Melling High Pressure vs High Volume?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2024
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Melling High Pressure vs High Volume?
Hey everyone! I’m currently building the top end of a ls1, looking for about 400whp. The engine has 166k miles on it so when I tear it apart to get to the cam, I’m going to upgrade the oil pump, I’m just not sure whether to go high volume or high pressure. I’ve heard that the high volumes can sometimes suck a oil pan dry, and with the high pressure, I’m worried about it just blowing oil everywhere because in the short time I’ve had the car, I do smell oil burning somewhere and I have yet to diagnose it. Anyway I plan on really ragging on the car so whatever pump variety will just keep my engine from blowing up sooner would be what I want. Any thoughts?
Racer
Joined: Mar 2018
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From: Frederick Colorado
Ragging on your car?
Track? If track, road course or dragging?
Street? Any commuting or are you doing something dumb like illegal street racing?
The burning smell is probably a valve cover leak onto a manifold.
Track? If track, road course or dragging?
Street? Any commuting or are you doing something dumb like illegal street racing?
The burning smell is probably a valve cover leak onto a manifold.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Guinness Its whats for B'fast JAWGA
CI 3-4-5-9 Veteran
I've always run high pressure and heard the same with high volume. Friends and I have run the Melling High Pressure pump in HPDEs/driving schools with an extrernal oil cooler. They work great.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2023
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From: Windsor, CT
I had some advice given to me by Improved Racing when I had emailed them with oil pump questions. Standard pressure is great all day on a stock bottom end motor for street warrior type driving. If you're gonna add an oil cooler, then now they recommend the high pressure. If you're running oil coolers and feeding turbos etc, then higher volume and high pressure.
I'm currently using the high pressure (Melling 10295) on a stock bottom end motor. Oil pressure is easily 10-15 psi over the stock oil pump. I plan to plumb in an oil cooler this offseason.
I'm currently using the high pressure (Melling 10295) on a stock bottom end motor. Oil pressure is easily 10-15 psi over the stock oil pump. I plan to plumb in an oil cooler this offseason.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Guinness Its whats for B'fast JAWGA
CI 3-4-5-9 Veteran
Agreed with Improved, also high pressure will not hurt anything on a heads cam street car.
If you want to go further down the rabbit hole
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-oil-pump.html
If you want to go further down the rabbit hole
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-oil-pump.html
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
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I ran a 10296 Melling HV pump for 80,000 miles over 20 years. Never had any problems. If HV pumps sucked the pan dry nobody would buy them, which would cause/effect manufacturers to discontinue them. I'm currently running a Melling M365 HV pump. No dry pans here. It's pure BS......
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Guinness Its whats for B'fast JAWGA
CI 3-4-5-9 Veteran
I ran a 10296 Melling HV pump for 80,000 miles over 20 years. Never had any problems. If HV pumps sucked the pan dry nobody would buy them, which would cause/effect manufacturers to discontinue them. I'm currently running a Melling M365 HV pump. No dry pans here. It's pure BS......
Le Mans Master
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From: Akron Ohio
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High pressure is better than volume. Volume isnt necessarily a bad thing, but like metioned on track it can cause some issues. It wont pump the pan dry, but it will lower the level enough to cause bearing issues under cornering load. The oil already pools in the heads and is slow to drain back.
For a street car, just get whatever is available.
For a street car, just get whatever is available.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Des Plaines, Il
I bought a 296 hp/hv. Oil thinning out at high temp and oil cooler pressure loss should be improved. The risk is that I pump too much oil into the head and it can't drain quick enough. However I also have an oil accumulator that's going in that should derisk the empty pan a bit.
Team Owner
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From: Guinness Its whats for B'fast JAWGA
CI 3-4-5-9 Veteran
10295
https://www.improvedracing.com/melli...-oil-pump.html
https://www.improvedracing.com/melli...-oil-pump.html
- Features a stiffer pressure relief spring, which increases the maximum system oil pressure by 10%
- Factory volumetric flow rate, around 6.8 GPM
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 31,976
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From: Guinness Its whats for B'fast JAWGA
CI 3-4-5-9 Veteran
I bought a 296 hp/hv. Oil thinning out at high temp and oil cooler pressure loss should be improved. The risk is that I pump too much oil into the head and it can't drain quick enough. However I also have an oil accumulator that's going in that should derisk the empty pan a bit.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,000
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From: Des Plaines, Il
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Orlando FL - USA
Here's a guide we wrote that might be helpful: https://www.improvedracing.com/choos...ljDNBwAdYN9ncQ
Keep in mine that "high pressure", meaning using a higher pressure relief valve spring, will only affect your peak oil pressure. It simply means that your oil pressure relief valve will open and start bleeding excess volume at a higher pressure. It will not affect your oil pressure at all at lower RPMs when the relief valve is completely closed.
High volume means the pump will pump more fluid through the engine per revolution. In this case volume and pressure are linked. In order for the oil pump to push more volume, pressure has to go up. The pump will be working harder and consuming more horsepower. So a high volume pump will increase your oil pressure throughout the RPM range until the pressure relief valve cracking pressure is reached.
The guide above provides some guidelines to help you choose the right pump for your application and explains some of the side effects of using a high volume pump when it's not necessary.
Let us know if you guys have any questions!
Keep in mine that "high pressure", meaning using a higher pressure relief valve spring, will only affect your peak oil pressure. It simply means that your oil pressure relief valve will open and start bleeding excess volume at a higher pressure. It will not affect your oil pressure at all at lower RPMs when the relief valve is completely closed.
High volume means the pump will pump more fluid through the engine per revolution. In this case volume and pressure are linked. In order for the oil pump to push more volume, pressure has to go up. The pump will be working harder and consuming more horsepower. So a high volume pump will increase your oil pressure throughout the RPM range until the pressure relief valve cracking pressure is reached.
The guide above provides some guidelines to help you choose the right pump for your application and explains some of the side effects of using a high volume pump when it's not necessary.
Let us know if you guys have any questions!
Race Director
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