Subaru oil system confusion and an update on our dirt track racer | Redline Updates - Hagerty Media

If there is one thing to remember about the Redline Rebuild garage, it’s that there is never a shortage of things to do. That means that even when one project stalls, Davin isn’t left sitting around twiddling his thumbs. For instance, the EJ205 out of the Subaru WRX is waiting on parts and research, so this week the attention shifts to the Ford dirt track race car.

First, a brief update on the Subaru. The current hangup is simply parts are still enroute somewhere, including the oil pump, pickup, and pan. During Davin’s reading and research, he discovered there are a lot of people who “upgrade” the oil pump by switching to a higher-volume pump, which is especially interesting considering that one of the main flaws Davin has discovered with the EJ205 is that the engine starves for oil at sustained high RPM due to limited drainback. All the oil ends up in the heads and starves the pump. No oil in the pan means no oil to pump. Is a bigger pump really an upgrade then? Seems to make the problem worse. More research is required.

What doesn’t need research at the moment is the Ford race car. We haven’t highlighted it much, but there has been slow and steady progress, thanks to Davin’s humble helper Jeff. The Ford now holds its own weight after significant rebuilding and redesigning of the suspension. The rear leaf spring setup was fairly straightforward, but the front required significant re-fabrication to make it not only straight but not a binding mess. This could be chalked up to a mix of two things: advancements in suspension movement understanding and also the materials used. The “hairpins” that locate the front axle are actually from the rear suspension of a different Ford and were pretty kinked up. Just bringing those back into shape was a big step forward.

Of course, there are a smattering of other improvements and small touches that bring the car closer and closer to being blown back apart for paint and final finishes. Before that happens for the Ford, the Subaru will have to come together. To keep tabs on both projects be sure to subscribe to the Hagerty YouTube channel to never miss an update.

— Kyle Smith

Thanks to our sponsor RockAuto.com, an auto parts retailer founded in 1999 by automotive engineers with two goals: Liberate information hidden behind the auto parts store counter (by listing all available parts, not just what one store stocks or one counter-person knows), and make auto parts affordable so vehicles of all ages can be kept reliable and fun to drive. Visit RockAuto.com to order auto parts online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and have them conveniently delivered to your door. Need help finding parts or placing an order? Visit RockAuto’s Help pages for further assistance.