I’m trying to place (and date) a change in the oil pipe plumbing on Lotus 49s: the addition of a pipe carrying an oil-air mix (?) from scavenge pump to tank.
The first two 49s had only two oil pipes beneath the left side of the tub to and from the left side of the block. Beaulieu Museum’s restoration has an additional oil pipe along the right side that enters the oil tank in the ‘V’ area (picture 1). Beaulieu’s is the R3 chassis (described as the ‘only original’), constructed in ’67 and sold after the SA Grand Prix in Jan 1968 to John Love in South Africa who received it in time to win a SA Championship race in March ’68.
I believe this pipe carried an oil-air mix to the tank from a revised version of the scavenge pump fitted to the Cosworth block, that had an air pump added. The right side pipe, shown in pictures in Michael Oliver’s book (p.187) ) of John’s car as delivered to Doug Nye before restoration, presumably was a factory revision to the DFV and the 49.
R1 and R2 were sent to the Antipodes for the ’68 (Jan-March) Tasman series. The oil-air pipe doesn’t appear in the only shot I have (of R1) with a visible oil tank taken during the series (picture 2).
Link to two images on Photobucket:
http://s819.photobuc...l pipe plumbing
Can anyone elaborate on the revised plumbing? Was it integral to the DFV fitted when R3 was built? While R1 and R2, racing at the same time, still had the older pump and plumbing arrangement? Does anyone have a picture showing the newer plumbing at the block?
Thank you Peter Morley and Mike Oliver for pictures for my model. Also acknowledging Stephen Miller’s well illustrated booklets on plumbing and wiring of the DFV.
