[Slider429]

Hey there, great readings! Just wonder - 2005 QP, 83k miles and running daily at the Atlantic harsh weather coast. Rattle> big time but never bugged me ...until I read this and now embarrassed! Where would you connect the hose on the dry sump engine?

Hi, Sorry, I don’t have much experience with the Dry Sump engine, BUT I do believe there is another thread on this forum that deals with these. From memory the dry sump cars have an accumulator mounted under the intake manifold? One guy T-eed an aftermarket accumulator into the line that runs from original accumulator to variator feed line. I’ll see if I can find the thread for you.
Cheers Simon

 

[Slider429]

This thread talks about Accumulator install in Dry Sump:

Variators noise report

It’s been two and a half years now since I added my 2007 QP to my collection and I have to say I do enjoy it, it’s a 4.2 drysump sport with Cambio corsa gearbox , I spent all my working life working on what we refer to as exotic cars and as such the mechanic in me cringes every time I hear the...

www.maseratilife.com

 

[Slider429]

This thread shows photos of where the Accumulator hoses connect to the head. You could T an aftermarket accumulator in there:

Accumulator

Hey guys, im hearing a noise kicking on thru this pipe.(Passenger side front of engine). It tees off under the manifold and goes to the passenger and drivers side. I dont hear it coming thru on the drivers side, only passenger. I can hear it standing next to the car, and especially with a...

www.maseratilife.com

 

[marky5515]

Hi,

I read through this thread a month ago and decided to install an oil accumulator as a protective measure against Variator degradation/failure and to lessen cold-start wear.
My 2009 QP S w/83K miles is not exhibiting the telltale Variator rattle and I want to keep it that way.

I studied the three installations reported here and made some small mods.
For my installation:
1) Chose the passenger side front air dam location
2) Angled the accumulator with a steep upward tilt to facilitate purging of potential accumulated air pockets.
3) Used a 36" 4000 psi hydraulic hose with 5/8" JIC (7/8-14 thread) fittings (AN10 equivalent) between the accumulator cylinder and the engine oil gallery inlet
4) Routed the pressure gauge to the engine bay and added a wireless remote oil pressure display.
5) Used a ATM tap on eng compartment fuse F93 to power the solenoid valve
6) Installed a timer to close the valve after start-up - keep valve open long enough to refill/pressurize the accumulator (set mine at 7 minutes).
7) Used a SS solenoid valve rated for 230 pisg.

Pictures are attached.

Note:
I performed several 60 psig overnight leak checks before installing in the vehicle.
JIC flare fittings require significant torque to seal properly.
The working space at the oil inlet gallery is tight - I modified two open end wrenches to work in this space.
The Canton Racing 2 Qt accumulator (4.25x12") fit perfectly and is extremely well made. Its well worth its $220 price tag.
The two brackets are 0.105" (12 Gauge) steel and were simple to drill and bend. They attach to the Canton T-bolt clamps - but at one side only due to space limitations.
I pre-filled the accumulator with 1.5 qts of oil before installation to make sure the first pre-oiling purged all air from the lines.

Thank you to the three Users that provided detailed info on their installations.

Mark

 

[Slider429]

Hi,

I read through this thread a month ago and decided to install an oil accumulator as a protective measure against Variator degradation/failure and to lessen cold-start wear.
My 2009 QP S w/83K miles is not exhibiting the telltale Variator rattle and I want to keep it that way.

I studied the three installations reported here and made some small mods.
For my installation:
1) Chose the passenger side front air dam location
2) Angled the accumulator with a steep upward tilt to facilitate purging of potential accumulated air pockets.
3) Used a 36" 4000 psi hydraulic hose with 5/8" JIC (7/8-14 thread) fittings (AN10 equivalent) between the accumulator cylinder and the engine oil gallery inlet
4) Routed the pressure gauge to the engine bay and added a wireless remote oil pressure display.
5) Used a ATM tap on eng compartment fuse F93 to power the solenoid valve
6) Installed a timer to close the valve after start-up - keep valve open long enough to refill/pressurize the accumulator (set mine at 7 minutes).
7) Used a SS solenoid valve rated for 230 pisg.

Pictures are attached.

Note:
I performed several 60 psig overnight leak checks before installing in the vehicle.
JIC flare fittings require significant torque to seal properly.
The working space at the oil inlet gallery is tight - I modified two open end wrenches to work in this space.
The Canton Racing 2 Qt accumulator (4.25x12") fit perfectly and is extremely well made. Its well worth its $220 price tag.
The two brackets are 0.105" (12 Gauge) steel and were simple to drill and bend. They attach to the Canton T-bolt clamps - but at one side only due to space limitations.
I pre-filled the accumulator with 1.5 qts of oil before installation to make sure the first pre-oiling purged all air from the lines.

