Quote:
Originally Posted by BullF-16
In my recent research i have not really heard of the motor in the 5th gen having the same issues as the Vettes. Maybe its the extra capacity of our oil pan.
JusticePete said the only thing they did on the PeddersUSA Camaro is run a large oil cooler, nothing other than that. They had no starvation issues and they ran that car hard.
My plan is to add oil pressure and temp gauges and see how it goes with just a larger oil cooler that adds an additional 2 qts. I will also be running Amsoil 15w-50 which should help with temps somewhat.
Going with a dry sump is out of the question, seems way too complicated. I will talk to Erik at HKE and see what he says. He has build a few motors for the drift guys
I also think the oiling in the LSX block is a bit better than the LS3. The lifter trays in the LS3 heads is also a culprit. It traps oil up in the top of the motor under high g turns. My MAST LS7 heads will not be using lifter trays.
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I like your thought process but wonder if volume alone will solve or at least help the problem. What concerns me is if the pickup sucks air it is going to do two things I would think: 1) cause a loss of pressure at the discharge side of the pump which cascades through the entire oil system and 2) subsequently aerate the oil (bubbles are not a good thing).
Taking into acount the above that is what I liked about your previous thought of using an Accusump or similar oil accumulator to null those pressure fluctuations should the pickup become a momentary air pump.
Like SPEEDMON talked about, the reason we have not heard much about failed LS3's in Camaros might be attributed to the number of Camaros that are running that hard. I mean practically every post I see on here talks about auto-x. There seem to be very few of us running the road track and fewer still that are moving beyond the "yellow" group and pushing the car real hard.
He is spot on when he talks about purpose built as well. From my perspective, if I had dropped the money and frustration into a engine that you have I would probably go the extra distance and do the dry sump. Cheap insurance by comparison.
Lifter trays never even crossed my mind. I'll have to research it a little more.
I used to run AMSOIL in my Duramax but went back to Rotella as it was cheaper and its what virtually every heavy equipment diesel on the planet seems to use without issue. Running Mobil 1 in the LS3 currently but might give AMSOIL another try but will wait to hear how it goes with you first. I am hitting about 290 deg on the oil temp for 20 - 30 minute sessions in SOCAL and Nevada but those are during the milder part of the year. That is why I started the other thread about external oil coolers because I know I am going to be pushing the temps to high in the heat of summer.
So let's see where this thread takes us. Some interesting discussions here.
Oh, and I wish my Camaro was 3100 lbs too but not willing to sacrifice the street manners/comfort so it will continue to be the rolling pig. Maybe one day I'll convert to the Vette but until then I kind of like being one of the few "muscle cars" on the road course tearing it (and them) up.
Travis