[jrgoffin]

Lookin' good Joe

Thanks, Jon. Almost wish this didn't all come together so fast since I still have plenty of wait time until I'll be getting behind the wheel (snowing again here today). Anyway, I'll try to track down the male pins for these connectors today, and once those are sourced, this will be an easy project for future Vampire users.

Also as an FYI for anyone that has installed an oil pressure gauge, got to test mine out yesterday. Since the temps were in the low 30's, I plugged in the block heater for a few hours (brings the coolant up to around 100° before the engine is started) and fired it up. The oil pressure was in the high 80's initially, then stabilized around 55PSI after a few minutes. Again, this is the Shelby HV/HP pump that was originally sourced for the 3V engine. No issues with the Motorcraft filter, but I may go with one of the reusable versions just to be on the safe side (have to hit up Ed for the info since I think he had a source to get one of them for a great deal).

Otherwise, the engine is running ridiculously smooth. Vampire install will definitely coming soon.

 

[Wicked46]

You're using the Boundary oil pump gears right? Some guys have had issues with them lately.

 

[eschaider]

This site had the best pricing on the screw on style w/o the Pure Power remote Joe, Click here => Kartek. If you go with the Pure power remote it uses a slightly different attaching style for the filter element to the remote and adds about $200 to the purchase proposition. In fairness the NASCAR HP-6 remote mount is going to cost about $200 (or more) anyhow so buying the whole smash directly from Pure Power might just be the short way home.

This is a link (click here Pure Power) to a thread where Joe (BlownBlu97) and I show photographs of the Pure Power remote and filter. Joe's filter is the screw on style that uses a standard NASCAR HP-6 large diameter racing nipple mount. Mine is the same thing but using the Pure Power remote mount instead of the Peterson unit. BTW the Peterson unit Joe uses has a very attractive priming feature for cars/engines that are not used regularly. It allows you to spin a small oil pump that is built into the remote with with an electric drill and extension to prime the engine prior to starting - very cool idea!

Joe's review with excellent pics begins at post #9. My post showing the Pure power remote and corresponding filter starts at post #17. They also make the same filter style for OEM sized mounting nipples. If I were going to take the step to use this filter I would definitely use the big NASCAR HP-6 or Pure Power remotes. These are way impressive filters. The Kartek guys are easily the best retail pricing.

Ed

 

[4vFoxx]

You're using the Boundary oil pump gears right? Some guys have had issues with them lately.

Any links to these guys having issues? I just installed mine.....

 

[jrgoffin]

This site had the best pricing on the screw on style w/o the Pure Power remote Joe, Click here => Kartek. If you go with the Pure power remote it uses a slightly different attaching style for the filter element to the remote and adds about $200 to the purchase proposition. In fairness the NASCAR HP-6 remote mount is going to cost about $200 (or more) anyhow so buying the whole smash directly from Pure Power might just be the short way home.

This is a link (click here Pure Power) to a thread where Joe (BlownBlu97) and I show photographs of the Pure Power remote and filter. Joe's filter is the screw on style that uses a standard NASCAR HP-6 large diameter racing nipple mount. Mine is the same thing but using the Pure Power remote mount instead of the Peterson unit. BTW the Peterson unit Joe uses has a very attractive priming feature for cars/engines that are not used regularly. It allows you to spin a small oil pump that is built into the remote with with an electric drill and extension to prime the engine prior to starting - very cool idea!

Joe's review with excellent pics begins at post #9. My post showing the Pure power remote and corresponding filter starts at post #17. They also make the same filter style for OEM sized mounting nipples. If I were going to take the step to use this filter I would definitely use the big NASCAR HP-6 or Pure Power remotes. These are way impressive filters. The Kartek guys are easily the best retail pricing.

Ed

Thanks, Ed. I meant to ask you when I was out that way but it slipped my mind. I'll check out the thread and then will get one ordered. I'm sure the OE filters would be fine even up to 100PSI, but so sense in rolling the dice when I'm close to that figure. Even better, I like the idea of re-using it and never having to toss filters out again!

Any links to these guys having issues? I just installed mine.....

That would be interesting to see, if in fact there is truth to it. From what Travis has mentioned many times, he has a lot of his pumps (and gears) out there, and none have failed. I had complete confidence in his product when I ordered them.

 

[jrgoffin]

Okay, ended up ordering the "standard" PurePower filter. I went ahead and called PurePower just to verify the thread size on the OE filter, which is M22-1.5, so the one to get is the PP8433. Since I am leaving the filter in the stock location, I figured this would work, although the HP6 that Ed listed would be great if the remote mount comes in to play. Very cool stuff for sure.

With some rewards points, I snagged it from Amazon, so it ended up being $230 shipped - not too shabby. I may go ahead and pull the Motorcraft filter so I can drain out enough oil to send a sample to Blackstone (have been using them for years), or I'll just wait and put a couple hundred miles on this oil before draining it and installing this new filter.

