rocksws6

iTrader: (4)

+1 same setup.

transAm-98

iTrader: (1)

I had a ported LS6 pump on my 346 and it didn't make much more pressure that the stock pump. I've got the melling 296 on my current motor with the low pressure spring and that thing is great. 45-50 psi idle when warm and easily hits 80 psi at wide open throttle. I can't even imagine how much oil that thing moves with the high pressure spring

regorih383

iTrader: (21)

i DID a heads and cam on my C5 and just put an 04 oil pump and see no problems! Stock pumps would be more than enough for your cam only set up. My .2 cents

zman1969

iTrader: (91)

I would have to think that higher pressure would also increase power needed to turn it.. that being said WHY are you putting a high volume pump or shimming the spring? is there some problem you are trying to cure? or is it piece of mind? GM puts a hell of a lot of design into their oiling sytems so if the factory dosent do it does that mean we need to? seems like so much monkey see-monkey do around here , I am new to the LSX engines but have had played with alot of small blocks and Big blocks and its flat hard to beat any stock chevrolet oil system - so why bother? i am currently building a LS6 with some mild mods for a 69 bird and will be using a stock pump and doing my own "porting" which is nothing more than a cleanup of the inlet passeges- smoothing them out-(not some mystery only the pros can do) anyone with a die grinder and common sense can do it. oil pressure does not have to be maxed out for a engine to survive as a rule of thumb it take about 10 psi for every 1000 rpm anything over 60 psi is a waste of power it takes to turn the pump if your having bearing problems maybe its not due to the pump. I see no need to go overboard here people, give some of the engineers some credit here,Please!. Buy a stock LS6(isnt it the same as LS1?) and do some cleanup on it if it aint broke - dont fix it people thanks for your time just mu .02c

SSsuperdave

iTrader: (4)

Amen! Everybody wants to have the most of everything, pressure,volume,etc. when the motor doesn't need it. The oil system was designed for the rpm which it runs at and by the way, just cause you put in a "big cam" that don't make it spin no faster, so why do you need an ungodly ammount of oil to lube the same bearings at the same speed?

david vericker

iTrader: (1)

My car has the Melling 296 with the low volume spring in it....way more oil pressure than my engine will ever need. I purchased the oil pump and all parts for my engine and had W2W assemble it. W2W as a general practice uses the LS6 ported oil pump with their engine builds.So with that being said...either the Melling or the LS6 oil pump would be a good choice for anyone.

transAm-98

iTrader: (1)

Can't put a price on piece of mind.

SSsuperdave

iTrader: (4)

But possibly run the risk of sucking the pan dry on hard runs. I understand installing something better or newer but not installing something so excessive that it could possibly harm your motor. I'm of the mind set that you should buy just more that you need, not WAY more.

zman1969

iTrader: (91)

well the spring is what regulates pressure - shimming it or adding stiffer will raise pressure. Volume is made up from thicker gears than OE that pumps more volume not necesarilly pressure. FYI

kwiksilverz28

iTrader: (7)

You are not going to suck the pan dry unless this is a race car, and if so, go with a dry sump. The horsepower difference can not be more than 1 or 2. If you can feel that, you are better than 99% of us out there.

If anyone would like the opinion of an engine builder, call the shop manager at Thunder Racing and ask his opinion.

forcd ind

iTrader: (7)

i am building an lq4 engine-i already have the shortblock together (forged pistons and steel rods) i used the comp cams double roller t/c, and "tried" to use the melling 296 pump-like everybody else, the timing cover wont fit, and after claying it, just to much interference
i bolted on the stock pump, and the cover fits-is the stock lq4 pump the same specs as an ls6 pump, maybe the same thing, cause i'll just buy a stock pump-or go to a single roller chain and use the melling pump

taws6m6

iTrader: (37)

That seems like it is gonna be my best bet. Waaay to many opinions for me to cope with. I didnt know it was gonna be this much debate over a good oil pump

BOWTIE

This is incorrect... You can not push a higher volume of oil through the exact same oil passages with the exact same clearances without an increase in pressure. While it is true the higher volume pumps are created by using larger bodies and larger/longer gears, that extra volume of oil being pushed through the system will result in an increase in pressure. Of course if you then put the lower pressure spring in the higher volume pump, then you will have an increase of pressure down low, the pressure will build more rapidly in relation to the rpms, but then once the pumps volume reaches the bypass springs pressure the valve will open and dump the excess back into the pan, resulting in a waste of used hp and excessive aeration of the oil. The high pressure spring, or shimmed spring on the bypass valve of a stock volume pump merely increases the amount of pressure required to push oil through the bypass valve. By shimming the spring in the stock pump you in theory would only increase the pressure in the upper rpm ranges where the stock spring was allowing that pressure to escape through the bypass. By porting the stock pump you do not necessarily increase the volume of oil but rather improve the quality of the oil being pumped (you may increase the volume slightly just by reducing obstructions in the oils flow path), you also decrease the chance of any casting slag or any of that stuff coming loose and damaging the pump/bypass valve. My understanding is that this was the cause of the early pump failures on the earlier model LS1's. And for what it is worth, I have modified many of small and big block pumps, but since I had never played with the LS1 pump, and since I wanted to get a replacement anyway, I decided to go ahead and get the ported shimmed one from TSP since I am sure they have done even more pumps than I have and infinitely more LS style pumps than I ever will.

zman1969

iTrader: (91)

Bowtie I see your reasoning in this but the spring tension is what regulates pressure - adding a bigger volume pump does not raise the pressure at which the spring releases the extra unneeded pressure. Maybe it due to the added volume will do it sooner? possibly but the added volume wont raise pressure any - the spring will will release it , in the old days you used to stretch the spring for more pressure. This is splitting hairs. I think the TAWSM6 wanted to know what pump was best - I believe he would be hard to beat the stock LS6 pump and port it if you feel the need- I dont think you'd ever tell ANY difference the stock pumps are like 74$ from GMparts direct - you sure cant beat the price!

david vericker

iTrader: (1)

Thanks you for stating the obvious...oil pressure and volume are more than adequate in my case.

BOWTIE

Your previous point, at least the way I understood it, was that a high volume pump will supply more oil to the engine while not increasing pressure and this is not true. They are directly related. Granted you can reduce that by swapping out the spring installed in the pump with a lower pressure spring, but then the volume supplied to the engine is reduced and you are just wasting HP pumping oil from the pan back into the pan. Also, by stretching or shimming the stock spring you will not increase pressure at all times, you would only increase the peak pressure achieved.

COOKIE MONSTER

iTrader: (5)

X2, I gotta TSP Ported LS6 Oil pump for $136.00! Works great!

taws6m6

iTrader: (37)

so should i port mine or get a tsp ported ls6? Which is my best bet and safest route? My car has logged some miles on it. So would it be good insurance to just get a new one?

zman1969

iTrader: (91)

if you are bucks up buy it done. if your a hands on, i can save the 50-75$ more that they're gonna charge you, then do it your self! a die grinder with a carbide bit and a sandpaper roll will do it in no more than 30 minutes - course if you have to buy that than just buy it done

zman1969

iTrader: (91)

this is kinda like arguing over the voltage VS amperage isn't it? so what exactly are you fixing by installing a high volume pump? my point is that in 99% of any of our cars are not going to see any benefit of it so why bother? some say you cant put a price on piece of mind - id don't disagree if your that far into it why not? buy WHY do you NEED the extra song and dance added to your pump? does a stock one make you nervous?