125psi oil pressure
I’ve played with more oil tests than most. We were commissioned to test oil viscosities under every condition that Cup cars would encounter. We used valve covers and oil pans with windows and high speed video to test windage both in the crankcase and under the valve covers. I learned a ton of stuff doing this including what effects oil pressures and viscosities had under varying pressures. I’ve seen 125 lbs of oil pressure produced by a dry sump system. You can adjust oil pressures with pulley sizing and inline valve controls. What I can say here in this situation is that I can’t see you going from a 50w oil to a 30w oil and it bringing your pressures down to acceptable ranges. There’s just not enough difference in the viscosities to remove 50 lbs of pressure. It seems like you have extremely tight clearances along with a stuck bypass in the pump, and the pump is a beast. Of course I’m speculating here, but something sounds off. Look at the Helephant engine. It calls for 60w oil because of the bearing loads, and yet it makes average oil pressures when hot and rpm.
Have you brought these pressure numbers up to your builder? He has to be alarmed at them. I suppose this could be a gauge issue and your really fine. You running aftermarket electronics? My Mast electronics in my Chevelle allow me to collaborate my gauges with my actual pressures and temps, according to the laptops actual verified values. I could make my oil pressure peg the gauge at any rpm I want, as I have to set it all up in steps. It’s a pita, but it’s deadly accurate when done. Maybe you have aftermarket electronics?
As far as the 50w oil hurting anything here, your biggest chance of damage was at first startup. Wrist pins and piston skirts/cylinder walls rely solely on splash oiling, and you want plenty of “oil sling” coming off the rod bearings to keep the wrist pins wet and the cylinders wet at first start on a new build. I doubt the 50w hurt you here. Your Darton sleeves are ductile and your piston skirts are likely coated to help here. I’d say your fine…hopefully. But I would definitely get to the bottom of this pressure issue, if in fact you really have an issue and not a gauge problem.
Have you brought these pressure numbers up to your builder? He has to be alarmed at them. I suppose this could be a gauge issue and your really fine. You running aftermarket electronics? My Mast electronics in my Chevelle allow me to collaborate my gauges with my actual pressures and temps, according to the laptops actual verified values. I could make my oil pressure peg the gauge at any rpm I want, as I have to set it all up in steps. It’s a pita, but it’s deadly accurate when done. Maybe you have aftermarket electronics?
As far as the 50w oil hurting anything here, your biggest chance of damage was at first startup. Wrist pins and piston skirts/cylinder walls rely solely on splash oiling, and you want plenty of “oil sling” coming off the rod bearings to keep the wrist pins wet and the cylinders wet at first start on a new build. I doubt the 50w hurt you here. Your Darton sleeves are ductile and your piston skirts are likely coated to help here. I’d say your fine…hopefully. But I would definitely get to the bottom of this pressure issue, if in fact you really have an issue and not a gauge problem.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 11
Likes: 1
@Che70velle awesome info. I don't have aftermarket electronics. Regular gauges/sensors and I have both aeroforce interceptor/hptuners Mpvi3 as well as the gauge on my dash. Checking on clearances with my engine builder tomorrow. It's a brand new pump so I don't understand why it would fail immediately. Melling told me the pump should sit between 60-100psi under heavy loads. If it stays within that I'd call it good. I have yet to bring the car into heavy boost, so in the event the pressure is still high, I will attach a mechanical gauge and compare with my data log. I got my oil changed tonight and there was some silver metallic streaks, honestly less than I expected for a break in. I could be wrong but I believe the sheer pressure (if it's real) supplied by the pump forced the oil where it needed to go at least for now
TECH Addict
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Florida
polyalphaolefin references it here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/forced-in...l#post20266507
It's from Driven Racing Oil which is an outcrop of Joe Gibbs Racing.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/the-t...iscosity/30041
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/the-t...iscosity/30041
I’ve played with more oil tests than most. We were commissioned to test oil viscosities under every condition that Cup cars would encounter. We used valve covers and oil pans with windows and high speed video to test windage both in the crankcase and under the valve covers. I learned a ton of stuff doing this including what effects oil pressures and viscosities had under varying pressures. I’ve seen 125 lbs of oil pressure produced by a dry sump system. You can adjust oil pressures with pulley sizing and inline valve controls. What I can say here in this situation is that I can’t see you going from a 50w oil to a 30w oil and it bringing your pressures down to acceptable ranges. There’s just not enough difference in the viscosities to remove 50 lbs of pressure. It seems like you have extremely tight clearances along with a stuck bypass in the pump, and the pump is a beast. Of course I’m speculating here, but something sounds off. Look at the Helephant engine. It calls for 60w oil because of the bearing loads, and yet it makes average oil pressures when hot and rpm.
Have you brought these pressure numbers up to your builder? He has to be alarmed at them. I suppose this could be a gauge issue and your really fine. You running aftermarket electronics? My Mast electronics in my Chevelle allow me to collaborate my gauges with my actual pressures and temps, according to the laptops actual verified values. I could make my oil pressure peg the gauge at any rpm I want, as I have to set it all up in steps. It’s a pita, but it’s deadly accurate when done. Maybe you have aftermarket electronics?
As far as the 50w oil hurting anything here, your biggest chance of damage was at first startup. Wrist pins and piston skirts/cylinder walls rely solely on splash oiling, and you want plenty of “oil sling” coming off the rod bearings to keep the wrist pins wet and the cylinders wet at first start on a new build. I doubt the 50w hurt you here. Your Darton sleeves are ductile and your piston skirts are likely coated to help here. I’d say your fine…hopefully. But I would definitely get to the bottom of this pressure issue, if in fact you really have an issue and not a gauge problem.
Have you brought these pressure numbers up to your builder? He has to be alarmed at them. I suppose this could be a gauge issue and your really fine. You running aftermarket electronics? My Mast electronics in my Chevelle allow me to collaborate my gauges with my actual pressures and temps, according to the laptops actual verified values. I could make my oil pressure peg the gauge at any rpm I want, as I have to set it all up in steps. It’s a pita, but it’s deadly accurate when done. Maybe you have aftermarket electronics?
As far as the 50w oil hurting anything here, your biggest chance of damage was at first startup. Wrist pins and piston skirts/cylinder walls rely solely on splash oiling, and you want plenty of “oil sling” coming off the rod bearings to keep the wrist pins wet and the cylinders wet at first start on a new build. I doubt the 50w hurt you here. Your Darton sleeves are ductile and your piston skirts are likely coated to help here. I’d say your fine…hopefully. But I would definitely get to the bottom of this pressure issue, if in fact you really have an issue and not a gauge problem.
