What would you guys recommend for any car that's going to spend a little bit of time on a road-course? What are the bare-necessities?

Baffled Oil Pan?
Oil Cooler?
Transmission Cooler?
Power Steering Cooler?

What is absolutely necessary, and what can I go without?

I have a '95 LT1 and 4L60-E... I'll have the trans, and oil coolers, but not sure I need the PS cooler or the baffled pan?

Is it the wagon that you're gonna have on the road course? I think that a baffled pan would be a good idea and the power steering cooler too.
I'm not really into the road race scene but a lot of guys I know race circle track "around these parts", and even on the lower $ Engines they all usually use a special pan. I know a road race pan would be different but oil is pretty important to your motor.
The cooler would be the cheaper mod. Though.
I'd do both because I would consider the pan very important, and the PS cooler wouldn't be too hard or expensive.

What would you guys recommend for any car that's going to spend a little bit of time on a road-course? What are the bare-necessities?

Baffled Oil Pan?
Oil Cooler?
Transmission Cooler?
Power Steering Cooler?

What is absolutely necessary, and what can I go without?

In order: 100% absolutely-positively, very probably, definately, definately.

I would suggest you try your first session without an oil cooler but you had better run an oil temp gauge so you know when to call it quits if temps get out of hand.

As far as the power steering, you would be amazed how quickly you can bake your PS system under sustained hard use. For example, CarlC on his Camaro during a 20 minute track session got his PS so hot the neck actually unsoldered itself from the body of his power steering pump. A cooler is very cheap insurance.

As far as an oil pan, about the best thing going out there for the buck is a CV Products 1080LTRR ($230) but I do not know about fitment issues with an A-body. I'm going to be ordering one shortly for my car and already know I will have to modify it a bit for header clearance but I'm not even sure it will clear the crossmember.

Troy

Is it the wagon that you're gonna have on the road course?No, I have wrecked a '95 Caprice state-patrol car I yanked the engine and trans out of for my '69 Malibu. The wagon also has an LT1/4L60... I'll probably hit an autocross or 2 with it just for laughs though :D

The cop-car already had the trans and oil-coolers, so I'll use them on the chevelle. I'll probably wait with the PS cooler until I get a hydroboost since I'll need to re-plumb it anyway.

Oil pan would be easy to do now, but I'm way over-budget already :rolleyes: and finishing this project on what little I have left is going to be hard enough. :(

Some type of baffling in the gas tank is also a good idea...at least run a deeper sump in your tank. Fuel pickup is an issue in the twisties..

~S~

Some type of baffling in the gas tank is also a good idea...at least run a deeper sump in your tank. Fuel pickup is an issue in the twisties...Yeah, I haven't decided what I'm doing there... I'm putting fuel-injection in the car, so I need an electric pump and some baffling, but those new tanks you can buy with pumps and everything in-place are very expensive :(

Yeah, I haven't decided what I'm doing there... I'm putting fuel-injection in the car, so I need an electric pump and some baffling, but those new tanks you can buy with pumps and everything in-place are very expensive :(

Honestly, Derek, they're worth it. I didn't want to do it, either, but once I did - I didn't miss the money anymore. It's just so nice to put in a new tank and be (basically) done. I haven't pushed too ridiculously hard yet, but my Rock Valley tank seems to keep the gas flowing all the way to down well under a 1/4 tank. Baffles rule.

I'm sure this could be duplicated with a good sump and maybe a home-made surge tank, but then you have a lot more work and you have to find somewhere to mount it all. I just saved up my pennies and went for it.

Ryan

You can use the external surge tank concept for a lot less than the Rock Valley tank FWIW

do some measuring- the Caprice tank might fit under the car with minimal issues. it already has the pump in it, and i believe it is baffled already. and the neck comes out in about the right location. you might be able to keep the plastic fuel lines, as well (unless you accidentally cut them taking the engine out).
plus, it's made out of plastic and weighs next to nothing.
also, things like the springs might work, and the front sway bar will bolt right in. same with the steering box.
don't forget the rear disk brakes- hell, the whole rear axle might slide under the car with minimal effort.