Thank you to the three Users that provided detailed info on their installations.

Mark

Wow! Impressive work!
Happy to see it help someone else

 

[marky5515]

Wow! Impressive work!
Happy to see it help someone else

Thanks so much Slider429...could not have done it without your work!

BTW - I set the timer now to just 60 secs. My diaphragm valve (as with most) prefers to flow in one direction (I have flow oriented to empty the accumulator).
For the backfill into the accumulator - the valve does not seem to care if the solenoid is energized or not.
Even unenergized It simply pressurizes to max engine oil pressure (~60 psig) and holds it (so it is acting as check valve in the backfill direction) - releasing into the engine only when the solenoid is energized. I have let it sit for a few days and it holds the 60 psig no problem.

Here is the timer I used.

PEMENOL Timer Relay DC 12V 24V Time Delay Relay Controller Board Digital LCD Display Timer Switch Trigger Cycle Module for Smart Control - - Amazon.com

PEMENOL Timer Relay DC 12V 24V Time Delay Relay Controller Board Digital LCD Display Timer Switch Trigger Cycle Module for Smart Control - - Amazon.com

smile.amazon.com

Here is the TPMS I used (on the air side of the accumulator of course).

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SKNRMCN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(I drilled out its alarm).

Here is the kit I used to remote the pressure gauge:

Amazon.com: PTNHZ Universal Turbo Oil Feed Line Oil Return Line Oil Drain Line Kit 1/8 NPT 4AN T3 T4 T3/T4 T04E T70 T66 T67 GT35 GT45: Automotive

Buy PTNHZ Universal Turbo Oil Feed Line Oil Return Line Oil Drain Line Kit 1/8 NPT 4AN T3 T4 T3/T4 T04E T70 T66 T67 GT35 GT45: Oil Supply Lines - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

smile.amazon.com

Here is the oil gallery port adapter to 5/8" JIC

Tompkins Industries 7400-10-22 Male JIC to Male Metric, 7/8-14 x M22 x 1.5, Steel: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Tompkins Industries 7400-10-22 Male JIC to Male Metric, 7/8-14 x M22 x 1.5, Steel: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

smile.amazon.com

AN10 would work fine here too - even easier as 4000 psi JIC is pretty stiff.

Also note this routing is very short and direct - clears everything - no chafing.

Thanks again,
Mark

 

[Rennz]

Due to my lack of awareness, I didn't realize there was a DIY section to post this stuff at the time. So, I'll just ad a link to my accumulator install thread here where it belongs .

Oil accumulator install | Maserati Forum (maseratilife.com)

 

[Slider429]

Nice work! I just have the smaller Moroso accumulator in mine which fit perfectly under the engine cover on drivers side and also looks factory. But mines RHD. So not sure if it would fit on LHD cars. Mine did have variator rattle and this upgrade works perfect!! Plus agree it was an interesting project!

 

[Rennz]

Nice work! I just have the smaller Moroso accumulator in mine which fit perfectly under the engine cover on drivers side and also looks factory. But mines RHD. So not sure if it would fit on LHD cars. Mine did have variator rattle and this upgrade works perfect!! Plus agree it was an interesting project!

Thanks. Yeah, my placement options were scarce without cutting things up.
I like the idea of adding the tire pressure monitor.

 

[marky5515]

Hi Rennz and Slider429,

The remote pressure monitor is working well - though because my solenoid valve is acting as a check valve (accumulator refills when de-energized) - it simply rises to some peak pressure (~60psi) and stays there (until next start-up).
The timer (set to 60 sec) is of benefit as there is no need for me to keep the solenoid energized continuously - unless racing I suppose (to buffer against starvation in high lateral Gs)).
I like your setup Rennz and almost did the same (measured and started making the brackets).
In the end I decided I wanted the steep upward tilt and - if I had a belt break on a deserted highway - I wanted to maintain quick access.
Nice to see the different approaches implemented. Helped me alot.
Looking at doing it for my other cars (Jag XJS and Ford Explorer).
BTW - I also had to make special tools (widen and shorten two open end wrenches) to tighten the fittings at the oil gallery inlet.

Mark
PS: I considered mounting it high - per pic - it does fit here but elected not to because of concerns about heat soaking the accumulator and the blue anodizing did not match.

