the truth about oil pumps....
the truth about oil pumps.... ok, I'm tired of hearing, "yeah throw an oil pump on while your in there."
people love saying, "man I've heard they will fail." how many of you guys have actually had one fail?
I've owned multiple lsx and non vehicles and never had an oil pump fail. this includes a 432k mile 89 silverado, and my current 02 ls1 which ran with a torquer v2 for about 55k on the stock oil pump. I'm about to swap in a different grind, and still not sure if it's even worth it to put in a higher pressure pump. I hold about 38psi hot idle, and 70-80 @ 5kish. It seems the aftermarket ones fail just as often. those that know.....why should I put a melling in?
people love saying, "man I've heard they will fail." how many of you guys have actually had one fail?
I've owned multiple lsx and non vehicles and never had an oil pump fail. this includes a 432k mile 89 silverado, and my current 02 ls1 which ran with a torquer v2 for about 55k on the stock oil pump. I'm about to swap in a different grind, and still not sure if it's even worth it to put in a higher pressure pump. I hold about 38psi hot idle, and 70-80 @ 5kish. It seems the aftermarket ones fail just as often. those that know.....why should I put a melling in?
Theres no need to upgrade unlesss its a full race car and its going to turn some SERIOUS RPM or road racing. My car has a stock pump in it and it hold the same psi as your does warm.
I think an oil pump is one of those "meeee toooo" mods.
I think an oil pump is one of those "meeee toooo" mods.
obviously a motor turning 7-8k needs something with more flow....but seriously everyone doing a cam swap these days puts a giant oil pump on too, I'm just like really? you've got kids with bolt ons, a baby cam, and an oil pump designed for a stroker.
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FormerVendor
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 3,065
Likes: 6
From: Houston, Tx.
We just had a drift engine with a pump where the gears started cracking and disintegrating and the owner caught it when he noticed the pressure drop fairly fast and he pulled the engine. He had an accusump and the engine was still perfect but the pumps gears came apart when the pump was pulled off the drive on the snout of the crank. It lasted a year and a half though on an engine that always at 5500-7000 rpm.
That's actually the forst pump I have seen fail myself personally but I have seen pics like that also of contuously high rpm LS1 engines that had that happen. Probably a good idea to replace pumps in engines like that fairly regularly.
That's actually the forst pump I have seen fail myself personally but I have seen pics like that also of contuously high rpm LS1 engines that had that happen. Probably a good idea to replace pumps in engines like that fairly regularly.
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im guessing more people do it as a "just in case" type thing. thats a lot of work to get in there and change the pump if something did happen, why not do it while your already in there if your up there in mileage. would you reuse your timing chain too?
my valve started sticking in a 99 silverado 5.3 with 100k on it. it developed a problem where when first started it would read 0 psi and withing a few seconds it would jump to 40 psi. started happening all the time so i replaced the pump and never happened again. when i swapped in an lq4 i changed the pump out because i didnt want to go through that **** again. its more of the smart thing to do instead of the me too thing.
my valve started sticking in a 99 silverado 5.3 with 100k on it. it developed a problem where when first started it would read 0 psi and withing a few seconds it would jump to 40 psi. started happening all the time so i replaced the pump and never happened again. when i swapped in an lq4 i changed the pump out because i didnt want to go through that **** again. its more of the smart thing to do instead of the me too thing.
I will be replacing mine when I do a cam swap. My car has 104K miles on the clock and Just in Case. Why wait till it gives up and then have to do it all over again. 
ok, I'm tired of hearing, "yeah throw an oil pump on while your in there."
people love saying, "man I've heard they will fail." how many of you guys have actually had one fail?
I've owned multiple lsx and non vehicles and never had an oil pump fail. this includes a 432k mile 89 silverado, and my current 02 ls1 which ran with a torquer v2 for about 55k on the stock oil pump. I'm about to swap in a different grind, and still not sure if it's even worth it to put in a higher pressure pump. I hold about 38psi hot idle, and 70-80 @ 5kish. It seems the aftermarket ones fail just as often. those that know.....why should I put a melling in?
people love saying, "man I've heard they will fail." how many of you guys have actually had one fail?
I've owned multiple lsx and non vehicles and never had an oil pump fail. this includes a 432k mile 89 silverado, and my current 02 ls1 which ran with a torquer v2 for about 55k on the stock oil pump. I'm about to swap in a different grind, and still not sure if it's even worth it to put in a higher pressure pump. I hold about 38psi hot idle, and 70-80 @ 5kish. It seems the aftermarket ones fail just as often. those that know.....why should I put a melling in?
If I had to do it over again I would have left the stock pump on. If the stock pump is providing good pressure, then why mess with it. This is definitely one of those mods where everyone else is doing it, so I might as well throw one on too.
Edit: To be fair I also switched from Castrol Syntec 5W-40 to GC 0W-30 at the same time. The thinner oil is probably the reason why I'm seeing 5psi less with the new pump when hot. There you have it, GC is nothing special and is not God's gift to engine lubrication like most make it out to be. I'll be going back to the thicker stuff in a few thousand miles.
Last edited by 01formula6; Jun 4, 2009 at 12:13 PM.
my stock 98 pump was a piece of ****....the car would completly lose oil pressure on the top end of the track...done it several times......put in a stock ls6 pump problem dissapeared....
just get a good stock volume SBC melling oil pump...dont mess with the high volume one, its not worth it when u still have a stock oil pan u can suck all the oil outta the pan at high rpm that way....at least the sbc mellin pump is nice and cheap....
I run the stock pump in my 2000. I thought about changing it when I had it torn down for the cam but since it idles at 45 hot I said hell with it. Now my 97 corvette has the stock pump stock engine and it seems to jump around alot like 30 hot idle but will go to 60 under throttle. It has done this for years now
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 709
Likes: 2
From: 336 NC
At 6000rpm I have seen my oil pressure drop from about 60psi to 40psi which means my 14,000 mile oem oil pump is cavitating. And I assure you that the oil was at a proper level. When I stick my cam in I WILL be using a ported LS6 pump.
And no, I wouldnt re-use a stock timing gear...stock ones are absolute trash on these things. I honestly cant believe they run so good stock with a chain that has that much slack from the factory.
So if I was going to be doing a cam swap, which oil pump would be my best bet? I have a high rpm application. I was leaning towards the Melling pump since they say it has a better casting. But which one...high volume or high pressure or stock pressure/volume?