
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12-14-2021, 11:01 AM | #10 |
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The year is almost at an end and I figured it's time to update this thread.
My accusump arrived defective, it can't hold air pressure, but looses air so slowly I can't figure out where it is leaking from. I tried water with soap, but it dries out before it makes a bubble. It looses about 10 PSI / day. I bought it from amazon, and Customer Support said to contact Canton Racing ( manufacturer ) for warranty. I tried email and social media, but it has been radio silence for months now, they don't seem interested in at least saying "tough luck mf, buy a Moroso next time". I was hoping to get some instructions on how to find out what is faulty and maybe replace it. In conclusion, my time attack build has not seen a single day on the track this year ( so I started building a rally raid / light-offroad car, as a second "project-car" ) As far as the oil cooler setup, it seems to be working as expected, but I have only tested on street / hill climbs, where the stock heat exchanger did a good job also, although I am running a stage 1 tune now, so things might have gotten hotter if I was on stock cooling. Before the conversion I had only experienced limp mode due to oil temp on the track ( stock engine tune ), so we'll see next season how good it really works.
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12-14-2021, 11:03 PM | #11 | |
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12-14-2021, 11:05 PM | #12 | |
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https://www.mishimoto.com/banjo-fitt...0an-black.html For some reason I thought it was M22 but that's the part listed on the invoice. MMBB-10ANBK. |
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12-14-2021, 11:08 PM | #13 | |
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I had the unfortunate opportunity to tear down my motor and discovered that after a year of road racing with an accusump, my rod and main bearings look great. This was quite a relief as I was still concerned at the low oil pressure I was seeing, and wondering if I needed an even larger one. So I heartily recommend it as a solution. I'm debating whether to add baffling for my latest build, if only to reduce my reliance on the accusump. Right now I feel like I'm one broken solenoid away from an oiling disaster. |
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12-16-2021, 03:14 AM | #14 |
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I'm finalising what I need to get mine in. I'm seriously contemplating just going a manual valve
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12-16-2021, 03:15 AM | #15 | |
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12-18-2021, 06:40 AM | #16 | |
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So it would discharge if the engine pressure is less then accusump pressure, which it can lead to oil overfill, but still a better scenario than oil starvation.
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12-19-2021, 12:50 PM | #17 | |
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(Source: I used an accusump as an oil surge tank on my MR2 and experimented a lot with several different valves). |
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12-19-2021, 02:45 PM | #18 | |
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Extra cooling capacity though might still be pretty beneficial in a track enviorment but obviously not as effective as a direct oil cooler. |
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12-21-2021, 09:22 AM | #19 | |
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10-31-2022, 12:31 PM | #20 |
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A couple updates:
1. I'm now using a short AN-10 extension so the two right angle hose fittings don't interfere with each other. I got Vibrant 10588. 2. I updated the air pressure sensor on the accusump to the N55 10 bar oil pressure sensor, part 12617592532. It's amazing how high the oil pressure gets in the accusump compared to the motor. I don't know if it's resistance through the filter or what but I do see spikes of 9 bar at times. I'm going to try going back to the stock oil cooler and weld an AN-8 aluminum bung onto the place where the N55 oil pressure sensor usually goes. I'll bore out the passageway too to make sure it can flow enough oil. A racer with an E46 B46 used the stock oil cooler successfully so I think I have a chance. If not, I can upgrade to the oil/coolant heat exchanger used on the M6 GT3 :-) It's only $140.... |
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04-01-2023, 08:29 AM | #21 |
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Hey guys, I was just doing some research on adding an Accusump to my 228i and stumbled on to this thread. Unfortunately I learned the hard way and lost my motor at a Time Trial event last year. Wish I had found this thread sooner!
Anyways, was following the parts list, and just wanted to check to see if everyone was still using the same parts or if there were any other recommended upgrades. I was initially just planning to add the Accusump, and not do an Oil cooler. Any reason why that is not a good idea or would that drive a different set of parts? I'm just planning to run regular track days and SCCA Time Trials, so sessions of 20 minutes or less. Thanks! |
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04-04-2023, 01:48 PM | #22 |
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I'm redoing this now for other reasons. If you go through the process above in this thread you need an oil cooler since it involves removing the stock coolant/oil heat exchanger.
My new idea is to replace the M12 plug in the housing that normally holds the oil pressure sensor for N54/N55 engines and use an M12 to AN8 adapter along with an AN8/AN10 hose end (so I don't have to replumb everything). Yes the flow will be significantly lower but I'm hoping it will still be sufficient. I won't have any data for a month or two though, and even then I won't *really* know until the next motor teardown (which hopefully never happens...) |
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