Looking for Oil Pump Recommendation
04-07-2017, 04:33 PM
#1
Looking for Oil Pump Recommendation Planning a cam install and while I'm in there... going to replace the oil pump. Questions I have is which you recommend? I have done some research, and most either go Melling 10295 Standard Volume (SV)/High Pressure or 10296 HV/HP, Melling SV/SP or ported and blueprinted stock pump. I found a few threads where people were commenting that the HV pump could run the pump dry in prolonged racing (either at the big end of the 1/4, or in 1/2 mile racing) due to the stock pan not having a ton of volume. It seemed like this was hearsay secondhand information, but have any of you had that happen? Looking for some advice or opinions. Engine is a 120K mile LS2. Thanks in advance!
04-09-2017, 09:16 AM
#5
That's a good choice too. Naf's recommendation and my recommendation represent the two most popular and well-tested options for your motor. I have a Katech ported LS6 pump in my LS2 right now. It's a noticable upgrade over stock, at least in terms of oil pressure (I can't measure flow).
With the standard pressure spring and a 1.0mm shim (small washer), the oil pressure is ridiculous. I need to remove the shim because I'm wasting power pumping. Previously, I was getting 34 PSI during hot idle conditions (~172°F, 850 RPM) with 10W-30 AMSOIL Dominator oil. With the Katech ported pump, I'm seeing 58 PSI during hot/idle (same temp/RPM) with thinner 0W-30 Signature Series oil. After I remove the shim, I expect my oil pressure will be 46-52 psi hot/idle, because the pump is flowing more than stock.
The reason why the Katech option is a little more expensive is because they're taking the OEM part and trying to bring it up to the level of the Melling aftermarket pump. As to the question of why Katech is still selling it, my guess is that it's because it takes a decade for forumites to stop passing outdated information around. If you investigate both options, you'll find information that should give you a better idea of the differences. Supposedly, both pumps outflow the pressure relief at higher RPMs, but the flow from the OEM design (which the Katech pumps are based on) falls off a cliff at high RPM due to cavitation and insufficient scavenge capability.
By the way, if you see anything older than 2011 timeframe, ignore it. Both vendors changed what they were doing that year. The 2011+ iterations of both products flow more the pre-2011 products. My Katech oil pump is the pre-2011 version (KAT-A2390).
With the standard pressure spring and a 1.0mm shim (small washer), the oil pressure is ridiculous. I need to remove the shim because I'm wasting power pumping. Previously, I was getting 34 PSI during hot idle conditions (~172°F, 850 RPM) with 10W-30 AMSOIL Dominator oil. With the Katech ported pump, I'm seeing 58 PSI during hot/idle (same temp/RPM) with thinner 0W-30 Signature Series oil. After I remove the shim, I expect my oil pressure will be 46-52 psi hot/idle, because the pump is flowing more than stock.
The reason why the Katech option is a little more expensive is because they're taking the OEM part and trying to bring it up to the level of the Melling aftermarket pump. As to the question of why Katech is still selling it, my guess is that it's because it takes a decade for forumites to stop passing outdated information around. If you investigate both options, you'll find information that should give you a better idea of the differences. Supposedly, both pumps outflow the pressure relief at higher RPMs, but the flow from the OEM design (which the Katech pumps are based on) falls off a cliff at high RPM due to cavitation and insufficient scavenge capability.
By the way, if you see anything older than 2011 timeframe, ignore it. Both vendors changed what they were doing that year. The 2011+ iterations of both products flow more the pre-2011 products. My Katech oil pump is the pre-2011 version (KAT-A2390).
Last edited by FuzzyLog1c; 04-09-2017 at 09:46 AM.
04-09-2017, 08:02 PM
#6
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What's the source of that graph? Is that Melling's advertising, or IR's independent testing? I'd be more inclined to trust it if it's the latter.
I, too, have a Katech pump, but I would've purchased mine in late 2011 (pretty sure), so I assume I've got the "new" version. I will probably be dropping the pan at some point this year to do the IR oil pan baffle and crank scraper, so that would be an opportunity to swap out the pump, too.
I, too, have a Katech pump, but I would've purchased mine in late 2011 (pretty sure), so I assume I've got the "new" version. I will probably be dropping the pan at some point this year to do the IR oil pan baffle and crank scraper, so that would be an opportunity to swap out the pump, too.
04-09-2017, 08:54 PM
#7
What's the source of that graph? Is that Melling's advertising, or IR's independent testing? I'd be more inclined to trust it if it's the latter.
I, too, have a Katech pump, but I would've purchased mine in late 2011 (pretty sure), so I assume I've got the "new" version. I will probably be dropping the pan at some point this year to do the IR oil pan baffle and crank scraper, so that would be an opportunity to swap out the pump, too.
I, too, have a Katech pump, but I would've purchased mine in late 2011 (pretty sure), so I assume I've got the "new" version. I will probably be dropping the pan at some point this year to do the IR oil pan baffle and crank scraper, so that would be an opportunity to swap out the pump, too.
On this plot, the black line is the stock LS7 oil pump and the blue line is the $740 high capacity scavenge oil pump. The cavitation RPM is different because the LS7 pump design is different. However, you can clearly see that the same GM design methodology is being used.
Last edited by FuzzyLog1c; 04-09-2017 at 09:22 PM.
