LS3 Oiling Issues
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
LS3 Oiling Issues
Hey guys, I recently lost a main bearing in my built LS6 due to a bad lifter that ate a cam lobe sending all that wonderfull metal throughout the engine. Anyway I just started to build a LS3 that I plan to race as well. I have read many stories about people blowing their LS3's on sustained high g turns. Many have resorted to dry sump or accusump systems. I will be installing my batwing oil pan off my LS6. I never had oil pressure issues with the LS6 while running with an extra qt of oil, until I lost a bearing due to the bad lifter. Do you guys think the batwing pan offers better baffling then a LS3 pan doing a better job of keeping the pickup submerged in oil?
#2
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Also I'll be running my LS6 oil pump in the new motor. The new motor was a L92 short block so it came with the L92 oil pump for "displacement on demand" vehicles.
#3
Drifting
Some of the C5/ls3 guys around here are using both the batwing and an accusump and hoping that that will be sufficient...time will tell. not sure which oil pump tho.
#5
Instructor
#6
Tech Contributor
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The guy with the most experience blowing LS3 engines is Chris Ingle. Here is his post in the thread referenced above: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577462192-post14.html he has gone all sorts of ways trying to solve the problem along with some help from GM.
Here are some more of his posts in that thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577471394-post32.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577623388-post68.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577631960-post73.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577689355-post91.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577701074-post125.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577994775-post148.html
Reference to the Batwing Oil Pan: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579088299-post153.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579090797-post160.html
You might get the idea Chris is dead set against running an LS3 without a dry sump if you are using R compound tires.
Bill
Here are some more of his posts in that thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577471394-post32.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577623388-post68.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577631960-post73.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577689355-post91.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577701074-post125.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577994775-post148.html
Reference to the Batwing Oil Pan: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579088299-post153.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579090797-post160.html
You might get the idea Chris is dead set against running an LS3 without a dry sump if you are using R compound tires.
Bill
#7
Le Mans Master
If you are running DOT-R tires at a track like ACS you better run a dry sump of keep a supply of LS3s on hand.
#8
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Thnx guys, i will be reading those threads. I was running in street tire classes but I was thinking of going with r compound tires soon and stepping up to moddified. Thanks for the info. Good thing I work nights, I'll have time to read them.
#9
Safety Car
Thread Starter
#10
Safety Car
Thread Starter
The guy with the most experience blowing LS3 engines is Chris Ingle. Here is his post in the thread referenced above: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577462192-post14.html he has gone all sorts of ways trying to solve the problem along with some help from GM.
Here are some more of his posts in that thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577471394-post32.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577623388-post68.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577631960-post73.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577689355-post91.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577701074-post125.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577994775-post148.html
Reference to the Batwing Oil Pan: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579088299-post153.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579090797-post160.html
You might get the idea Chris is dead set against running an LS3 without a dry sump if you are using R compound tires.
Bill
Here are some more of his posts in that thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577471394-post32.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577623388-post68.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577631960-post73.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577689355-post91.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577701074-post125.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577994775-post148.html
Reference to the Batwing Oil Pan: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579088299-post153.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579090797-post160.html
You might get the idea Chris is dead set against running an LS3 without a dry sump if you are using R compound tires.
Bill
#12
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Im gonna continue putting the motor together but it looks like I'll have to wait for a dry sump system before getting serious with racing. I'll stick to shorter tracks with tight turns and avoid those long sweeping bank left hand turns. It looks like the batwing will help the issue but not solve it and I was looking at an accusump but I dont like all those reports about puking oil all over the car. That would be very bad on the track too.
#13
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Those last thread quotes are making me miss my LS6 block even more. I always beat on it hard and never had oiling issues. Im afraid now that I upgraded to a newer bigger motor but with an oiling issue. I dont wanna drive scared now at the track. I guess its time to start the dry sump fund but its hard to squeeze blood from a turnip.
Bill
#14
Drifting
Wouldn't the dry sump LS3 that comes in the GS have the same issue? I haven't read about any oiling failures with the dry sump LS3.
#15
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2003
Location: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
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The Dry sump helped alleviate the problem. Keep that Oil flowing.
and there have been a FEW LS3s with a dry sump that failed. But that was under very extreme conditions. with no warnings.
Dont think any engine would have survived.
and there have been a FEW LS3s with a dry sump that failed. But that was under very extreme conditions. with no warnings.
Dont think any engine would have survived.
#16
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Nov 2006
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The guy with the most experience blowing LS3 engines is Chris Ingle. Here is his post in the thread referenced above: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577462192-post14.html he has gone all sorts of ways trying to solve the problem along with some help from GM.
Here are some more of his posts in that thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577471394-post32.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577623388-post68.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577631960-post73.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577689355-post91.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577701074-post125.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577994775-post148.html
Reference to the Batwing Oil Pan: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579088299-post153.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579090797-post160.html
You might get the idea Chris is dead set against running an LS3 without a dry sump if you are using R compound tires.
Bill
Here are some more of his posts in that thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577471394-post32.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577623388-post68.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577631960-post73.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577689355-post91.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577701074-post125.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1577994775-post148.html
Reference to the Batwing Oil Pan: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579088299-post153.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1579090797-post160.html
You might get the idea Chris is dead set against running an LS3 without a dry sump if you are using R compound tires.
Bill
#17
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Nov 2006
Location: Yorkville IL
Posts: 1,098
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I think the eariler dry sumps were smaller volume then the current ones....
#18
Drifting
I sold my 09 LS3 and bought a 11 GS with dry sump....problem solved. I did track my 09 for 2 years without problems but i didn't run Hoosiers until the last few events and I had a accusump installed..After reading up on everything....... the accusump was more of a bandaid then a resolution...
#19
Racer
This is the second track day on a freshly built LS1. Stock everything except Katech timing chain and rod bolts and ARP hardware. I'm running Kumho V710's Temperature that day was 42 degrees. The oil fill on the passenger side valve cover was put on crooked by the previous owner I didn't get it fixed when the motor was rebuilt. The reason I mentioning this, is because at the end of session two. I popped the hood and noticed quite a bit of oil had been leaking out of the oil fill neck that was connected to the valve cover. The neck of it, not the lid. I wiped it up. I thought to myself that turn two, the long sweeping left hand turn was throwing a bunch of oil up into my passenger side head and valve cover. That's why you hear all the noise at the end of the video.
To fix the problem, I kinda went over board and bought a Dailey dry sump system. I'm building it like the way JVetthead has built his. Joe has been a huge help to me on this project That system kicks ***!!!
Last edited by Paul Schmidt; 06-02-2012 at 02:33 PM.
#20
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Yeah, mine ran really strong for almost 5yrs. 12.3:1cr, 490rwhp on a e85 mix running 11.0@123 in the 1/4. Im still pissed that a lifter took it all down. I started building the LS3 to have if anything the same power but more torque and better street manners then my big cam LS6. I was looking forward to that early torque kicking in coming out into a straight. Now Im paranoid about reliability. I was also trying to keep the rotating assembly stock for reliability reasons as well. We'll see how it goes I guess.