Just purchased a 72 200hp cpe w/ auto and a/c. Has 36,000 miles with all books and lots of receipts. The car has many oil leaks. Was told that since we will have the pan off we should install a high volume oil pump. When the car is at idle the oil psi drops way off. I was told this is a problem with many of this vintage and the new pump would be the common cure for this car. Am I being lead the correct direction. Thank You ahead for all your help. Sincerely Curt.
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Re: 72 cpe, high volume oil pump?
Curt -
Absolutely no need whatsoever for a "high-volume" oil pump, although the hot-rodders think their engines will seize without them. A new stock Chevy oil pump will work just fine. Assuming the oil pump isn't worn, oil pressure is a function of bearing clearances, not pump output. -
Re: 72 cpe, high volume oil pump?
The high volume pump could such your oil pan dry. You only have a 4 quart pan. The hot rod guys install bigger pans.Comment
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Re: 72 cpe, high volume oil pump?
A high volume oil pump is only needed if you have a loose clearanced racing engine that needs 80 psi at 8000+ revs. All a high volume oil pump on a street engine will do (even on those with OE 60 psi springs) is eat power and churn up/heat up the oil, because the extra volume is dumped back into the inlet once the relief spring opens.
Even the pumps from the sixties vintage mechanical lifter engines with 55-60 psi relief springs were the basic OE production standard volume pump with just a higher pressure relief spring. They were not "high volume".
A new "system engineered by Duke" '65 L-76 is on the road just about completed with breakin. It has an OE replacement standard volume/55-60 psi pump and the owner reports that is holds 60 psi to 7200, which is were he thinks the power might start to rolloff a little, but that's another story.
Just use a standard volume, standard 40-45 psi pump on your '72. I don't think you'll be revving it to 7200.
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