GR86 Fensport Oil Pickup Pre Filter

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callahan

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While getting my car serviced at Fensport on Monday I had a good conversation with Michael about what upgrades they would recommend for the GR86 and we inevitably came to the oil starvation issues, of which they have seen a few (in GT and GR86) and it is particularly recommended for track use, for obvious reasons.

They have just added the Pre Filter to their website, here: https://www.fensport.co.uk/collections/newest-products/products/oil-pickup-pre-filter-killer-b-gr86

We also spoke about a baffle and an oil cooler, but you're much better off asking them as I was hypnotised by all the shiny things they had on offer, such as the strut brace / brake stopper I drove away with.....

Incidentally, I have no affiliation with Fensport and Monday was the first time I've been there, but I would definitely recommend them to anyone.
 
I've seen this before but I don't understand why it exists.

The only benefit I can see is it more convenient to clean once the sump is off, but... if you have had the sump off to fit it, you would have addressed the issue with the excessive RTV in the first place.
 
ZN8 said:
I've seen this before but I don't understand why it exists.

The only benefit I can see is it more convenient to clean once the sump is off, but... if you have had the sump off to fit it, you would have addressed the issue with the excessive RTV in the first place.
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Agree completely. Seems to solve an issue that doesn't really exist.

This same mesh type basket is already installed in the pickup tube, and as you rightly say, in order to fit this item, you need to remove the sump. If you're already removing the sump and having to reseal it, you should have fixed the problem you'd be solving with this anyway.
 
I wouldn't and I didn't have it fitted when I took my car to them.
If you want to do something to your pan I would wait for the verus engineering solution but fully expect to cost several hundred pounds
 
I've fitted the Cusco baffle plate in my sump and plan to overfill oil by half a litre, and swap over to 5W30 oil in preparation for next track day. Those two things as a combo seem to be a fairly well trusted setup for a lot of the track guys in the US.
 
From what I could understand (and I am far from an expert) the idea is that the mesh in the pickup tube covers a small surface area and is very easy to clog, so adding this basket increases the surface area so it would take a huge amount of rtv to clog it and therefore cause an issue. Seems sensible to me, but I am not an engineer.

Obviously, to fit it you'll have the take the oil pan off and clean it out anyway, but peace of mind that it won't reoccur would be nice, especially in long sweeping corners...
 
I don't get it either. Fitting a baffle is a good idea though. Is on the list but I don't have a garage who I can trust to fit stuff like this.
 
callahan said:
From what I could understand (and I am far from an expert) the idea is that the mesh in the pickup tube covers a small surface area and is very easy to clog, so adding this basket increases the surface area so it would take a huge amount of rtv to clog it and therefore cause an issue. Seems sensible to me, but I am not an engineer.

Obviously, to fit it you'll have the take the oil pan off and clean it out anyway, but peace of mind that it won't reoccur would be nice, especially in long sweeping corners...
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Oil starvation got massively hyped up on the US forums and as such its had quite a lot of attention over the past 2 years, including that of Killer B motorsports, who designed that ‘basket’ style pre filter and also a baffled sump. Given the prevalence of these cars out there and how vocal those guys are they are good source of information and data.

The RTV clogging the pickup was originally seen as the culprit but as time moved on it became less evident that this was the case, whilst it’s not great, the original oil pickup has 5 faces, the RTV only clogs one of them, so there is still plenty of surface area for the oil to pass through. A chap from Japan and the US had both logged oil pressures before and after having their pickups cleaned and saw no difference. It’s likely a large percentage of all GR86s and BRZs driving around have partially clogged pickups.

Someone called 900BRZ (on youtube and GR86.org) has done a lot of research on oil starvation and was the one who identified the alarming drop in oil pressure as a result of high G right hand turns. He tried some of the readily available baffles and none had an impact, the most effective way to minimise pressure drop was simply to overfill the oil by ‘0.7 quarts’ which is basically 1 litre for us European folks.

Since then, there has been more discussions from 900BRZ and others with those who are involved in the GR86 cup series in the US. Since it’s a sprint racing series they offer a great insight into how the FA24 is holding up in high demand conditions. The recommended spec from Toyota is not far off what’s already been discovered so far, they overfill the engines with oil, use 0w40, have an Setrab air oil cooler and a very basic looking baffle in the sump.
 
From GR86 Challenge races in China, the gearbox is the weak link for racing. This is with factory sealed engines. As it's a one make challenge the engines are sealed and no mods allowed. I think the RTV is present but I never believed it to be the cause of oil starvation.

With 1l over fill but without oil cooler, I was hitting 125deg at Spa before letting off and cooling. If I had carried on pushing, the temp would have just kept going up.

By Bedford trackday, the greddy oil cooler was fitted. Can't remember the exact temp but it was like 105 degrees and I could go all day. Rock solid temps. Ambient temp was higher too than Spa. So for me, the oil cooler is a must for track day work.
 
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