 

[Wilson76]

So far I am very happy with this unit. I haven’t driven my car in two weeks and the pressure is still at 30psi. I only have 4K miles on my car so no variator problem yet, so for me it was more of a preventative measure. I have noticed quieter starts in general though. The only problem I’ve noticed is this: I like to turn my car to “on” to release the pressure before start. It takes about 4 seconds for the tank to empty and the oil pressure light to go out. The problem is, the car sees the oil pressure go up without the engine starting, and then quickly fall as the tank pressure goes to zero. This throws a flashing oil pressure red light and it has to be reset with a obd II scan tool. I’ve solved this by only waiting 2 seconds with the switch to “on” before cranking. If I wait longer than that I get the code. Or you could just turn the key straight to “crank”, and you would get about one second of pre-lube, which is still probably enough. It’s great knowing I have oil pressure before starting, I want one of these on all my cars!

You guys are awesome by sharing this mod. I am considering to DIY it as well despite no rattles on mine for better protection. However read that it threw oil pressure code and needs obd reset whenever you turn the key On for longer than 4secs. Wonder why not wire the 12v electrical valve to a switch or “button press & let go” within driver control (press & let go within a secs or two) before cranking the engine? Maybe that will resolves the need to reset since you as a driver now can control the valve at the accumulator. 😀 Does it made sense?

 

[Basco]

You guys are awesome by sharing this mod. I am considering to DIY it as well despite no rattles on mine for better protection. However read that it threw oil pressure code and needs obd reset whenever you turn the key On for longer than 4secs. Wonder why not wire the 12v electrical valve to a switch or “button press & let go” within driver control (press & let go within a secs or two) before cranking the engine? Maybe that will resolves the need to reset since you as a driver now can control the valve at the accumulator. 😀 Does it made sense?

That would work also, and I almost did that. It only throws the code if you wait too long to crank. The other day while changing the oil, I left the oil filter off and turned the car on (not crank) to empty the accumulator. The amount of high pressure oil that instantly blew out all over my shop was amazing. Felt good knowing that was happening inside my motor every time I crank. Makes me think I probably don’t need to wait the 2 seconds between “on” and “crank”.

 

[Wilson76]

That would work also, and I almost did that. It only throws the code if you wait too long to crank. The other day while changing the oil, I left the oil filter off and turned the car on (not crank) to empty the accumulator. The amount of high pressure oil that instantly blew out all over my shop was amazing. Felt good knowing that was happening inside my motor every time I crank. Makes me think I probably don’t need to wait the 2 seconds between “on” and “crank”.

🤣 With that kind of pressure, probably just a toggle button is enough to pressurise the oil system within a second, then key to crank start.

 

[marky5515]

Hi,
I've lived with my accumulator system for 6 months now.
As Basco said the code (rapid change in oil pressure regardless of direction) is thrown if you wait about 4 seconds before you crank.
In my case (2009 QP-S) the code clears on its own after one or two start cycles.

The code is not thrown because the solenoid valve is open too long - so a push button toggle won't prevent it.
However, what the toggle could possibly prevent is a momentary drop in oil pressure as the accumulator refills upon start-up.
In my case about 1.25 qts of oil leaves the engine in that moment and that means the lower galleries could be somewhat starved. (I don't know for sure; just a possibility)

To address this I have a timer ($12 from Amazon).
It energizes for 2 seconds when I turn the ignition to On.
It then closes the valve for 20 seconds.
It then reopens it for 2 seconds (after the engine is idling with ample flow throughout).
(Note: The accumulator will refill whether the valve is energized open or not as it (at least my valve) leaks in the reverse (not forward) direction. Most solenoid valves do.)

FWIW I did add an SPST switch - like your toggle idea. The reason for this was I don't necessarily want to dump the accumulator every time.
Not if its a quick trip between stores in town and I'm restarting the car every 20 minutes.

If you want to visualize how fast the accumulator empties.
A video link of my engine pressure gauge is attached.

It drops 30 psi (i.e. dumps 1.25 qts) in less than 1.5 seconds.
(My static back pressure it set to 20 psi BTW - I don't need the max volume of the 2 qt accumulator to fill - just 1.25 qts of it (@60psi).

Hope this helps,
Mark

 

[Rennz]

I did actually add a three wire, two position foot switch that changes the solenoid power from ignition on to ignition off/batt when it's depressed. This allows me to press the switch with my foot for a few seconds before turning the key to pre-lube the system without throwing the code/light.
BTW, the light/code will go away after 3-4 drive cycles on its own without having to get it cleared. I installed this switch after I held the key in the on position too long for about the fourth time... Haven't had the blinking light since.