Guy,
The large mechanical arrangement on the "right" of the engine compartment is a 'remote oil filter' assembly. It is however much more than a remote filter. In the base of this unit are two circuits. Oil enters directly from the pump in the sump, via a fitting screwed into the block where the bypass valve would be on a standard motor. Upon entering the remote oil filter assembly, there is a bypass valve (actually the same arrangement as in a standard block). If the pressure is more than the bypass pressure, oil is returned via a seperate hose directly to the oil sump. If pressure is normal, oil then goes to the full flow filter. After going through the filter, oil is then routed via a thermostatic bypass valve also mounted in the base of this assembly. If the oil is not up to operating temperature it will be routed via a hose directly to the main oil gallery of the motor. If the oil is up to operating temperature, then the oil is diverted to an external oil cooler, and after going through the cooler is routed to the main oil gallery of the block.
Because of the large oil supply in this motor, this allowed the engine to come up to operating temperature more quickly, and it ensured that the oil was filtered by a 100% filter before going through the oil cooler.
This system was "borrowed' from the Lancia Flaminia motor, and used with a special adapter block to allow the connection of the various hoses. Looks complicated but actually work very well. Thus all of the oil manipulation is done outside the motor.
Regards,
Paul Vanderheijden
www.scuderiatopolino.com
