Killer B Motorsport FA20 WRX Oil Pickup

A killer blog

Like many of our other products, this is a solution to a problem. I came across this many months ago, during turbo kit testing on our shop 2015 WRX. The engine had blown, but the violence was significantly more than just the bent rod we had hoped for. As you can see, debris went into th engine and made its way into the oil pump. I’m sure you can imagine the consequences of instant oil pressure loss. A much more expensive repair!

Why had the oil pump filled with debris? The OEM pickup screen had failed. The OEM part had not prevented metal bits and chunks from entering the engine. At the time of failure, I had assumed this was just the kind of luck I had, but after hearing that other shops had similar experiences, we dug deeper.

The OEM pickup screen is crimped in a retainer and that assembly is spot welded into the pickup ‘can’. There are a couple of flaws with this process. One is that the screen is creased where the retaining ring is crimped over it. The other is that the spot weld process embrittles the screen. We pushed on the screen of new OEM pickups and several popped wire strands, without a lot of effort.

Being known for making the best Subaru Performance Oiling Products money can buy, addressing this was right up our alley. Of course, our own spin of improvements, besides the obvious had to be made to assure set it and forget reliability that comes with our products. A means for improving performance was taken advantage of during the design process as well.

 The obvious big change is the tube has no bend. No bend means no restriction, and even better coming from the OEM tube because it uses a more restrictive pinch bend. The ID of the tube has been increased, and so has the thickness. The angle of the tube points it directly at the inlet into the block. Like our EJ engine Ultimate Oil Pickup this one too uses a screen to match the OEM spec opening size of the mesh. Although, we use a higher strength screen material. The screen area has been increased over 31% which reduces the restriction and stress on the screen. Our screen is lightly pressed and welded into place assuring the wire does not gets stresses or heat damages. TIG welding throughout assures proper weld penetration and quality. The material is 4130 Alloy Steel to further provide an increase in strength over the brazed stamped steel OEM version. The units have been pressure tested to 150psi over the face of the screen without issue.

If anyone has questions or would like to place an order, please feel free to contact us.