bbc oil level help
 

How much oil should I run in my 7400 rpm bbc with an HV pump and a stock type pan that's 8.5 inches deep?
I've been running 7 qts. but I'm thinking it might be too much.

Re: bbc oil level help
 

If you have the pan off the motor, put 7 qts. in to it. Sounds like the oil level is into the crank.

Re: bbc oil level help
 

I do have the pan off, but where should the oil level be? How far from the crank should the level be in a static engine?

Re: bbc oil level help
 

The farther from the crank the better. If there is a windage tray the oil must be below it. I can't give you a dimension in inches.

Re: bbc oil level help
 

I would think the killer stockers or super stockers would know this stuff. I just need one to share his knowledge.

Re: bbc oil level help
 

Running 5 qts plus 1/2 qt of Lucas Oil Stabilizer in a Moroso 21047 BBC pan. That doesn't include what is in the oil filter. I have no problems with huge pressure drops at the finish line, since adding the oil stabilizer.

Re: bbc oil level help
 

Manny, is yours a bbc and about 7400 at the stripe?

Re: bbc oil level help
 

IMO you don't need the HV pump, but just drop a quart and see how the oil pressure looks when you slow down from a run. When you get it to the sweet spot you will know. You will start to see the pressure drop on the shutdown way before you take a chance of damaging the motor on the top end due to lack of oil. So many pans act differently there is no real standard formula. Also, if your car does big wheelie's you might want to be careful of that when lowering the oil level. I have gotten by with as little as 3 1/2 quarts in the pan, and of course one in the filter for a total of 4 1/2 quarts with a pan similar to yours, but you have to kill the engine after you cross the finish line.
Hope this helps.

Re: bbc oil level help
 

Jim is a BBC expert, I am just learning, but everything Jim said has proven correct in my experiances. 7 quarts is fine if you are just in bracket mode, does the 7 include the filter ? I don't think you need the hv pump, and the rpm doesn't play much of a roll here. keep plenty in it until you are qualifying or setting the record or running for class. What class are you in ?

Re: bbc oil level help
 

Thank you for the advice Jim and Dave. This is just a bracket car, but I was down on power so I'm looking for reasons and thought I might be running too much oil.
The car doesn't wheel stand.

The 7 qts includes the filter, which used to be an Oberg.

I've thought about getting rid of the HV, but the pump I have has billet gears (old) and the new PM gear pumps scare me a little.

I've got oil restrictors in the push rods to help keep too much oil from the top side.

Thanks again for your help and ideas.