Moroso oil pressure accumulator

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andy wright
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Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by andy wright »

Evening Guy,
Small query.
Managed to get my Integrale engine fired up today. Almost everything worked first time (well, the rev. counter didn't count and and the alternator didn't alternate) but crank shaft rotated and took all its associated parts with it and the oil and water obligingly remained in their respective containers.
However, not sure about the Moroso unit. I have connected up the electric valve via a relay which opens the valve when the ignition is on. I followed the set-up instructions and gave the accusump a small residual pressure. Now that the engine has run and been stopped and started a few times, I am not sure that the cylinder is filling with oil. On switch-off the pressure is only 20psi when I can see at least 4 bar on the gauge. I have the low oil pressure switch in the accusump feed pipe. That seems to operate as normal.

Certainly when I ran the engine for about 20 mins, I could detect no warm oil in the pipe between the valve and the accumulator, even though by this time the thermostat in the filter block had opened as the oil cooler had begun to warm up. I have a feeling that I have messed up somewhere. Any suggestions?

Andy
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Guy Croft
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by Guy Croft »

If you are definitely on a pressurised port on the main filtered feed gallery to the block then the most obvious cause might be the solenoid valve is the wrong way round?

G
andy wright
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by andy wright »

Evening Guy,
Thanks for your reply. I have plumbed the accumulator into the port that had the low oil pressure switch in it, which I think is correct. Now for the valve. Please correct me if I have misunderstood. When the solenoid is not powered on, the valve will allow oil to flow from the engine to the accumulator but not from the accumulator back to the engine. When the solenoid is activated, oil can flow both ways. So, at engine switch-off, high oil pressure in the accumulator cannot force the oil back to the oil galleries. When the ignition is turned on, the valve opens and oil flows into the galleries, thus discharging the accumulator. If the valve is the wrong way round, when the ignition was switched off, the accumulator would discharge itself almost immediately, but would still do so from whatever the engine oil pressure was before the engine was switched off. Sorry If I am being extremely daft.
Andy
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Guy Croft
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by Guy Croft »

I don't think it's quite that simple as the valve works with a combo of volts and oil pressure too, it is not just a simple solenoid. Truth is I have never fitted one back to front so I have no idea what would happen. Unless I am mistaken the instructions with the box the valve comes in have the right instructions on orientation...?

G
Rich Ellingham
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by Rich Ellingham »

1. Andy, with the car not running note the value on the accumulator.

2. Get someone else to start the car - the pressure on the Accumulator gauge should rise

3. Turn off the engine but maintain ignition on - the pressure should reduce.

4. repeat step 2, but kill the engine and ignition dead - pressure should remain in the accumulator.

5. Turn only the ignition on, the pressure should bleed down.

If these things aren't happening then the valve isn't opening, I'm not aware that it is anything other then a simple solenoid ball valve. Make sure the polarity is correct on the wiring and that you have a good earth. What's the empty pressure on the guage reading?
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andy wright
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by andy wright »

Thanks for the reply. I am pretty sure that I conected the valve in the orientation given in the destructions. The polarity on the solenoid is not marked, but I am confident that I have a good earth. When I powered up the solenoid with an external power supply, the solenoid operated. I was then able to pour quite a volume of oil from the accumlator end of the pipework, through the valve and down into the filter block housing. Anyway, I will recheck the power supply connections and check that, when ignition is on, the solenoid does operate (Ihave wired it through a relay ) I will then follow your advice and see what happens.
Andy
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andy wright
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by andy wright »

Followed the advice given. With the motor uniing, pressure in the accumulator rose to 20psi even though the gauge in the car read much more. On switch-off, pressure held. On switch on, pressure dropped to less than 10psi. I think it is the electric valve for several reasons. (a) when powered up, the solenoid valve does not always 'click' (b) the 12v coil runs very hot after only a few mins.. I do not have any data for the solenoid . It has a resistance of 10 ohms, which means it will draw about 1.2 amps. I guess the trick will be to compare it with another one.
Andy
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Guy Croft
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by Guy Croft »

I've never known of defective solenoid. But in my exp the ignition feed wiring capacity can cause problems.

I suggest you operate the item direct off the battery and see how it performs.

G
andy wright
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by andy wright »

Evening,
I agree, which is why I wired it via a relay, just in case. I also then tried feeding the solenoid directly from a battery charger, bypassing all my other electrical handiwork. Hmmm. When i come over with the block, perhaps I could check/compare with another one (if you have one in) I looked on the Moroso website, but could not see any reference to the electrically operated valve, which by the looks of it is made by another company. I will keep trying!
Andy
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andy wright
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by andy wright »

Update. Replaced valve with a manual one. All works well. Checked electric valve across battery. Works fine (thanks Guy) Then checked with battery charger. Would not work. Then rechecked via my relay . Still no go. Then replaced blown fuse in said relay, shot of down to the loca card shop and bought a job lot of 'Andy Wright, you are a complete muppet' Then returned to bask in a warm glow of an electric solenoid valve working via a relay.
Sorry to have wasted your time gentlemen. I will now replumb the valve and wait for it not to work!¬!
Andy
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Rich Ellingham
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by Rich Ellingham »

Never mind Andy you got there in the end, I highly recommend ETA thermal trip blade fuse replacments as they can be reset,

I use them after the main igntion relay (12v feed to fuse block) then onto the final device, I guess the solenoid intantaneous current draw could be very high

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Guy Croft
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by Guy Croft »

Ho hum Mr Wright.

So I don't need to lend you a spare to check your dud battery charger and blown fuse?

Pity, I thought y'all were on to a 'run' of defective Moroso solenoids thar...

G


(Cool dash Rich - thanks for helping on this thread BTW..)
andy wright
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Re: Moroso oil pressure accumulator

Post by andy wright »

Thank you Richard. That is the conclusion that I came to; the instantaneous current was enough to blow the fuse, even though the steady state current should not be much more than one amp. Brilliant dash by the way. Ta. for the photograph. And for those of you out there interested in Accumulators controlled by an electric valve, these valves are are so cunning that one fitted with a tail could be mistaken for a weasel. Once activated, I could blow through the valve either way with ease. However, switched off and it was impossible to blow through either way! I had not expected that. Guy summised that the valve must be pressure sensitive. I think that must be the case. Anyone out there know how these things work?>
Andy
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