Throwback Thursday: Freeing Up Horsepower With Moroso’s Vacuum Pump

We’ve decided to dig back in the archives on Thursdays to lake another look at topics that have held their staying power over time. Our first foray through the time portal takes us back to  the summer of 2013, and a tech article we called Tech: How External Vacuum Pumps Free Up Horsepower. This article featured products from Moroso Performance Products.

We took a look at how external vacuum pumps provided power gains by promoting piston ring sealing. In the case of Moroso, their dedicated external vacuum pumps provide engine builders another tool that helps with engine building and tuning.

In essence, the external vacuum pump helps get rid of excessive crankcase pressure that neutralizes the amount of windage in the crankcase, and promotes piston ring seal. This prevents potential power from escaping around the piston rings and creating more atmospheric pressure in the sump.

Moroso regulator (#22633), top left) screws directly into the vacuum pump instead of a valve cover to prevent pulling excess oil out of the crankcase. Moroso’s regulator (#22629), bottom left, offers 360-degree adjustability. Made from 6061 billet, it can be easily disassembled for cleaning and works with any vacuum level. The Moroso oil breather tank (#85467) provides air/oil separation through interior baffling made from mesh media. Includes a billet clamp for remote mounting and a -8AN drain plug.

As the article pointed out, escaping gasses around the rings is not the only area where horsepower is helped by these external pumps. When the gasses blow by the rings and get into the sump area, this exacerbates windage and increases parasitic drag on the rotating assembly.

Moroso’s enhanced design vacuum pump (#22642) was featured in the article, and is still a popular item for engine builders. It is a lighter pump with sealed roller bearings for maintenance-free operation. The 4-vane design pulls nearly 14 percent more vacuum and weighs less than the original style (#22843) pump.

For more information on Moroso’s external vacuum pumps, visit them online at www.moroso.com.

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Bobby Kimbrough

Bobby grew up in the heart of Illinois, becoming an avid dirt track race fan which has developed into a life long passion. Taking a break from the Midwest dirt tracks to fight evil doers in the world, he completed a full 21 year career in the Marine Corps.
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