We run an Escort Coswoth rally car here in New Zealand and have recently installed a tubular SS exhaust manifold. The car is currently about 400hp running 21lb boost. The manifold runs white (almost clear) hot. On our last outing we observed high oil pressures and destroyed a valve, lifter, cam etc. I am wondering if the problem may be oil flashing in the horizontal gallery on the exhaust side of the head (this is just above the exhaust manifold) and hence both reducing lubrication to the cams and lifters and also causing the pressure to rise as the oil gas would presumably have a significantly higher volume nad hence grreater pressure drop through the head. Has anyone out there any ideas??? Cheers John

 

What oil cooling do you have? Pre or post turbo? Where is the oil feed line routed? Engine bay pics?

Is the header the SS Autochrome one?

 

Oil cooling is post turbo. No photos as we have removed the engine to rebuild. The thing that concerns us is the gallery in the head is immediately above the exhaust and given the turbo feed is at the start of this gallery the flow through the gallery is probably low and hence heat could buid up to a point that the oil heats to over say 300degC which is above the oil flash point??

 

you can blank the 4x4 oil feed to the turbo, and convert to the 2wd system which takes it feed from the oil pressure switch very easily, if it would help

are you monitoring your egts?