If anyone is curious, here's the PP8433 in all its glory (well, a representative photo, at least):

The finer points:

And the link right to their site for this particular filter: PP8433

The spending of money on these engines just never ends...

 

[eschaider]

They are exquisite filters, as you already know, Joe. Great pick!


Ed

 

[BlownBlu97]

Aluminator Gibtec build

, sweet piece! For sure.

 

[jrgoffin]

Absolutely no progress made on the Vampire or PCM harness this week due to a full load on the work and home fronts, but I'll get back to tracking down the male pins next week (hopefully). Have a call in to the company that made the pins and harness end, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that they get back to me shortly.

In the meantime, the new oil filter showed up, so I took a few minutes out of my Saturday to put it on. Before I did that, I had to get some comparison shots with my usual filter of choice, the Bosch 3410. The Bosch filter is the same size as the Motorcraft version (3-1/2" tall with a 3-1/2" diameter), whereas the PurePower filter is a bit slimmer (4" tall with a diameter of 3"). Some side-by-side pictures for the heck of it:

The billet filter is definitely a work of art, and I made sure to disassemble and reassemble it with oil on the o-rings. I lost a bit of oil when the "old" filter came off, but I made sure to pour some in the new filter before I screwed it back on (that should be the norm for everyone). I also wrap the steering rack with aluminum foil before I pull filters so it creates a small river to the oil pan so I don't get oil all over the boot and caked on the housing. A couple comparisons of the filters in their space:

Obligatory reminder not to toss it (not sure who would need it, but apparently the lawyers felt it was necessary), along with cleaning instructions:

Nice bling shot from above:

Made sure to idle the engine again for a bit today, and with the "cold" oil pressure over 110PSI at start-up, I'll feel much better now with the billet filter. Hopefully within a few more weeks I'll actually be able to take a spin now that the weather is getting nicer, but as smooth as the engine is running, I'm sure I will be extremely pleased at how this project has turned out (dyno time and another updated tune in the works as well).

 

[eschaider]

Aside from how well they work, I also like the appearance they have on the engine. Very nice choice, Joe. :thumb:


Ed

 

[jrgoffin]

Aside from how well they work, I also like the appearance they have on the engine. Very nice choice, Joe. :thumb:

Ed

Form and function, Ed - you can't beat it! With the cold oil pressure at over 110PSI at start-up, I'll feel much better with the billet case now. When the first oil change comes up, I'll also look forward to seeing what the magnets in the filter grab as well. Overall, another great investment for these expensive engines!

 

[Edmisten1]

You're using the Boundary oil pump gears right? Some guys have had issues with them lately.

I too would like to see any other additional info you have on this. I'm with Joe; I had no reservations whatsoever buying his product. It came highly recommended and looked to be top notch, especially when it showed up with all clearances blue printed.

 

[eschaider]

Of all the billet gear set alternatives out there right now, I believe Boundary is the only one that has no reported failures. If anyone has specifics about a failure we should look at it. Absent a known instance of failure the, 'I thought I heard of a ....' type story only damages someone's reputation with innuendo and rumor. Not fair play and certainly not the way to encourage entrepreneurs to spend their time and money to help us.

Again if anyone has a known instance of failure they can document lets have a look.


Ed

 

[jrgoffin]

I'm with you on that, Ed. Just as an FYI for everyone and more props to Travis at Boundary, I'll reiterate a quote from him that is also on the Engine page of my own site:

"...I manufacture and design the gears myself. These are made in America, made by me actually. There aren't many that actually know how to design a trochoidal gerotor pump, but I'm one of them. I didn't hit the copy key, these use a unique pattern that mitigates the torsion moments on the teeth and creates a bigger pumping chamber. We have thousands of my designed gears floating in different vehicles, and many house name my brand. I challenge you to find one that has failed."

 

[408Stang]

Are stock gears failing on our cars in street applications? What kind of gears are used in the GT500 from the factory?

In a race application with high RPM that's a different story... But for a street car that turns 6500 RPM max I'm wondering if this is another case of "I must have billet" that tends to grab all of us. Don't get me wrong... I also purchased this "insurance" for my engine... I used TSS gears (Triangle Speed Shop) but I always wonder if I threw money away. Or is this just the "price of insurance"?

It's kind of like the billet oil filter... Can anyone show me a failure of the Motorcraft FL820S? We can debate filtration qualities all day, but Ford designed that filter to work with these engines.... At cold oil PSI and operating temp. It would take me about 60 oil changes to make up the price difference between the FL820S and the billet filter... So about 30 years based on how much I drive my car.

Sometimes "billet" isn't worth it.

