SB Chevy zero cost oil pump power mods

[comp]

Unfortunately the engine in my truck was already built when I heard about the problems. It does have the new week design pump in it. X fingers it holds up.

i understand

[68Corvette]

Do you recommend drilling bypass hole a bit larger also.
That might reduce high rpm pumping losses and oil temperature.
Little larger hole would also reduce maximum pressure.
What about machining gear to cap distance to "optimum" for better efficiency?

[Regal502]

HOW ABOUT SOME POSTS ON BBC PUMP MODS.

(have been asking this for 6 months or more!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

BBC PUMP MODS!!???

ANYONE????????????????????

[Pinhead]

After seeing the SBC pump mods, you should be able to similarly modify the BBC pumps if you can look at it and compare...

[rsicard]

Dusty: What happened to the pictures of how to modify the oil pumps? Are they in an archive or am I doing something wrong that I cannot see them? This was a very good article and wanted to use the process to modify my SBC oil pump. Also the article on flushing the oil system prior to final assembly of an engine is also gone. Where or how does one get access to these articles? Please advise. Thanks.

[hotrodrobert]

Dusty: What happened to the pictures of how to modify the oil pumps? Are they in an archive or am I doing something wrong that I cannot see them? This was a very good article and wanted to use the process to modify my SBC oil pump. Also the article on flushing the oil system prior to final assembly of an engine is also gone. Where or how does one get access to these articles? Please advise. Thanks.

What he said!!!!!!

[koth]

I am new to this site, and I can't find the article about oil pumps, on this page. Thanks.

[crazyman]

I've wondered the same myself... It seems Dusty has many articles that begin with 123456789. I think he deletes them or something.

[JAKEJR]

The manual (some refer to it as "The Bible) "How To HotRod Big Block Chevys" devotes a section on how to inspect and modify the oil pump. Some of those recommendations are now incorporated in off the shelf pumps by companies like Moroso.

Others are already blue-printed to correct cover to gear clearance and still others also have pressure equalizing grooves macnhined into them out of the box. The grooves prevent gear chatter and equalize oil pressure on all sides of the gears.

When it comes to oil pumps, I've very cautious in what I do to them. An oil pump is like a human heart, if that sucka goes south on you, you're about to have a very bad day.

Sure, welding on the pick-up (after removing the spring) and removing the cover plate to visually inspect the gears and check for any crud; check the cover for flatness (I just put it on a sheet of glass) are good ideas, but that's about as far as I'm prepared to go.

In spite of what Melling writes, HP pumps eat distributor gears. I've had a few different engines that showed accelerated gear wear when run HP pumps. One 415 L98 engine actually shut off when the distributor gear could no longer index with the cam gear due to half of its teeth being worn away. A standard pressure(spring) pump cured it.

Just my thoughts.

Jake

[j_cizzo]

i love this article! i will add to it though because there is one VERY VERY important aspect of a SBC oiling system that has been completely neglected and as far as i'm concerned is the absolute biggest source of issue over the whole oil pump debacle...

unfortuneately this really only applies to a small block.. i bring that up because i know one of you guys have been asking about modding a big block pump and have pretty much gone ignored.. i'll look into it though and if i find anything i'll definitely post my thoughts..

back to my thought: the biggest problem with a sbc oiling system is not the pump, it's the amount of turns the oil must go thru before reaching the main oil galley.

the sbc oil pump is capable of supplying up to some 10 gallons/min of oil. BUT we run into a problem from the path to the main galley. if you look at the back of the block, the oil flows out of the filter, makes an un-oriented 90deg turn (b/c it ultimately only flows thru the path of least resistance instead of being directed), then thru another 90deg turn straight up, then hits a dead-end, where it then flows thru another path of least resistance that's some 120+ degrees away, before making another 90deg turn into the main galley. THAT SUCKS!!!!!!! try flowing 10 gallons of a mildly viscous fluid thru all of that... (1/2 inch passage don't forget).. it seems like an impossibility to me..

think about it

it's my beliefe that the stock sbc oil pump will flow enough oil to satisfy the lubrication requirements of an engine making up to 500hp if not more. the problem is this: next time you sitting at idle and your engine and oil are up to operating temp, and your oil is down around 15psi or where ever it is at idle.. blip the gas.. chances are, you have a reliefe spring that will open around 45psi. BUT here's my thing.. the reliefe valve starts to open waaaay before that 45psi registers on the guage.

the way it should work (in an ideal world) the reliefe valve doesn't open until 45psi is reached within the block, but that's not the case, not with all those turns.. i bet that reliefe valve starts to open as low as 25psi (registered on the guage) just from all restriction caused by all those turns. what i'm saying is, while the main galley may be seeing only 25psi, the pressure just past the pump has already hit 45psi because of restrictions...

SO, i've devised a mod that should eliminate all of that, allow us to use a stock pump and still make a high-strung small block happy, and i will post the pics as soon as i'm done!

and i will also look into the big block stuff, although the big block oil system (i believe) is more efficient then that of a small block..

i dig the efficiency stuff!

feedback and opinions please!