Over oiling cylinder head?

[tortuga]

When we installed my ford racing 427/535 I mistakenly ordered the rear sump model, instead of repacking, shipping bac and waiting for the correct motor, we swapped my canton pan and melting hv oil pump onto the new motor.

I’ve been battling higher Han normal oil consumption. I’ve noticed that every time I remove the valve covers, everything seems just drenched in oil. I’m kind of wondering if the heads are being over oiled, bathing the valve guides and seals in standing oil?

Wondering if the oil pump that came with the engine might have pumped a bit less oil?

Thinking of cutting the top off an old valve cover and watching it run?

Steve H

[Gaz64]

What is the oil consumption, miles per pint?

Gary

[RET_COP]

There could be many reasons for oil consumption, your thinking is correct you usually don't need a high volume pump.
Check plugs, scope out the backs of the intake valves, proper baffles in the valve cover, were the oil drain holes in the head chamfered, pcv, leak down...

[Dwight]

It took my engine builder a couple of years (motors) to convince me to use a standard volume Melling oil pump.
To my surprise my oil pressure was the same when I switched from HV to Standard volume on one of my motors.

My first motor was hi volume / high pressure.
That was a disaster.
Two and half quarts of oil through my hair in the top of third gear. I blew out to O ring on the remote oil filter.

I use standard oil pumps for my street cars.

Hi volume on an FE with the correct oil mods in ok.

[olddog]

Steve,

There are thousands of engine running High Volume oil pumps and have no problems with burning oil. There was a time when most hot rod enthusiasts were recommending high volume high pressure oil pumps. Back in those days a lot of discussion was around opening up and smoothing out the drain ports. People would grind smooth the lifter gallery and paint it. Partly for better draining and partly to make sure no grit came loose. Today with all the good aluminum heads, I don't hear much talk about these things.

Most builders, to this day, will restrict oil to the top end of the engine if they run solid lifters, but not if the engine has hydraulic lifters. This is done to put more oil to the bottom end. Since I have never heard that they do anything different to the bottom end if they run hydraulic lifters, then I must conclude that restricting the oil to the top end is theoretically correct, but not necessary. I suppose you could argue that solids allows higher rpm and the restriction help at these higher rpm. Maybe I have digressed again, but my point is, this is not done to reduce oil consumption through valve steam seals. I have never heard one peep about this.

That all said everything under your valve covers should be drenched in oil. If there is too little oil flowing up there, the heat of the heads would bake the oil. I would estimate that there is 15-20 gpm or more flowing up top at maximum rpm with a standard oil pump. Factory engines do not suck oil down like a pig, when you have it wound up passing someone. Your HV pump is not putting anywhere near that much oil up top at normal cruise rpm. I do not think the pump is the problem.

If there is a drain back problem and there is oil standing in the head deep enough to cover the valve stem seals, that would cause a problem. I doub't that is the case.