[Tomo]

This may seem like a silly question.... how much oil do i put in for a engine with a 7 quart oil pan. The pan has been deepened and the pickup extended.
thanks
tom

[Tomo]

This may seem like a silly question.... how much oil do i put in for a engine with a 7 quart oil pan. The pan has been deepened and the pickup extended.
thanks
tom

[Goatman]

I put 6 in my 7 quart. As long as the pickup stays covered, you're covered.

Chance favors the prepared mind.

[Lerry: The Body Ventura..]

If it's a 7 quart pan, it will hold seven quarts and then one quart for the oil filter. Unless you are running some extreme clearences and plan on spinning some high rpm's, all eight quarts won't be needed....

[Tom Vaught]

The additional oil volume in the pan will take longer to reach operating temperature. This will
require a longer warm-up period on the street and
on the track before hard accelerations.

The additional oil in the pan will keep the oil
pickup covered better at high rpm when more oil
is pumped to the top of the engine (heads and valve covers).

I do not agree with the theory of running short
on oil capacity in the pan unless you are running
for big money at a major event. If you are just
driving around and there is a 7 quart oil pan
installed on your engine vs a 6 quart stock pan
running with 6 quarts of oil will be like having a 6 quart oil pan. The additional quart capacity
is there for insurance and if you never push the
envelope you will not need the reserve quart of
oil. Tom V.

[Bartman]

I use to think the same way as you Tom until I read an article about oil capacity, power and pressure.
In the article they ran dyno tests with the engine (SBC of course) at 4,5 and 6 quarts. It was a 5 quart capacity oil pan with no windage tray.
It made the made about 5 more HP at 4 qrts over 5 without any pressure problems. The motor lost over 10 HP at 6 qrts and they lost some oil pressure at higher rpm. They came to the conclusion that windage was causing the oil to foam and cause the power loss.
After reading that article I started running only 5 qrts in my 6 qrt milodon pan and I picked up about 1 mph trap speed and nearly .1 sec. I've been running this way for the last 3-4 years without any oil pressure change over that time so I would venture to guess that I'm not having any oil starvation problems.
Bartman

Ponies run but Birds fly

[millennium200]

Bartman,
In your example you lost power when putting 6 qts in a 5 qt pan. That would be like putting 8qt in your 7 qt pan. I guess you would loose power that way. However I cant argue with your success at the strip.

[Goatman]

That is because another member above suggested that you should fill the pan, plus add a quart for the filter.

I do not agree at all.

Chance favors the prepared mind.

[Tom Vaught]

I will try again.

If you have a stock pan. (5 qt plus one for the filter) you actually have a 5 quart oil system
in the pan. The one in the filter remains in the filter at all times if you have a honest one quart
filter capacity.

If you had a 6 quart system it would be 6 plus one. The dip stick is calibrated to the fill mark
for 6 quarts (not 7 quarts).

If you install a 7 quart pan and run 6 quarts or even 5 quarts what you have done is lower the oil level in the pan vs the crankshaft. This may in some cases give you the 1 mph and .1 et change.

If you are drag racing and the engine showed good
durability with 5 quarts in the pan/engine during
the run, then running 5 quarts in a 7 quart pan
will work fine and may give you better performance

The issue comes in if you have a head that does not drain well during the run (stock Edelbrock)
and a oil pan that is not baffled properly. The
5 quarts may actually be 2 quarts in the heads,
and 3 quarts in the pan. This may be enough to cause oil starvation on some fast cars. Adding
the additional quart which the pan was designed for may keep you from wiping out bearings. Just
my opinion. Tom V.

[Lerry: The Body Ventura..]

If a stock amount of oil is going to be run, why then would a person buy oversized oil pans? If you want to gamble and run a questionalbe amount of oil to gain a few hundreths of a second and seize one of the rods and bearings to the crank, at least you won't have to scratch your head and wonder why?(Oh yea I'm saving on windage) Maybe in a short blast eighth mile you'll get away with it but a full quarter spinning any kind of high numbers with any kind of clearences. Good luck....

[Goatman]

I agree with Tom that if you have other issues that are comnbination specific then that would, of course, be something to address.

Nick Scavo says when he hits the brakes and pulls the chute at the end of the quarter, he has 0 oil pressure. It comes back and the motor is never hurt. As long as you have oil pressure at that point, I wouldn't worry about it much.

As long as you have enough in the bearings and top and and a little in the pan for the sump, you're just fine.

Chance favors the prepared mind.