 

[Edmisten1]

Are stock gears failing on our cars in street applications? What kind of gears are used in the GT500 from the factory?

In a race application with high RPM that's a different story... But for a street car that turns 6500 RPM max I'm wondering if this is another case of "I must have billet" that tends to grab all of us. Don't get me wrong... I also purchased this "insurance" for my engine... I used TSS gears (Triangle Speed Shop) but I always wonder if I threw money away. Or is this just the "price of insurance"?

It's kind of like the billet oil filter... Can anyone show me a failure of the Motorcraft FL820S? We can debate filtration qualities all day, but Ford designed that filter to work with these engines.... At cold oil PSI and operating temp. It would take me about 60 oil changes to make up the price difference between the FL820S and the billet filter... So about 30 years based on how much I drive my car.

Sometimes "billet" isn't worth it.

This is actually very well said. Just because something is 'billet' does not mean it is necessarily better or a 'must have'. That said, with oil being the life blood of your engine and the oil pump being the heart beat of the engine, $200 is an insignificant investment (at least my .02) to ensure oil starvation is the last thing to potentially take out a fresh engine. But yeah, that billet oil filter Joe bought is a slick piece for sure but for me, I can think of several other things I'd spend that kinda scratch on before I would spend it on an oil filter. But hey, different strokes for different folks

With that in mind, a guy did a build thread over on another site for his 302 Tymensky built 3.4 Lyscholm stroker. Literally half the stuff on that entitre car was billet or custom made and only served as eye candy; it did very little, if anything at all, to enhance the longevity or robustness of his crazy high dollar investment. But, it sure was a piece of art, I'll say that. I've never seen anything like it before or after. His car was without question one of a kind. A true one-off.

 

[IWRBB]

Are stock gears failing on our cars in street applications?

Plenty of stock 4.6L engines have been destroyed due to fractured pump gears. That said though- no it's not that common. Both 4.6L and the 5.4L engines are tough as nails and 300 to 400 thousand mile examples are not rare at all.

I think it's mostly a matter of once you have $10K plus all the time and effort into an engine, you'd be kicking yourself if you used stock gears and they failed wiping out the whole bottom end. Eliminate the known weak points and hope for the best with everything else.

 

[jrgoffin]

The GT-500 uses the same powdered metal gears the other pumps have. Sure, they are fine for the street, but if you are spending big dollars on these engines, you'd be a fool to overlook the gears. That's what makes the Boundary gears such a great bang for the buck: they are roughly half the price of some of the others and will deliver the same performance. It's like a guy that can sell you a 170° thermostat for about half the price that is the same thing.

As for the oil filter, while it actually does offer bling, the extra $200 was nothing. With the cost of the engine, I didn't bat an eye at this. Since it offers better flow, higher burst strength, and is re-usable, I was fine with it. I also like that it has its own magnets. With what I've put in to this project, all the add-on's were just extra insurance for long-term performance as well as durability.

 

[eschaider]

Whenever you have high cold start oil pressure and live in cold country, like Joe does, you can see way over 100psi at cold start idle.

I live in Kalifornia but a number of years ago we started the race car during the winter months to do a quick check before driving to warmer country to race, the car was idling somewhere north of 150 psi. Not sure exactly where because that was a high as the gauge read. When the oil pressure dropped to 150 psi and one of the guys blipped the throttle the oil pressure needle swung around and hit the backside of zero peg and bent itself! You want the most robust and highest burst pressure filters you can get if you are in cold country.

There are a number of things on the engine you buy like car insurance. You don't buy car insurance because you are planning to have an accident. You buy car insurance in case you have an accident. Subtle but important differences here. Same value system for some of these items. You are buying them in case ...


Ed

 

[jrgoffin]

Since there has been a bit of an oil discussion, and especially with no progress made on finishing with the Vampire (a bit busy with things at home lately), I wanted to attach a Used Oil Analysis from a sample taken when I switched to the PurePower filter. This has been a habit of mine for years with Blackstone Labs, so I highly recommend them. I actually decided to drain all the Shell Rotella oil (15W-40) after about four hours of run time - mostly at idle - just to see how it was made up since I wasn't entirely familiar with its specifications.

There are some wear metals as expected, but they are still low, most likely thanks to the magnetic drain plug that Canton supplies (there was a small glob of silt on its tip). The previous three reports were from my other oil of choice: Mobil1 High-Mileage 5W-30, which I consider one of their other better oils. It has higher levels of Zn & Ph, much like the 0W-40 of theirs I'll be running after I put a couple hundred miles on the Shell "break-in" oil. Silicon is also elevated thanks to the assembly lube, but so far, all is looking well. The viscosity (reported in "centiStokes" at 100°C/212°F) is also dead on for a 40-weight oil.

Eventually, I'll get the Vampire installed, so more pictures to follow.