taken19

I saw that video of the GM guy explaining the "new" GS dry sump setup and is had that added capacity funnel shaped tank attached to the side on the regular oil tank. Is that what all 2010+ dry sump oil tanks look like? I bought a 2012 GS motor from a very well known vendor here and it doesn't have the funnel shaped tank attached to the side. I'm hoping GM just added diameter to their existing tank side to accommodate the new capacity?

As a reference point, I added 8 qts to my tank and I'm well above the "full" mark on the oil tank, but the motor and oil cooler are completely empty (at least I think they are) as the moron has not been turned over or started yet.

Can somebody pull a pic of an actual 2012 Grand Sport dry sump oil tank so I know I got what I paid for? I'm really hoping that there's more oil to add and simply turning over the motor a few times will disperse oil throughout the motor. I have another 2.5 qts to squeeze in there somehow!

JCtx

I've seen those tanks and they look like crap; more like an embarrassing last minute add-on. Glad to see GM decided to properly fix the situation. Having said that, just took a look at my 2012 GS, and can't see that ugly 'tumor' of a tank, BUT couldn't quite see the area facing the inner fender. My guess is it's one piece now. A nice surprise .

I wouldn't top oil off all the way to 'FULL' with oil temperature below 212ºF, but manual says 175ºF, if you want to follow that (I wouldn't). By the way, manual also says to check oil level after an oil change after 15 SECONDS, rather than 175ºF. There's a conflict there, but DO NOT do it after 15 seconds, or you'd seriously overfill the system. Dry sump systems' oil level is quite sensitive to oil temperature differences. Good luck.

taken19

Thanks for the info. Without an owners manual or a baseline to compare against, I'm learning most of this on the fly.

I appreciate you taking the time to inspect your car and post.

JoesC5

As far as I know, GM used the same oil reservoir on all Z06, and ZR1 from the 2009 model year forward and all Grand Sports. That's 10.5 qt capacity. When I change the oil on my 09 Z06(10.5 qt) I drain both the oil pan sump and the oil reservoir and then add 10.5 qts of oil to the reservoir. The I start it, run it for a few minutes to check for leaks, shut it down, wait for 5-7 minutes and check the level. It has always read right at the full mark by doing this. Later, after driving the car, I recheck the oil level, by shutting the car off, waiting 5-7 minutes, and again, it reads right at the full mark. I put in 10.56 quarts(10 liters) of oil when I change my oil.

JoesC5

Here is what the 2012 owners manaul states....and it's no different then the 2009 forward owners manual regarding changing the oil in the dry sump systems.

1. Remove the two engine oil drain
plugs from the bottom of the
engine oil pan. One drain plug
drains the external oil tank via
the oil transfer supply line.
The other drain plug drains
residual oil from the crankcase
sump. Allow the oil to drain.

2. Once the oil has been drained
from the engine, remove the
engine oil filter and allow the oil
to drain.
3. Re‐install both drain plugs and
tighten them to 25 Y(18 lb ft).
4. Replace the oil filter and
tighten it to 30 Y(22 lb ft).
See Maintenance Replacement
Parts on page 11‑14 for the
correct filter.
5. Oil is filled through the opening
in the top of the external engine
oil tank. Remove the oil fill cap.
6. Add 9.9 L (10.5 quarts) of oil to
the oil tank. See Capacities and
Specifications on page 12‑2.
7. Install the oil fill cap and insert
the dipstick, if removed.
8. Start the engine and let it run at
idle for at least 15 seconds.
This will circulate the fresh
engine oil through the lubrication
system.
9. Shut off the engine and check
the oil level as described under
“Checking Engine Oil (Z06, ZR1,
and Grand Sport).”

here is what thw 2012 owners manual says regarding checking the oil in a dry sump system.....

These vehicles have a racetrackready
dry sump engine lubrication
system. This high‐performance
system operates differently than a
standard engine lubrication system
and requires a special procedure
when checking the engine oil level.
Follow this procedure closely when
checking the engine oil level.
The engine oil level must be
checked when the engine is warm.
Cold oil level in the dry sump tank
may not indicate the actual amount
of oil in the system. With this
system, engine oil is contained in an
external tank, separate from the
engine. Under normal operating
conditions, the oil pan under the
engine does not store any oil. If the
vehicle has been parked for an
extended period without the engine
being started, some oil will seep
back into the oil pan, reducing the
amount of oil held in the dry sump
tank and there could be no engine
oil at all showing on the dipstick.
This is normal since the dipstick is
designed to read engine oil level
only after the engine has run long
enough to reach normal operating
temperature. Do not add engine oil
based on cold engine dipstick
readings. The engine oil level on the
dipstick will also be inaccurate if
checked while the engine is running.
1. To obtain an accurate engine
oil level reading, warm up the
engine to at least 80°C (175°F).
Cold oil will not give a correct oil
level reading.
2. Once the engine is warm, turn
off the engine. Checking the oil
while the engine is running will
result in an incorrect oil level
reading.
3. Wait at least five minutes
(but not more than 20 minutes)
to allow oil to drain and settle
in the engine.
4. Remove the dipstick from the
external engine oil tank and
clean it with a lint‐free paper
towel or a cloth. Re‐insert the
dipstick into the external oil tank,
pushing it all the way in until it
stops.
5. Remove the dipstick from the oil
tank and read the level on the
cross‐hatched area. Oil levels
that fall in the cross‐hatched
area are normal.

