LSx Oil Pump Porting V1.2

Porting an LSx Oil Pump Tools Required: 10mm socket or wrench M6 x 1.0 bottoming tap (optional) Porting burr Sanding roll Hand die grinder 8mm hex‐head wrench 4mm hex‐head wrench (optional, socket preferred) 0 – 6” Dial caliper Parts Required: LSx oil pump 7 Each M6 x 1.0 x 20mm button head cap screws (optional) MIKRONITE™ process gears and plate (optional) Loctite™ 242 ‐ Medium Strength (Blue) Thread locker Relief valve shims (optional) Torque Specifications and Clearances: Oil Pump Cover Bolts – 106 lb/in Oil Pump Relief Valve Plug – 106 lb/in Oil Pump Screen‐to‐Oil Pump Bolt – 106 lb/in Oil Pump‐to‐Engine Block Bolts – 18 lb/ft Oil Pump Drive‐to‐Oil Pump Body – .004 (.002 Radially) Objective: Disassemble, port, shim, and clean an LSx oil pump for improved oil flow and system oil pressure. Porting the pump increases its efficiency, volume, and pressure while reducing the horsepower loss for a given flow rate. Relief Valve Shim: In a study1 of the Chevrolet LS6 oil pump (GM™ part number 12656665); the following equation calculates the shim size needed to achieve a desired oil system pressure. General shim size recommendations are .060 to .125 inches. Equation: xshim = 0.00612(y) – 0.362 In this equation, (y) is the desired oil system bypass pressure. Substitute this value with the desired oil system bypass pressure to calculate the desired shim size. Here are some common shim sizes and corresponding oil system bypass pressure: Version 1.2, 12/27/2007 Page 1 .121 = 79 psi .100 = 75.5 psi .095 = 74.6 psi (approximately 41 psi hot idle) .080 = 72.3 psi The stock oil pump is not shimmed and has a system bypass pressure of approximately 65 psi. Oil system flow and pressure is a highly debated subject, with 10 psi per 1000 rpm the rule of thumb used to determine oil system pressure. Excessive oil pressure is not beneficial to engine performance as it increases the parasitic losses within the engine and could cause over oiling of the top end resulting in excessive oil introduction into the intake tract. Shim or not, use sound judgment to determine shim size based on the intended application. DO NOT over shim! #8 machine washers work well as shims. They are approximately .047” think and fit perfectly in the bypass relief cap. Common shim stock sourced from machine shop supply companies in various thicknesses and dimensions works well for this purpose. Use a dial caliper to measure shim material thickness prior to assembly.
Mikronite Material Processing: MIKRONITE2 is a dry mechanical process with such accuracy and power that its benefits can be measured at the microstructure level. Through the precise control of extreme compressive forces and high frequency oscillation, parts can be improved in more profound ways than post production finishing has ever offered. Now a new tool for the engineer allows access to the ideal states of material science and the ability to reduce failure potential in otherwise process or substrate damaged parts. As vibratory tumbling became a standard preparation for plating, MIKRONITE will be the standard for product strength, tolerance, material specification compliance, and chemical preparation for modern coating and vapor deposition technologies. It has the following benefits that directly affect and improve the performance of an LSx oil pump: A. Strengthen MIKRONITE material treatment imparts a high‐energy flow of abrasive and carrier media in a fluidized bath that cascades against the surface of a work piece while supporting its structure. This technology refines the surface of the part and as desired can create compressive forces, increasing the metals ability to resist deformation under load. On ceramics and glass, failure and fractures are understood to propagate from the surface through the body of the part. The use of MIKRONITE material treatment to virtually eliminate cracks and inclusions results in a structurally sound and significantly more durable product. On metals, the addition of cold plastic deformation of near surface layers, reduce slip plane movement by shifting the fault lines from linear to interwoven while increasing hardness of exposed surface features. Version 1.2, 12/27/2007 Page 2 B. Lubricity The newly created surface now has an evenly calculated pattern of channels that promotes capillary distribution, and temporary adhesion of a lubricant, and has a reduced coefficient of friction (COF). If lubrication from an outside liquid is possible then a barrier film may be desirable. The MIKRONITE process has the ability to create a smooth surface on materials as needed, which help promote hydrodynamic effects. In applications such as dry machining of materials, a smoother surface with less deformation to get caught on mating pieces or peaks (decreased Rmax) that otherwise heat and topically distort, usually is the only method of reducing COF and increasing service life. C. Polishing The MIKRONITE process produces an incredible improvement in the appearance of products. With mirror finishes achieved on many products, MIKRONITE® machinery is both an asset as a diagnostic inspection tool, highlighting the deficiencies of high precision products, and a distinctive stand‐alone attention grabber, with the quality of the part represented in its jewelry like luster. MIKRONITE is now the parent company of Crane Cams, Inc. Pricing, turnaround time, and further information concerning this process is available at http://www.cranecams.com. Porting: