Z06-Nomad

Car is stock 02 Z06.

The car started at the full mark, but with the engine stone cold after not running for a week (meaning if you checked the oil warm after a few minutes of sitting, it would have probably registered 3/4 up from add).

Don't know where my mind was but about mid-day, I went to check the oil and it was about 1/2 between add and full I realized my mistake and added the quart I had brought to the track with me.

This was at Sebring on somewhat worn stock GY F1s. I only ran two sessions like that. The first one was the usual orientation etc. (not too fast). The second one I did medium hard (7/10).

After adding the quart, I ran 2 relatively long (35 min) hard sessions with no problems.

Everything seems normal, but I have questions...

If I sustained any damage, would it have let go right away? Does the fact that everything seems OK mean that it is?

Thanks,

MD

J Ritt

I did my first session with a standard fill the other week. Luckily, Sean from OC Corvette asked me if I had put more in...I forgot too!

My excuse is I'm still getting used to this car...

VetteDrmr

Well, you could have wounded her.....

but, if you didn't hear the low oil pressure chime I'd grit my teeth and move on. Not like there's much you can do about it now, anyway.

Good luck, and have a good one,
Mike

Z06-Nomad

Gritting teeth as we speak... You are right. Nothing I can do now.

I didn't hear any chimes. Do you think "Check Gauges" would have lit up on the HUD? I was watching that and didn't see anything...

Thanks,

MD

John Shiels

It still could have some damage unfortunately. I think you probably are alright so don't worry. Sebring is flat right? You had street tires.

VetteDrmr

You should be fine, then. The Check Gauges will assert if the DIC issues a warning.

Sounds like you dodged a potential bullet.

Have a good one,
Mike

Z06-Nomad

Now I don't feel so bad!

Have heard of people running at FULL, no extra quart (because they think it steals HP and having no problems) so maybe we are OK

MD

xsiveone

I never add an extra quart. I'll add maybe half a quart and keep an eye on the oil level. I'm a bit leery of adding a full quart.

AU N EGL

Let me think "steals a ponie or two or a blown engine from oil starvation?" Hmmmmmmmm

Let me think here . . . . .

Sebring has high speed sweeper corners, Put in the qt guys.

ghoffman

I love my dry sump on the LS7...

xsiveone

I do it because I'm worried about having ring problems (oil consumption) by having that extra quart in there, especially if I don't drain it off after the event. I can care less about a hp or two.

97coupechuck

LS 1 and LS 6 motors are prone to oil problems, so much so that GM now puts dry sumps in the LS 7 motors. I learned the hard way. changed oil and forgot the extra quart rule one time last July. On the 4th lap at Tx World Spwy and kablam! Spun #8 rod bearing. I actually didn't hear anything until DIC came on and engine oil went to 315 or so which shut engine down. Duuh! So if your not hearing any noise you probably dodged the bullet. Just now getting the thing back together, after tons of $$$s! Looking at Accusump system from Livermore Performance, and they have a lap top graph showing how the system turns on when ever he got near 1 g in the corners, he said he was running greasy tires and could only get 1 g and yet it still shows significant oil pressure drop! I'm ordering mine in the next day or so.

SouthernSon

The oil gets trapped in the head when slung to the side with a load from hard cornering. Thus, the extra quart to make sure that there is some still in the bottom. Of course, to get this trapped oil requires a long sweeping carousel with high RPM's. On the other hand, If one puts TOO much oil in the engine, the reciprocating mass in the bottom end can make contact with the oil and whip it into a foam that also creates a non-lubricating mess circulating throught the bearings and lead to failure. I usually go with a half quart over and watch my high RPM load. In other words, one would not want to go from one carousel to another carousel to another carousel with high RPM and high G-load speed. Let the engine take a breather, shift up and let the oil drain back away from the side of the head.....just my opinion, anyway.

2K3Z06

I usually just add about a pint. But I shift early at 6000 RPM, (to keep the oil temps down). And kinda keep an eye on the oil gauge through the sweepers (traffic permitting). No problems.

My buddies vette, at MSR will bounce the oil gauge when going through the horseshoe turn at redline.

You should be ok. Just shift to a higher gear if you are still worried.

Joseesp

Would you recommend adding extra oil in the LS7?

ghoffman

No, it is a dry (damp really) sump with 8 quarts.

AU N EGL

gonzalezfj

José, if you are running a C6Z on the track you SHOULD NOT add extra oil. In fact, you don't want the oil level higher than the top hole in the dipstick.

If it's higher, it will puke oil into the intake manifold, ruin your air filter and unglue the hydrocarbon collection pads in the intake tract.

You have been warned...

Frank Gonzalez

Joseesp

Thank you all. I have not added extra oil as it was my understanding that I should keep it below the top hole in the dipstick, since AU N EGL is the chief instructor at the NCM HPDE, i just needed clarification.

Z06-Nomad

Found this on the "other" forum. Seems to completely refute the conventional wisdom and says it's backed up by 20K miles of track time. What say ye now?

I don't run "a quart over the full line"...never have. I put over 20K track/racing miles on my 01 and just ran it at the "full line" and never had any issues. Great engine!

If you do choose to run it over full, there's no need to drain any of it out. Just leave it and it'll be fine.

If you run it over full, then the engine just 'pukes' the extra oil back up thru the engine and into the intake. If you've ever taken off the flexible air intake tube (coming from the air filter box), I'm sure you've noticed that little pool of oil. That's basically where that's from. So, the way I look at it is that it's better to NOT puke so much oil into the engine. The LS6 doesn't suffer the same oiling problems that the LS1s did, so I'm just not convinced it's necessary to overfill it.

If you run the engine much over 6500, that's where you'll start getting 'ring flutter' and burning more oil. The 02-04 engines aren't as bad about that, but they still burn some up.
__________________

Chris W. Ingle, Instructor: Chin/TracQuest, Car Guys...
2006, 05, and 03 Southeast Division T1 National Champ
2001 White Z06 SCCA T1 Racer #7

BTW I'm still running 1 Qt over, so don't kill the messenger

MD