Hey Derek, glad to see you’re seriously thinking of hitting a few road courses. The crack pipe is very addicting. Seriously though, most of the suggestions are good but really not necessary for your first few times out. Make sure the cooling system is up to par and the oil has been changed recently. Add an additional quart when you get to the track (you want it overfilled about a quart), make sure you have a coolant overflow bottle, and your battery real tight in a secure mount. Over time you'll want to add a P/S cooler and oil cooler…in that order. Tank baffling is nice but not really needed at the O/T, HPDE levels. If wanted to go A/I or hit some yellow group events, then maybe. Fire suppression should be considered as should a good seating and rollover protection (if for nothing else than to be able to use good 5-points).

It should be noted that while some have had heat issues like Carl in his Camaro, we run at tracks with outside temp around 120* and track temps upwards of 150* with zero shade or cover for cool down. Heat is an issue but you guys on the east coast probably don’t need to worry quite so much.

Thanks guys :) I asked on the impalassforum.com board about the oil-pan since I figured they'd know if the stock LT1 pan was baffled well enough. The response I got was that it has a windage tray that will be sufficient as long as I run the stock oil-pump... guys running high-volume pumps suck them dry on a long corner or prolonged braking, and things go boom.

novaderrick, the stock caprice tank is about 1/2" too wide to fit between the Chevelle frame. The rear axle I will be putting in my wagon, and the springs are too soft for my chevelle. I do intend to use the quick-ratio steering box. :thumbsup:

Denny, I'm a long ways from the East Coast ;) Like you said, heat won't be as big of an issue here, since we only get maybe 2-3 weeks of 100* heat at the most each summer. I don't intend to actually race competitively, maybe a few local autocrosses, and make the 5 hour trip to the road-course one or 2 times for "driving school" when the corvette club has their track-day.

I'm thinking about the surge-tank idea... anyone got a link for someplace that sells a complete setup?

Derek,

I'll have to look on my home computer later for a home-made surge tank link. The pre-built ones are very expensive (I don't have a link handy for that, either).

Ryan

The response I got was that it has a windage tray that will be sufficient as long as I run the stock oil-pump... guys running high-volume pumps suck them dry on a long corner or prolonged braking, and things go boom.

Where does the oil go, how does it get there and why doesn't it come back?

It really has nothing to do with the windage tray or baffling. With an HV pump, the pump will quickly suck the pan dry at 6K and a long winded corner is at least 6K. The oil stays in the lifter valley as the g-force generated holds it high in the valley against the head so it can't find its way to the return passages. Stick with a stock pump, there is no need for a HV pump.

even if the tank won't fit, maybe you could take the pump and sending unit out of it and maybe baffle the stock Chevelle tank somehow and put it in. you'd still be able to use the stock Caprice plastic fuel lines that way- they just snap together.

even if the tank won't fit, maybe you could take the pump and sending unit out of it and maybe baffle the stock Chevelle tank somehow and put it in. you'd still be able to use the stock Caprice plastic fuel lines that way- they just snap together.I think I'm going to try this, but not so sure I want to keep the plastic lines (although it would be super-easy to install them... maybe I will :) )

As for baffling the tank, I think I'm going to try something I learned from a friend who races IMCA late-model. He packed his fuel-cell with 4" plastic drain-tile. My only concern with this is how slowly I'll have to fill the tank when I pump gas... of course it's a chevelle, so it can only fill on the slowest setting at any pump anyway :rolleyes: I don't want to make it even worse.

If this don't work, I guess I'll have to bite the bullet for the rock-valley or ricks stainless tanks with baffling and pumps installed.

the plastic lines are good enough to pass DOT standards, and i believe it is NHRA legal, as well.
just keep it away from heat or abrasion, and all will be good.
if you are worried about the strength of the plastic lines- someone wells a nitrous kit that has ALL plastic lines- but i forget who it is. and nitrous runs insane pressures compared to the 50 or so psi an efi fuel system sees.

As for the gas tank, how about a late 80's GN or Monte Carlo tank. The Helm manual shows a TBI 4.3 litre for the 87 monte and they have behind the license plate filler necks.

As for the gas tank, how about a late 80's GN or Monte Carlo tank. The Helm manual shows a TBI 4.3 litre for the 87 monte and they have behind the license plate filler necks.Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out :)

Hmm id be interested in seeing how that fits.