I just sent a PM to Lil John to find out.

FWIW, I am also replacing the oil pump drive gear. There was someone selling billet ones for a killer price I could not pass up.

 

is your cam gear billet?

if not might want to stay with a stock melonized gear for the drive

I have seen pics of the all billet drive gear and also a "billet "cap" that goes over the plastic top to prevent breaking/cracking the stock plastic top. However, IMHO, just TQ to spec will prevent cracking the plastic stock one

 

Yes, my cam gear is also billet.

 

Got word from the turbo distributer I bought my Borg Warner from. The reason Borg Warner does not require an oil restrictor is that they are designed for high volume oil flow, unrestricted. So in other words, the high volume pump will be fine for the turbo.

Thanks for brining this up though. I would not have considered this.

As far as running the thicker VR1 racing 20W50 goes, I was told it also should be fine. Plus, due to the VR1 racing oil's high zinc content, it will be good for a turbo setup.

 

I know several great professional race engine builders, none of who see any use for a high volume oil pump in any kind of SBC. Many use a LOWER volume pump (as I do) to save a few (As much as 5 hp has been observed numerous times). Why you would want your pump constantly bypassing oil? Does 65 psi oil pressure at idle makes you all wet?

 

Because street car putting on street miles. I would be uncomfortable with <15psi at hot idle in a fresh engine, especially on something with a manual trans.

 

65 psi at idle!? Good lord Ed. I'm not sure what high volume pump you are talking about, but it's not the ones I have seen or plan on using. My high volume pump before would see 65psi at max RPM, but no where even close to that at idle, even with cold 20W50.

 

I definitely agree. This is a street car that will see the track and is a manual. It's not a race car and the engine will be basically fresh as it's put back together. I trust my engine builder and his recommendation for the HV pump.

 

Ed, at least one bad LT1 builder seems to use 20w-50 and HV pump so he can just slap junk together loose and never measure or inspect anything. Then you have the scores of builders who haven't learned anything in decades.....

There is no valid reason to put a street strip motor together so loose you need a HV pump and 20w-50 to hold over 15psi at hot idle. Notice nobody commented on my point about oil pressure/bearing area vs. piston are and cylinder pressure to try and trigger some thoughtful discussion on what makes an oiling system work. People can't be bothered to understand........

 

I would be curious if 96 or Ed had any experience with setting up power adder motors, with regards to bearing clearances?

 

First, GM says 10 psi per 1000 RPM is sufficient. I think those engineers know more than anybody here. Any need for more than that is simply in your head.
Bearing life, nor anything else, won't improve with more.

Second, if you put an engine together with a high volume pump, and see a drop in oil pressure at idle, you seriously need to learn how to properly measure bearing oil clearances, and what clearances to use. One thousandth per inch of crank shaft journal diameter is pretty much what everybody I know uses. Before I learned better, I never saw any drop in oil pressure at idle with my stuff.

Anybody seeing 15 psi at idle with heavy oil like 20W40 made mistakes setting bearing clearances. RPM has a lot to do with required bearing clearances. That is why you see guys spin bearings with factory short blocks. The lower side of factory tolerances is too tight for 6000 + RPM. High side will usually live there.
Myself, I would not chance spinning a factory LT1 short block past 6000 without checking the bearing clearances.

 

Why do you suppose they need to be different?

 

IDK thats what I am asking. If you go on the bullet, those guys build motors with much more HP than any LT1 owner can make and use tolerances that you are saying are completely silly.

So, do they know more, or do you. Only difference is you are NA and they are blower/turbo cars.

 

Are they doing it in LT1s? Why would another applications rules apply to this engine?

 

The guys I know building the new blown Ford CJ engines, which make more power than 99% (maybe 100%) of the guys here, use about the same clearances. I know of 900 hp NA engines that do.

 

SBC is a SBC...

 

The engine shops I talk to, that also do my machine work, build some of the fastest NHRA Super Stock and Competition Eliminator engines in the country. NA engines making more power than your boosted engine will. 8 second 321" NA SBCs. Also build the new blown COPO Camaros, and the new supercharged CJ Mustangs. A lot of bearing clearance and thick oil is just crude. My friends that run NHRA Pro Stock don't do that, making 1400/1500 hp. Mike Edwards used both Royal Purple and Joe Gibbs zero wt oil. None of you are likely to ever make what he was making. 0W10 wt Royal Purple oil is popular with Comp and Pro Stock guys. Used some of that myself. I normally use 5W20. Mine has 45psi oil pressure at 8600/8700 RPM. Bearings always look new. I have last year's bearings back in it right now.

If you feel better listening to guys on yellowbullet, then that is who you need to listen to. I'm not going to go back and forth with you about this.

 

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I have no dog in this fight, but shouldn't low rpm/street driving be considered? All this sounds like high RPM/run motor for a 1/2 hour a night, living a 1/4 mile at a time race car talk.

 

Why? That is easier on one than racing. Have you looked at the oil pressure with thin oil in the new cars, that easily go over 200,000 miles with no issues?

All I posted was what the guys I work with build, and what they use, and what kind of power they were making, but if you preferred what the guys on yellow bullet were saying, then do what they say to do. I built my street engines the same way. Never an issue. My 383" went to Tennessee to be street raced. It was almost six years old, looked like new inside when I sold it. Others I built were done the same way.
Not sure what his smart comment was about. I'm done.