Electric oil pump
 

There is some talk about using electric water pumps to reduce the direct load on the engine, and to be able to keep things "watered" when EO(ff)C or after turning the engine off. Similarly, electric P/S motors, A/C compressors and vacuum pumps (for diesels) would also seem to help FE. What about oil pumps? What kind of load do they put on the engine? And would it be good to keep the oil flowing after the engine is killed? Two instances are for turbines and automatic transmissions.

It would be nice to run an electric oil pump prior to starting to ensure everything is well oiled. You'd eliminate start up engine wear. I don't see any benefits to running it after the engine is off unless you have a turbocharger. Ideally you'd also be able to monitor oil pressure and vary it based on engine load to save a bit of power.

The sump uses an electrical to pump out the oil pan(scavenge), but I am sure that they are using a mechanical pump to lubricate the engine.

I would not want to gamble my car/truck's engine on an electric oil pump. IF it goes out you are screwed.

I find that an odd statement Isaac. The pump is a pump, the reliability is in the design. If you used the same pump, but put it on an electric motor you'd probably have a more reliable oil pump than you do car engine since electric motors are simpler and less maintenance.

mechanical devices such as gears or chain drive off of the crankshaft are far more reliable than an electrical motor. The result of the engine failing is that all accessories don't run. The result of an electric oil pump failing is your engine will run (up until the computer notices and shuts it down) and possibly cause damage. If you don't think that electrics fail more, how many fuel pumps do you put in a car for the life of the engine and its oil pump?

Lets kill this electric pump deal:
Replacement engines available from SPO do not contain engine oil. The engine replacement procedure for the LS7 engine used in the Z06 Corvette requires proper addition of oil for engine lubrication before starting the engine.

Due to the dry sump oiling system on this vehicle, engine oil for engine lubrication is drawn by the engine oil pump from the dry sump tank, a separate tank located under the right front fender (fig. 8).

jul_06_techlink_fig8.jpg

A Dry sump oil tank

B Hoses

C Oil pan

D Primary and secondary oil pumps

E Dip stick

TIP: Refer to the August 2005 issue of TechLink for complete details on the operation of the dry sump oiling system.

IMPORTANT: The correct quantity of oil must be available in the dry sump tank before rotation of the crankshaft by engaging the starter motor.

If oil is mistakenly added to the engine rather than the dry sump tank, that oil has to be transferred from the engine oil pan by the secondary oil pump to the dry sump tank before becoming available to the suction side of the primary engine oil pump. For this reason engine oil should not be added to the engine, but should be added only to the dry sump tank.

Add 8 quarts (7.6L) of oil to the dry sump tank BEFORE rotating the crankshaft with the starter motor. After operating the engine to a temperature of 175°F (80°C), shut off the engine and allow the oil to settle for at least 5 minutes. Then check that the oil level is within the crosshatched area on the dry sump dip stick.

TIP: If more than 8 quarts of oil is added to the dry sump tank initially, oil will be forced out of the tank and into the engine ventilation hoses, resulting in oil being injested into the inlet duct during initial start up and idle.

TIP: An auxiliary drain plug located on the left side of the oil pan near the oil filter permits draining residual oil from the system during an oil change. This amounts to approximately 1 quart (0.96L).

GM Techlink: July 2006 Archives