The gerotor design is favored for all-out racing engines. These pumps take less power to drive for a given capacity and provide both superior suction and delivery. High-end aftermarket gerotor pumps are available from specialty manufacturers for popular applications.
Bigger is not necessarily better when choosing an oil pump for a given application. Excess capacity will simply be bypassed and recirculated, robbing power and unnecessarily adding heat to the oil. It is best to realistically assess the anticipated oil requirements of the combo and use enough pump to do the job without overkill. The major pump suppliers are more than happy to make pump recommendations based on the intended use and rpm range of the engine.
Installation: It typically bolts on in place of the stock pump. Specialty pumps may require a matched oil-pick-up tube.
Price: Stock replacement pumps run between $16 and $50, with high volume pumps only a few dollars more. Race pumps run the gambit from about $50 for a production-style piece, to several hundred for a billet gerotor unit.
What it is: Oil pan pickupWhat it does: Connects the oil pump to the oil supply and screens large debris
What it's for: Every engine needs a pickup. Most aftermarket pans have one or more pickups that must be used with a specific pan configuration.
Installation: Some, like on the Chevy small-block, which is a press-fit, should be tack-welded; others bolt on in a more secure manner. Make sure the pickup inlet is located the recommended distance from the sump floor (typically about 31/48 inch). Maintain an airtight seal between the pickup and pump. A pickup air leak above the oil level can be the kiss of death in a racing application.
Comments: A pump's efficiency is much greater on the pressure side than on the suction side. No matter how good the oil pump may be, if it is not getting an adequate supply of oil on the suction side, the system performance will be compromised. Insufficient or restricted suction can cause cavitation in the pump and will greatly reduce its oil delivery capacity. Select the appropriate suction system for the application. Most of the factory systems are adequate for street or mild race use. For more serious racing or high-rpm applications, some engines such as big-block Mopars are routinely fitted with larger-diameter pickups. Likewise, small-block Chevy pumps are available from Milodon or Moroso with 31/44-inch pickups for applications that require them. High-rpm race engines with external pumps, such as big-block Mopars or AMC V-8s, are frequently fitted with external pump-feed systems like the Milodon Mopar system (shown) with minimum pump inlet restriction.
Price: Replacement pickups go from $7 to $20, while pickups for aftermarket pans typically sell for $30 to $50. Complete dual-line-feed external pickup systems with pumps run about $500.
What it is: Windage trayWhat it does: Keeps the spinning crank separated from the pool of oil at the bottom of the sump. In a wet-sump system, oil can quickly wrap around the crank, costing big power through windage losses as engine rpm rises. With a stock-type or street sump, the oil is in close proximity to the crankshaft and oil splash is inevitable. A tray will reduce the amount of oil getting to the crank and help limit the amount of oil that gets caught in the rotating assembly where it can cause power-robbing parasitic drag. The windage tray directs oil away from the crankshaft, while minimizing the oil reaching the rotating assembly from below. There are several styles of trays available. The most common is a sheetmetal baffle with louvers positioned to enhance drain-back. Some are also built of perforated mesh or screen. Both styles, from Milodon, for a small-block Chevy are shown on the previous page.