GM reccomends getting the engine coolant up to 175 degrees before checking the oil level of the dry sump systems, not the oil up to 212 degrees

taken19

Thank you Joe, that info will help me a lot.

taken19

Joe, one last thing... Would you happen to have an electronic copy or link to the manual? I suspect I may need it at various times during the life of this engine.

JUIC3D

I don't have anything to add but I laughed out loud at that autocorrect.

I remember reading about the new tanks just being a 10.5 qt capacity with no weird add-ons to it. I can't imagine the vendor you purchased from being dishonest about it so I'd think you got just what you paid for. GM is known for making subtle changes too so what may have been applicable to 2010-2011 might not apply to the latest, greatest 2012.

taken19

Yeah, yeah, yeah... My fingers aren't good enough to post grammatically correct discussions from my iPhone. My bad!

I don't think I got short changed at all, but want to be sure a can fit all 10.5 qts in there once the oil is disbursed throughout the motor (ha, I spelled it right this time!)

JCtx

GM also recommends checking your oil level after 15 seconds on step 8 of oil change procedure . If you top if off like that, it'd be way over full when at full operating procedure. I've learned NOT to top off above full mark with engine not fully hot on a Ferrari F430, so it's better to be safe than sorry IMO, but if you want the last drop of oil in there (not necessary at all, since the min and max lines span 1-1/2 qts I believe), it's your car. Same thing happened to my dry-sumped BMW K1300S bike. After 10 to 15 miles, oil was probably around 175/180 (no digital gauge). Topped it off at that time, and after a spirited run, it was so full it was about to dump oil into the intake. I have the urge to always top off my fluids too, but on all my dry-sump cars and bikes, I don't do it by the book anymore based on personal experience, but to each his own.

As far as starting the engine with 8 quarts, it's absolutely no problem on any car with 10+ quart capacity, but I stand corrected on the manual saying so (post edited accordingly). Thanks for posting the procedures. I have all of that but haven't changed all my fluids yet; waiting for 3K miles on the clock (only 700 so far).

I have it, but it's the owner's manual. You can download it from GM's site man. You only need your VIN, I believe. Good luck.

taken19

Remember that the car is a 2005 so I won't have a VIN number that needs the manual for a dry sump motor

Solid LT1

FYI, a guy doing a LS3 swap in the C3 section had the 10.5qt tank with his dry sump LS3 conversion motor so, I would say yes, the LS3 has piggy back tank on it. The C3 swapper removed the auxillary tank, if you have an early Z06 tank perhaps you might want to see about trading him for his or buying the piggy back tank from him for a reasonable price.

taken19

My new motor is came out of a 2012 Grand Sport so it should be the newest tank available. Thanks for the thought.

vettekid05

do you have the piggy back tank ?

vettekid05

If it doesn't have it you have the old tank

GMJim

Here are some pictures I took of a ZR1 cutaway car at Carlisle in 2010. You may find them useful.

JUIC3D

That's from 2010 though, I wonder if 2012 is different though.

Too bad the 2012 parts list isn't up on GMPartshouse, you could just look there

taken19

No extra tank on the side but I was told this was a 2012 grand sport motor and dry sump tank. The tank does not have the black upper either, it is all aluminum.

As soon as I get the car cranked over a few times I will be able to tell how much more can oil will fit. Until then, I may be left wondering.

Can others confirm that ONLY tanks with the piggy back setup are 10.5 qt capacity and GM made no changes to merge the two tanks into one larger tank?

JoesC5

Gm says to start the engine, let it idle for 15 seconds to circulate the oil, then shut the engine down, wait for ar least 5 minutes, check level.

I've done four oil changes on my 09 Z06, and one oil change on a friends GS dry sump, and I dump in all 10.56 quarts of oil into the reservoir, start the engine, check for leaks, shut off engine, wait for 5-7 minutes and check level. I have never had an overflow of oil.

JoesC5

Sounds like you have a tank off a 2006 or a 2007 Z06. GM went to the black plastic top in 2008, I believe. My 2009(first year for the 10.5 qt reservoir) has the black plastic top and so does my friends 2010 GS.

I think you have a 8 quart reservoir, since it doesn't have the additional side tank and it has the aluminum top.

This link might help. http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...+Oiling+System