Study3 the natural flow of the intake port, where the screen bolts to the pump, grind away obstructions and flashing to streamline the flow from the pump inlet to the channel leading to the interior of the geroter. On the outlet side, the stock pump has a hole drilled through the body that intersects with the outlet hole leading into the engine block. Enlarge and smooth this area into a cone shape inside the pump body leading to the geroter outlet channel of the pump body. Blend and smooth inside the passage that connects the outlet port of the pump body to the block. In this area, the bypass passage and outlet passage intersect with many sharp corners; carefully enlarge and smooth this area. Do NOT grind any of the machined areas inside the pump body. See diagram 1, the areas in red are DO NOT GRIND zones. Version 1.2, 12/27/2007 Page 3 Diagram 1
Pictoria
al: 1. New stock pu
N
ump ready fo
or disassemb
bly and optim
mization, see figure 1 Version 1.2, 12/27
7/2007 Pa
a ge 4 Fiigure 1
2. U
Using a 10mm
m socket or w
wrench, rem
move 7 pump
p plate boltss. Set pump plate aside tto exxpose pump
p gears. See figure 2 Fiigure 2
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age 5 3. Carefully remove pump gears from the pump body. Notice that the large outer gear has a small dimple facing the pump plate. This dimple must face up during reassembly. If using a previously ran pump, mark the inner gear on the gear face. This mark is used during the assembly process. See figures 3 and 4 Figure 3
Figure 4
Version 1.2, 12/27/2007 Page 6 4. Disassemble D
relief valve aand set asidee, see figuree 5 Fiigure 5
5. In
nspect pump
p gears, pum
mp plate, pum
mp body, an
nd relief valvve for damagge. Look for ssmall nicks and den
nts along thee edges of th
he gears. Theese are common and produce high sspots on the gears that can sligghtly inhibit p
pump smoothness. Use a fine file orr stone to sm
mooth any n
nicks, burrs, or rough spo
ots. This is aalso a good time to smoo
oth any exteerior body casting flash. 6. Optionally, M
O
MIKRONITE p
processing th
he pump geaars and pump plate signiificantly reduces frriction and slightly lowerrs oil temperatures. Seee figures 6 ‐ 1
10 Fiigure 6: Stock Pump
P
Gears
Version 1.2, 12/27
7/2007 Figgure 7: MIKRO
ONITE Pump Gears
G
Pa
age 7 Fiigure 8: Stock Pump
P
Plate
Figgure 9: MIKRO
ONITE Pump Plate
P
Fiigure 10: MIKR
RONITE Pump
p Gears in Unpoorted Body
7. Sttarting at the pump bod
dy inlet, the pickup tube mounting lo
ocation, use a die grindeer w
with carbide burr to slow
wly port the p
pump body iinlet. Then u
use a sanding roll to furtther sm
mooth the p
ported area. See figure 1
11 for compaarison of porrted v. unpo
orted inlet po
orts Version 1.2, 12/27
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age 8 Fiigure 11: Inlet port
p
comparison
8. Port the outle
et side of thee pump bod
dy; this is where most po
orting time iss spent. Thiss port has plenty of material to remove, but watch out for the flat‐machined su
urfaces that the pump gears rride on. Finissh this step b
by final polisshing with a cartridge ro
oll. See figurees 12 ‐ 14 Version 1.2, 12/27
7/2007 Pa
age 9 Figure 12: Stock Outlet Port
Figure 13: Ported Outlet Port
Version 1.2, 12/27/2007 Page 10 Figure 14: Ported v. Unported Outlet Ports
9. Using the M6 x 1.0 bottoming tap, clean up the threads in the pump body. This is a highly recommended step because of the process used to cut the threads during the manufacturing process. Examining the stock pump plate bolts, they have a triangular tip used to thread into the pump body to create the threads. Many of the pumps have almost stripped holes and plenty of aluminum debris left from the poor manufacturing process. The aluminum debris in figure 15 is from performing this operation on a pump body. See figure 15 Figure 15
Version 1.2, 12/27/2007 Page 11 10. Clean the pum
mp and all components to thorough
hly remove aall debris gen
nerated duriing th
he porting process. 11. In
nstall relief vvalve shims in the bottom
m of relief valve plug. Lu
ubricate the relief valve and sp
pring, then insert into th
he pump bod
dy. Use caree to not lubriicate the thrreads on relief vaalve plug or the Loctite w
will not adheere correctlyy. Use Loctitte 242 Blue o
on the relieff vaalve plug thrreads and to
orque to 106
6 in/lb. See figures 16 an
nd 17 Fiigure 16
Version 1.2, 12/27
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ge 12 Fiigure 17
12. Lu
ubricate and
d insert gearrs into pump
p body. Ensure dimple on
n large outer pump gearr is faacing the pump plate surface of the pump bodyy. If this a useed pump, en
nsure the inn
ner geear is placed
d with the m
mark from steep 3 facing the same direction as thee dimple. Seee figure 18 Fiigure 18: Dimple
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ge 13 13. Using the new M6 x 1.0 x 20mm pump plate bolts, loose assemble the pump plate on the pump body. See figures 19 ‐ 21 Figure 19
Figure 20: New Pump Plate Bolt
M6 x 1.0 x 20mm
Version 1.2, 12/27/2007 Page 14 Figure 21: Assembled
A
Porrted Oil Pump
Referencces: (1) – http://www
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w.ls1tech.co
om/forums/sshowthread..php?t=4696
675 (2) – http://www
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w.mikronite..com/flashRoot.asp (3) – http://www
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w.ls1tech.co
om/forums/sshowpost.ph
hp?p=4311887&postcou
unt=5 Version 1.2, 12/27
7/2007 Pag
ge 15