LS3 Oiling Issues

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Jun 1, 2012 | 07:06 PM

C5Natie

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From: SoCal CA

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?

Jun 1, 2012 | 07:10 PM

C5Natie

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From: SoCal CA

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.

Jun 1, 2012 | 09:04 PM

C5ZEE06

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From: Houston Texas

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.

Jun 1, 2012 | 09:09 PM

C5Natie

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From: SoCal CA

Thanks c5zee06. Has anyone found the culprit though? I wonder if the oil drains back fast enough from the heads.

Jun 1, 2012 | 09:46 PM

Addicted to track

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From: Trackside Mi

Did you see this Thread?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...the-track.html

Jun 1, 2012 | 10:38 PM

Bill Dearborn

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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)

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

Jun 2, 2012 | 12:51 AM

Olitho

Le Mans Master

Joined: Oct 2004

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From: California

Quote:

Originally Posted by C5Natie

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.

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.

Jun 2, 2012 | 01:23 AM

C5Natie

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From: SoCal CA

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.

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Jun 2, 2012 | 01:29 AM

C5Natie

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From: SoCal CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Addicted to track

Did you see this Thread?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...the-track.html

I started to but I havent gotten through all 14 pages yet. I was reading it to see if c5 guys faired better with the batwing pans.

Jun 2, 2012 | 01:40 AM

#10

C5Natie

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From: SoCal CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Dearborn

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.

Jun 2, 2012 | 07:04 AM

#11

AU N EGL

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From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC

243 style heads or aftermarket heads will help too.

the OEM LS3 heads can hold too much oil under high G-braking with oil not returning to the oil pan.

Jun 2, 2012 | 11:54 AM

#12

C5Natie

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From: SoCal CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

243 style heads or aftermarket heads will help too.

the OEM LS3 heads can hold too much oil under high G-braking with oil not returning to the oil pan.

Thanks a lot. Lol. I sold the heads off my LS6 to help me buy the LS3 short block.

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.

Jun 2, 2012 | 12:09 PM

#13

Bill Dearborn

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From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)

Quote:

Originally Posted by C5Natie

I know what you mean about missing the LS6. I have an C6Z now and have already blown one engine due to a dropped valve. The LS6 spoiled me. 6 years of hard usage and never a penny spent on the engine except for oil changes.

Bill

Jun 2, 2012 | 12:29 PM

#14

rayk

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From: Maple Grove MN

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

243 style heads or aftermarket heads will help too.

the OEM LS3 heads can hold too much oil under high G-braking with oil not returning to the oil pan.

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.

Jun 2, 2012 | 12:38 PM

#15

AU N EGL

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From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC

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.

Jun 2, 2012 | 01:28 PM

#16

trapp

Burning Brakes

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From: Yorkville IL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Dearborn

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...

Jun 2, 2012 | 01:31 PM

#17

trapp

Burning Brakes

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From: Yorkville IL

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

I think the eariler dry sumps were smaller volume then the current ones....

Jun 2, 2012 | 01:55 PM

#18

rayk

Drifting

Joined: Feb 2006

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From: Maple Grove MN

Quote:

Originally Posted by trapp

Now I'm really glad I bought the GS with the dry sump. Just got my track wheels delivered yesterday, so the R6's are going on. No more wearing out expensive GY's.

Jun 2, 2012 | 02:29 PM

#19

Paul Schmidt

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From: Seattle Washington

Quote:

Originally Posted by C5Natie

I started to but I havent gotten through all 14 pages yet. I was reading it to see if c5 guys faired better with the batwing pans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL5Kg...38AUAAAAAAAAAA

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; Jun 2, 2012 at 02:33 PM.

Jun 2, 2012 | 03:36 PM

#20

C5Natie

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From: SoCal CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Dearborn

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.

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