914-6 aluninum Oil tank help

Porsche1VW · 03-16-2003, 11:48 AM

I have a 914-6 aluminum oil tank that mounts where the battery was. I believe it was manufactured by Mark Stevens a few years ago. I am try ing to locate someone who has one of these and can tell me how to measure the oil quantity, how much oil is put in on an oil change, and a number of other questions. The best bet would be to talk to Mark Stephens but I haven't been able to find him.

Can anyone help to put me in contact with someone who knows something about this battery area mounted 914-6 aluminum oil tank.

Thanks'

Ricardo Gonzales

Jim Smolka · 03-16-2003, 01:57 PM

Though I don’t have a right side aluminum oil tank (I have a left side one), it is possible to fill the tank with kerosene and get a measurement that way. Also, not a bad way to clean the tank.

Seams strange to mount the tank on the right side when the dry sump inlet is on the left on a 6 cyl 914 motor. However, for weight balancing the right side mount would be a good thing

Otto · 03-18-2003, 03:44 PM

Throw that tank away as far as you can. I built several motors for Mark Stevens and he ran them and they blew up after a few hours. His oil tanks are junk, they do not have any anti-foaming screens or any baffeling plates and the oil pick-up will cause you to loose motors also. When I found out that he was using this piece of iraq junk, I went ballistic because he said that he was using a factory 914/6 tank and he lied to me. F$#@ him and the junk he built.

soloracer · 03-18-2003, 03:58 PM

I have a Vellios tank mounted under the drivers side fender. Does this unit have baffle plates or anti foaming screens?

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

I haven't heard of any problems with the Vellios tank (we've been selling them for years). They are also the same tank that Patrick Motorsports sells.

I have never heard of a tank made by Stephens...

-Wayne

Otto · 03-18-2003, 04:24 PM

I have first hand experience with the Stevens tank, three free motors before I saw the tank. I got hosed.

campbellcj · 03-18-2003, 07:43 PM

C'mon Otto, tell us how you really feel...don't hold back

(My car is getting a factory tank...someday soon...)

Porsche1VW · 03-19-2003, 03:38 AM

Well, now I'm really worried. The tank is installed and seemed fine. I haven't gone autocross racing with it yet.

Is Otto correct. Please anyone who has knowledge or information on this oil tank please respond so that I can fully know the facts and decide what to do.

If anone know someone who is using one of these tanks please help me get in contact with them.

Also how can I contacrt Mark Stevens. Anyone got an idea?

Please!!!!

Ricardo

morgan_harwell · 03-19-2003, 06:36 AM

I bought & installed my Stephens Machining alum oil tank in 1987. That was 16 years & 160K miles ago. Zero problems so far. No leaks, no blown engines. It does have baffle plates inside.

The tank holds 20 qts, total. Mark S. warned me not to run less than 12qts if AC'ing or TT'ing the car. He told me about the motor he lost; he was in a hurry putting car back together, only had 10qts of oil on hand, TT'ed it & lost a rod bearing.

Checking the oil level:
When I 1st installed the tank, I poured 12qts in, warmed up the engine, then I marked a steel rod at the oil level in the tank. I use that rod to check the oil level (engine warm & running). I generally run 12-14 qts at all times.

Ricardo, contact me anytime with your questions,
--Moe--

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Morgan! Good to see you here. I was hoping you'd reply to the thread, as you're the only person I know myself (well, I've met Otto once or twice) who has used one of these tanks.

Ricardo, Mark Stephens High Performance (MSHP) is gone. They apparently tried to grow the company way too fast and had some pretty severe problems, and so the company collapsed. From what one old-timer on the 914 Rennlist says, it isn't the first time...

Try looking into the tank with a flashlight and a mirror or two. That should tell you if there are any baffles inside of it. If not, you might consider using a factory tank... If so, you should probably talk to Morgan about his experience with his tank.

--DD

Jim Smolka · 03-19-2003, 09:21 AM

I have a couple of questions about the system

The inlet seems ok as it may be connect to the low pressure side of the oil coolers (assuming there is an external oil cooler) The outlet of the tank is on the top?? The oil feed to the dry sump is gravity fed. Not sure how oil gets to the motor??? There must be more to the system than what is shown. Also, what about the breather aspect of the oil tank system???

jabb · 03-19-2003, 01:37 PM

Breather......... we dont need no stinking breather...

You read my mind Jim...............

I use a Vellios tank

campbellcj · 03-19-2003, 02:35 PM

I'm no oil tank expert, but that looks like a pretty bizzare setup to me too.

I would think that if you want to use an aftermarket alloy tank, it would be something more like this --

morgan_harwell · 05:10 PM

>The inlet seems ok ...
Inlet is not at top of tank. Engine pressurized oil enters tank from underneath (look very closely at photos). The tank design delievers the oil directly to the filter, the filtered oil then enters the storage area of the tank.

>The outlet of the tank is on the top??
Nope.

>The oil feed to the dry sump is gravity fed.
Yep.

>Not sure how oil gets to the motor???
Oil flows out of large outlet at bottom/front of oil tank to the pipe under the engine mounted oil cooler.

>There must be more to the system than what is shown.
Yep.

>what about the breather aspect of the oil tank system???
Engine crankcase breather is connected to oil tank. See the large SSbraided hose attached to the tank at the front/top?
Oil tank breather is connected to oil breather mounted on firewall, over by the battery. See the large SSbraided hose attached to the tank at the rear/top next to oil filter?

This "pretty bizzare setup" has served me very well for 16 years & 160K+ miles (same engine, same bearings). Nice thing about this oil tank design is both trunks are not cluttered with batteries & oil tanks, everything associated with the flat 6 engine is in the "engine bay". Another nice thing, the heat generated by the tank doesn't collect inside the wheel well promoting rust, nor have I ever been burned getting into or out of the car.

--Moe--

Jim Smolka · 03-20-2003, 04:31 AM

Morgan,

Thanks for the clarification. Oh and nice job of fitting an SC CIS motor into a 914. Been there, done that... not easy to do w/o having to cut the trunk.

JWest · 03-20-2003, 06:14 AM

Quote:

nor have I ever been burned getting into or out of the car.

Is this a concern with the factory setup? With the factory oil tank - does it make the outer fender pretty hot? Does this heat get to th driver's area or is it only the external fender?

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

The heat is fairly localized to the fender specifically. I've never been burned getting into or out of a 914-6 with a factory tank, but I've only gotten into the driver's side of them a few times. I don't recall it being an issue, though, nor even noticing the fender being hot.

--DD