It can be a critical decision to select the right oil pump for the job, and a few of the considerations are HOW MUCH oil volume do you need, HOW reliable is one oil pump over another, and just how long do they last anyway?

I suppose Melling is considered a standard, but what about performance pumps?

Is there better, and BEST?

What if you plan on going to a blower or turbo later on, these are items that will require additional oil flow. (and probably - cooling, definitely if the oil returns from a hot turbocharger)

What happens if you install an oil pump with TOO MUCH VOLUME?

How reliable are pressure relief systems/valves on different pumps.


There are mysteries and myths surrounding oiling in engines that I think we should look at and talk about...


* I'm trying to remember now just what ZZTOP song it was that had the background voice in it saying:
"I don't think it's oilin' right..."


The wrong choice can ruin everything else we do

 

 

 

The oil pump is a KEY component for sure, but don't get carried away. Using a high volume pump can lead to oil RETURN issues and those can be even more difficult to deal with than the reasons that drove you to want to use a high volume pump in the first place.

My current build is a moderate 400, should be right about 1HP per cu.in., and with a few oiling system mods and special cam bearings (see TMeyerINC.com) I re-used the stock oil pump. I of course checked clearances and such to be sure nothing was out of spec.