Quote Originally Posted by KeithBoden View Post
Can you comment on the extent of the oiling issues that has you researching a dry sump setup? Is there a possibility that baffling, running a bit more oil in the pan, restrictors and a lower volume pump (not sure if those are possible on LS motors, that is coming more from BB chevy thoughts), a big accumulator, or a combination of those might help solve the issues? I guess I'd try a lot of things before a dry sump setup, just because they involve a lot of parts and a few of them (like most race parts) require maintenance and rebuilding periodically. I'm sure they are necessary in many applications, just curious if the weight, extra volume of pressurized oil around the engine compartment, and fab time could be avoided.
HI Keith,

I also wanted to avoid the dry sump for many of the reasons you mention. Cost, complexity etc.

To keep the LS3 alive on the track I am running the MAST motorsports extra deep and baffled pan. This solves some of the oil starvation issues common in an LS3. MAST claim its good for road race applications. Adding an oil accumulator will also solve for some of the issues with oil slosh in the pan. This is probably a good solution for track days, but not the best solution for racing. I can see the oil pressure dip under G load with my current level of grip. I have decided against the accumulator (even though i alrady have it and all the hardware) as its only going to mask the issue for a short period of time as I step up my game.

Now that I need to complete with other cars I am both driving harder and pushing the car harder. This weekend I will go to limerock and Ill scuff a set of racing slicks and further setup and refine the car. The GTM can hang with many cars on slicks while running DOT R compound treaded tires. Adding Slicks takes you into a whole other area of G loads.

The reason I will swap over to the dry sump is three fold. One without the deep oil pan I can lower the motor and the CG of the car. Two with vacuum in the crank case oil is pulled through the motor instead of flowing via gravity keeping oil in the right places under sustained G load. Three the Vacuum in the motor will lower crank case pressure at high RPM that bored out LS3s are famous for. Sure you also get less drag on the crank from friction spinning through the oil so thats nice.

I look at the dry sump as insurance that no matter how high G load I get I will always have oil pressure. Its possible to get many of these benefits with cheaper / less complex solutions but none that I have found have the full package you get with a dry sump.

As crash says, Its much cheaper getting a dry sump then the motor work required to fix an oil starved engine.

John