How big is yours?

[Storer]

For those with LS7 engines, what size is your engine oil tank?

Paul

[ROWDYRENAULT]

14 QUARTS in a ARE system with a custom built sump tank. The tank is square and fits into the right forward corner of the engine bay very neatly. I changed the oil last week that's why there was a small uptick in world oil prices.If I did the tank over I would make it just it bit smaller in width. Leave the height alone and see if I could get down to 10-12 qts. The tank that we built has an oberg srceen filter on top so the filter becomes the first stage of air seperation this also reduces the number of oil lines by 2. lee

[02PRUV]

Ultima supply one to fit. Can't remember the size.

[Storer]

What do you chaps do to check oil level?

I was thinking about a sight guage on the side of the tank like the one on the right but maybe with a temp guage as well.

[spatz]

I have about 7-8 liters in my system, I have an external oil pump, and there is not much room for too much or too low.
If too low I have immediately less pressure, and if too much I have a lot of oil coming out of the vent of the tank filling up the catch tank
quickly. It seems that the factory size tank is way enough.
I know the nascar guys go for much larger tanks, but they are going full throttle for must of the time, so different story.

[V8 Vum]

Storer said:

What do you chaps do to check oil level?

I was thinking about a sight guage on the side of the tank like the one on the right but maybe with a temp guage as well.

Ooooowwww! Where from please? gimme - gimmee!

Keith

[Storer]

Spatz

Is yours a factory tank?

Keith

That is just a picture I grabbed off Google. If you want something like it type in "hydraulic tank sight gauge" and a number of them will come up. The tank will need threads welding into it to accept the fittings.

Paul

[ezakimak]

Storer said:

What do you chaps do to check oil level?

A broom stick down through the top opening. Why you would want to add another junction or posible point of failure on an oil system is beyond me.

there is a good reason why GM retained the inblock oil pump for the high presure side of the dry sump oil system, something to do with the warrante that they offer on the vet.


I have seen sight tubes like that on oil catch tanks though

[ROWDYRENAULT]

I have a sight gauge out of a aerospace application on my sump tank that is exactly like what you have shown. I have flown helicopters for 40 years proffesionaly and every one of them uses this type of sight gauge for every engine and gearbox that I have seen. Nice thing about these types of sight gauges is you don't have to do anything except look at them to see the level. The LS1 in my GTR uses such little oil that it would be easy to forget to get out the "Broomstick" and if something had gone south like a valve seal perhaps I might get it low before I saw it. At the cost of a pro built mega motor I will take the chance of a small leak. Lee

[Storer]

I agree Lee. My experience is somewhat less "high tech" than helicopters but I have never known a gauge to leak.

Short of a sensor in the tank with a warning on the dash then I think this is the next best solution.

Paul

[ROWDYRENAULT]

The point about GM keeping an in block pump on thier dry sump is well made. With the normal belt driven pressure pump on most dry sumps loose the belt and in very short order its going to get really exspensive. Loose the belt on the LS7 and shortly you'll have oil everywhere and one hell of a mess but for awile you'll still have oil pressure. An oil flow switch or maybe a pressure switch on the return side might be a good idea. I would hook it up to a yellow light on its own, not the red oil pressure switch. In some situations you might decide to drive another 30 seconds to get to a safe place. Lee