Berry's Black Busa

[Busameupbaby]

Hi all, just been to see this car with a view to buying - Berry Dracup's car in Hants, on a 52 plate.

Has been used for hillclimbs and is not dry sumped, as Berry wanted the oil to heat up quicker for hill climbing.

I'm going to use it for track-days so is it a problem for a BUSA to be wet sumped? My only main concern really.

All else looked nice and Berry seems a good honest chap.

Cheers

[BuGsBuNnY]

The busa boys will be here soon no doubt. For trackdays, if you want your engine to last more than  a few corners, you do need one.

[JeffC]

No dry sump would concern me  . yes you could add one later but  if its been used in anger on track etc oil surge may have allready happened  , as Buggs says On a busa with sticky tyres it is essential for track use ...  

[ChrisG]

Im not entirely sure it is essential to be honest, I personally would put one on an engine of that value anyway just to protect the investment, but there do seem to be quite a few quick busa powered track cars that survive quite happily on wet sumps.

Duncan Cowper's Turbo Busa Dax is one that springs to mind, that car runs on slicks and has ballistic performance, yet its still wet sumped. I know he only does sprints but it only takes one corner of significant surge / oil stavation to lunch an engine so Im not sure the length of time spent on track is particularly relevent.

Chris

[JeffC]

even with a dry sump its not 100% safe they can still get surge on very tight  left hand corners if the oil level in the drysump tank drops slightly  

[ChrisG]

Yep agreed, Bazzer found that out at Spa ISTR, and in addition to that you're adding complexity with a dry sump so are succeptable to pump/belt failures or a hose coming loose / being pinched etc which would also end in a lunched engine, so if you can get away without it then its often the better option.

[cast iron]

I believe the dax conversion modifys the pickup to help prevent surge?

[steve_m]

I believe the dax conversion modifys the pickup to help prevent surge?

Most Dax cars like mine use the standard sump and a baffle plate.  I think you might be thinking of the testing they did with the swivel pickup ?  I don't think anything came of that.

My baffle is a horizontal plate the same size and shape as the sump pan and fits between the sump and cases with a extra sump gasket.  It basically gives a 2" or so wide plate around the edge of the sump so oil can't roll up the sides.

Duncan didn't originally have anythig on his car apart from the standard sump but at some point I think he did fit the Holeshot baffles but still with the stock sump, probably to test it for Jack but as he'd never had a problem it probably wasn't much of a test.

[Al Yupright]

Worth pointing out that the Westfield Megabusa wet sump is not the standard Suzuki one, as Steve has on his Dax.

It is a shorter bespoke item. This means it will have much less volume of oil in it and hence be more likely to suffer oil surge than the deeper one like Steve has.

I remember reading that the chaps with the first ever Megabusa (the multicoloured blue white and red one) blew up a couple of engines on the shortened wet sump, until they dry sumped it.

Worth ringing Mark Walker or Richard Smith at the Westfield factory and ask them whether the dry sump is needed or not for track use. I would say yes, with the only exception maybe if you're using non-sticky tyres.

[Terry Everall]

IMHO dry sump it

[Busameupbaby]

hmm, think the consenus is to dry sump it then, as it will spend most of it's life on track days, which doesn't make it look quite as competitively priced as I thought it was.

Bu@@er.

Thanks all for your views and comments.

[JeffC]

I can point  you in the direction of  a busa that is dry sumped, with massive spec ie freelander diff, f/r ARBs, 4 pots, nitrons, carbon dash , westfield racing eats, rac bar etc etc.. was £26k new!! .. mate of mine got one he  will prob take around  £10k for ir if you interested, but needs paintwork and a few bits sorting..

Pm me if you have an interest?

[Busameupbaby]

Thanks Jeff, really I need one 'out of the tin' as I don't have the time or spanners to do much apart fronm spank it!!

Cheers anyway though