I've been looking at vacuum pumps a lot lately. I read a few threads discussing the topic, but they are pretty old. I was hoping to get some fresh information and input from people who recently got one. I don't even know if it's really necessary for my build. It will be a street driven turbo car with hopefully 15psi. I have bungs welded on my valve covers to go to a vented catch can. I know most people get away with a catch can, but I'm a sucker for spending too much on the car. It wouldn't been too late to switch to a vacuum pump if I need it.

My main concern is how it will be mounted. I've seen them mounted on the driver's side head. That's awful close to my turbo. It probably wouldn't hit the pump, but the belt might rub the turbine housing. My turbo is basically where the AIR pump was. Ideally, having it where the A/C compressor was would be perfect. I have lots of room on that side. Share your thoughts!

 

Nothing?

 

I have one on my car made by gz motorsports. Mine is on the passenger side and would recomend one on any high horsepower car.

 

I thought GZ Motorsports just had kits for LSX motors? Are you using the stock accessory bracket? Any pictures?

 

I'd like to see pics too. I know of one other person that has it on his car and he did a lot of fabing to get it to work.

http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/n...p%204th%20gen/

 

That does look like a lot of fabricating. Is that some sort of spring system for when the motor rocks?
I have plenty of room on that side for something like that, but I highly doubt I could replicate that.

 

I have a GZ motorsports vaccum pump and it fits perfectly with no fabbing. I go the driver's side head mount. However, I do not have the head mounted coil or ABS anymore so that made it simpler to mount up.

 

I've been thinking about doing the same thing a lot lately, PCV systems seem to be a system that gets overlooked a lot. There are a lot of people who focus on catch cans which seem to be very helpful in keeping oil from getting back into the intake but it seems like the issue of pulling constant vacuum again is overlooked. I looked into a system where 2 vent lines are plugged into the exhaust system so that you can pull vacuum with the exhaust gasses (one of the gas laws, can't remember the guys name). Problem is that i can't get a definitive answer on whether or not our motors are capable of moving enough gas to create vacuum.

It seems like the easiest way to create vacuum all the time is a vacuum pump (except they are expensive and require a lot of work). But again, the stock systems, from my understanding do not pull vacuum at WOT which i would think being the most important time to pull vacuum for blow by. Anyways, im glad someone is asking about this because i was hoping some sort of system would be great other then the vacuum pump, I'm still tempted to try and make the exhaust system work but we'll see. Any insight would be great on this subject.

 

The way you describe useing a vented catchcan would only vent excess crankcase pressure, but would not do anything to flush out the caustic combustion byproducts, moisture, and unburnt fuel. For a turbo (or supercharged application) you will need to still use the intake manifold as a vacuum source (the nipple on the pass side of the intake snout) but will need a one-way check valve inline to prevent back-flow when under boost (as the intake changes from a negative atmosphere to a postive one). You run a line from the valley cover (in the LS6 valley) or in the case of a LS1, the rear of both valve covers, to the inlet of a good oil seperating catch can that is NOT vented, and from the catch can outlet to the intake manifold vacuum source with a check valve inline. This provides a proper flowing system for non-boost. Then, you would run a line from the intake air filter for the turbo with another checkvalve in-line so air can flow from the filter, but not out to it....this would Tee into the outlet line of the catch can so that it provides the suction/vacume while under boost. Then for filtered fresh make-up air for the crankcase, put a breathered oil fill cap. This set-up allows a constant pull on the crankcase to evac the nasty crap from the crankcase, relieves pressure, and provides a good unrestricted source of filtered fresh air to be pulled through the crankcase.

A vacum pump would be the best of both worlds, and it would need to be plumbed to a vented catchcan that will need to be emptied on a regular basis as you will pull plenty of moisture & it will fill the can pretty quickly. A belt driven one being the most reliable, and you will need to install a vac relief valve in the opposite valve cover you pull from to prevent to much vac. Any more than 12-14 inches will pull in seals & pull oil off the main journals & wrist pins causing failure. You will also need to attach a filter/breather to the vac relief valve to prevent dirt/dust/debris from being pulled into the motor.

The problem with a belt driven vac pump on the street is durability. On our dragsters we would rebuild them every season....and that was just from running down the track a 1/4 mile at a time....not daily street driving. The Moroso & Aerospace components units use carbon vanes that float in a rotor assy to generate vac and thease will wear as well as the bearings & seals. I have used elec ones on street cars also but have had them fail (the OEM air pump works well) when run continuesly.

The most proven system that properly flushes the harmful crap from your crankcase continues to be a proerly set-up PCV system with one way check valves and a good baffeled 1 qt plus capacity oil seperating can.

 

Tlewis4095-That sounds like a great setup, for a forced LS' motor, but what about an N/A LT1 motor?

 

use the OEM PCV setup, but run a good oil seperating catch can inline between the PCV valve & the intake manifold vacuum source. Your clean makeup air will come from the OEM connection, or cap it off if emissions are not an issue and run a breather on the opposite valve cover that the PCV pulls from.

 

The stock PCV system even with a catch can inline isn't very popular in the forced induction world. It usually blows out a seal somewhere because it can't evacuate pressure fast enough. It's somewhere around 8psi of boost before it becomes ineffective. It works fine on a NA motor, but I would be weary to keep it on a turbo motor... personally.
My catchcan setup is excellent for venting off a lot of pressure. But it will not create a vacuum to help out blow-by and ring seal. That's why I'm seriously considering a vacuum pump. I might be able to mount it on the driver's side head but I would have to get some measurements to see if it will hit the turbo.
I still would like to see some pictures from the people posted.

 

The stock PCV will not work with FI at all. Ideally you want a vac pump or a system as described in my earlier post.

 

I bought the Moroso 3 vane kit from Jeggs, and the in line regulator

i had a bracket cnc-ed to fit down low on the block , i didn't like it way up top on the drivers head. I took the head bracket to a local cnc shop and told them to keep the pump bolts in the same location, but move the other two hole to a specific measurement. only cost me 60.00.

I had to mount the catch can lower than most because the pump is lower, i didn't figure it would drain running up hill.

 

Damn that's a sick *** setup. The meat of my turbo piping is right there, but still a good spot for someone else.

 

roadtrip, that's nice! What ignitions system are you running?

I asked GZ about them developing one for the LTX crowd but go no response. There is a thread in the FI section discussing a new setup so maybe if enough of us chime in we'll get some positive feedback.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...mp-system.html

 

I also emailed GZ about a lt1 kit. All they told me was that they know the regular SBC kits fit our engines.
But those don't incorporate our accessory bracket which would be the main difference between a sbc kit and lt1 kit.

 

Jessel belt drive distributor 71000
MSD HVC II Coil 8253
MSD Digitial 6 Plus Ignition 6520
MSD Crank Trigger
MSD Cam Sensor
FAST XFI

 

If you relocate your coil on the driver's side the sbc pump will bolt up and work perfectly. You can leave the passenger side as is with the factory bracketry.

 

Yeh I've seen that setup. Relocating the coil isn't the problem. It might contact my turbo in that spot. I'll probably contact GZ and ask for some measurements how far the pump sticks out at certain points.