Is a dry sump worth it?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Noblesville, IN
Is a dry sump worth it? Have plans on building a 427 for my c5 that is going to see a mix of street/road race track days (mostly street though). Is a dry sump really worth the expense? Or is improving the oiling system the better option?
Many years ago and I cannot find the article but GM did an install of an LS7 with dry sump into a 4th Gen Fbody car. Id say if your're pulling lateral G's and high endurance racing the dry sump would be a wise choice. I have an LSX427 with aftermarket oil pan and oil filter relocation kit and that system set me back over $1,200 and it's no means a corner carver.
Last edited by 01CamaroSSTx; Apr 17, 2026 at 07:59 PM.
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I get the impression that it depends on the block and/or heads. With the LS1 / LS6, people seem to do fine with wet sump. Spec Corvette (C5s with LS1 & LS6) doesn't even allow dry sump.
But with LS3s... https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-track-16.html
I don't know where LS7s fit in.
It's "common knowledge on the internet" (meaning, I have no idea whether this is accurate) that the problem is slow oil return from the heads back to the pan, so high RPM drains the pan. Seems like a plausible theory, but it also seems hard to test that theory, unless somebody wants to build an LS3 with the oil return passages bored out, and see how long it lasts at track days.
I went with a dry sump for peace of mind when I bought a nice motor (Dart block, 454ci). The only drawback is that the pumps sit where the AC compressor was, so no more AC. But that's usually only an issue for 3-4 weeks a year in the Pacific Northwest.
But with LS3s... https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-track-16.html
I don't know where LS7s fit in.
It's "common knowledge on the internet" (meaning, I have no idea whether this is accurate) that the problem is slow oil return from the heads back to the pan, so high RPM drains the pan. Seems like a plausible theory, but it also seems hard to test that theory, unless somebody wants to build an LS3 with the oil return passages bored out, and see how long it lasts at track days.
I went with a dry sump for peace of mind when I bought a nice motor (Dart block, 454ci). The only drawback is that the pumps sit where the AC compressor was, so no more AC. But that's usually only an issue for 3-4 weeks a year in the Pacific Northwest.
