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 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-it 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 also uses a screen to match the OEM spec opening size of the mesh. We also use a high 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 stressed or heat damaged. TIG welding throughout assures proper weld penetration and quality. The material is 4130 Alloy Steel to provide a further 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.
You can read more here on NASIOC.
