TUNA CAN pickup tube too long???

The pickup tube for the Tuna Can on the oil sump is too long. The Can will not seat and is about 0.1" from mating with the case.

I do not think it is a "Syndrom problem".

Anybody else have this problem??

Yes, I can cut the end and renotch it, but I think it should fit without modification.

Ken

[chrisreale]

Maybe your case is slightly deformed?

Thanks Chris

Well I just check it in my backup motor (which is apart) and it is too long in that one also.

Ken

[chrisreale]

I guess all you can do is file it down and notch it to fit...

[bpick84]

I had the same problem. I used 2 gaskets with a little hi temp sealant between them to make it fit. I feel it is poor design, they could have made the tube a hair shorter and not affected its operation.

[Barber Dave]

Ken : if your talking about the end of the temp.sensor (what contacts the oil) I am adding that to my car tommrow. I bought used from E-Bay ,it had a temp sensor in it. but I wanted new, the one i got from P.Parts was a lot shorter than the old one it came with. I would guess as long as it comes in contact with oil it's o.k. Dave

Dave - No, this is an additional oil sump that goes where the oil screen is mounted. It extends the oil pump pickup tube in to a small oil reservior so oil pressure is not lost when making long high speed sweeping turns.
Ken

[Barber Dave]

Ken : gottcha. my mistake. Does't that also really cut ground clearance. If it's a track car that wouldn't be a problem. But has any one ran one on a street car? Dave

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

I run one on my street/autoX/maybe someday track car. No problems bottoming it on anything yet. I recall some sort of fitment problem about the pickup extension being a little too long, but it turned out not to be an issue.

I actually replaced the Weltmeister one with a Garretson one (uses the stock sump plate as the bottom of the oil trap) and did not have any problems with the pickup tube.

--DD

[Zeke]

I had the same problem, but more than 0.1" More like a 1/4 inch. Turns out that the radius in the original pick up interfers with proper fit of the extension. And I discovered that not all type IV pick ups are the same. Some have a tighter radius which allows the extension to press up higher. You'll have to cut it like I did.

Originally posted by Dave at Pelican Parts


I actually replaced the Weltmeister one with a Garretson one (uses the stock sump plate as the bottom of the oil trap) and did not have any problems with the pickup tube.

--DD

I wish I had known about that before I bought the Weltmeister. Sounds like a better mouse (tuna) trap.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

I didn't have any problems with either one, actually. And I'm not sure that there are any unused Garretson ones around any more... Actually, you can weld, right? Just weld a section of wide tubing onto a stock sump plate, and that's the Garretson one...

--DD

[Zeke]

Originally posted by Dave at Pelican Parts
I didn't have any problems with either one, actually. And I'm not sure that there are any unused Garretson ones around any more... Actually, you can weld, right? Just weld a section of wide tubing onto a stock sump plate, and that's the Garretson one...

--DD

Right. No offense, DD, but if I wanted to work that hard, I would have made my own. I think the point here is that the quick and easy product is not so quick and easy for some. I'm glad this thread came up because I sure was perplexed about the thing not fitting. And if it interferred with the tightening of the can just a little, it would put unwanted pressure on the center bearing web, right? Either that, or cause a leak that would be hard to understand indicating further tightening of the nut, which is wrong. Extra gaskets would be a stop gap solution, but not the ultimate.

[JWest]

I run one on my street/autoX/maybe someday track car

Dave, don't you mean the garage/collect dust/ maybe someday run again car?

Sorry, guess I'm in a weird Monday morning/daylight savings mood today (and your car is closer to running than mine)!

Problem solved - ordered an Accusump!!

Ken

[COLDBASS]

Ken,

I did the same, however, I was Con-vinced into buying a check valve (not the electric valve). Everything was cool until one day of spirited driving thru some twisties. At the end of the run I came to a stop and the damn oil light came on. WTF, it stayed on while idling for about 3 mins. I was PO'd, shut the car off and cursed for a short while. 15 mins later I started her up again and things went back to normal. I got to the office and called Accusump Tech Support. I received some rhetoric about the compatability of the check valve and fittings. Bottomline, I was strongly encouraged to remove the POS check valve. I said WTF, I did not want or think that I needed one in the first place but MOCAL (a distributor of theirs said Yes). Accusump said that one is not needed for my application. Personally, I feel that it was BS and they knew that there was a defective batch of check valves shipped. Apparently, the check valve stuck shut and didnt allow the normal oil flow thru the sandwich adapter-oil cooler-Accusump-back to the sandwich adapter.

I am happy with the Accusump, mad at myself for going against my original POV and listening to Sales folks...probably did some damage and shorten the life of my engine (only 8k on the rebuild). Oh well,,,
Bob

[bpick84]

I feel the Accusump is an expensive fix to a simple problem. If the Tuna Can does not work for you, I would go to a full deep sump before I would install an Accusump. I had oil pressure issues on the track until I installed a tuna can. I ran the new Barber Motorsports track in Birmingham with all of its carousels, corkscrews, etc. and the pressure gauge did not budge. I do think Weltmeister needs to allow some fitting tolerance in the tube. Most people I know that race just use a deep sump with no problems, and most of them have tried Accusumps.

[ken180]

Bob - Thanks for the comment on the check valve. My feeling is it would be pretty hard to drive much, if any, oil back through the oil pump gears especially if they are turning.

bpick84 - I have had a "few" off track trips that would have broken off a "deep sump". Street use OK, track could be a problem.

I talked to "customer service" at Performance Products (Weltmeister owners) and was told they would look it to the problem"if they had time"!!

I did not get much of an answer when I asked if they cared if they were selling a product that might not work.

Ken

[bander]

I have been using a Tuna Can for and at my last DE, I had oil starvation on long left handers.

I ordered a 1 qt Accusump with electrical valve on Friday from Canton Racing, The manufactures. They said that a check valve was not necessary. I cant imagine why you would ever want it.

They now offer and recemond using a pressure switch to turn on the valve. If the ignition is on and the pressure is below a setpoint(40psi), then the valve opens. They say that the valve style they use acts as a check valve and allows oil to flow into the accumulator when closed. This would prevent the valve from having to be on all the time. They also say that the accumulator refills faster when the valve is closed, but I have a hard time believing it.

For those who have been using one for a while, Do you get your oil level correct when the accusump is full, empty, or somewhere in between?

[TGM]

I had problems with my Tuna Can also. But mine was an issue with the case in that the bolt that holds on the sump plate is not square with plate mounting surface. The extra length of the Tuna can magnified the problem. I ditched the idea instead of risking getting the "syndrome" by trying to overtighten to get it straight. I also was not thrilled about losing the screen.

Ok feel free to flame on this comment:

I'm going to leave as is and accept the momentary oil pressure loss during certain turns at the track. This car gets used about 4-5 times a year at DE's and I figure the little extra wear is going to take a long time to cause me any problems.