During purchasing an oil pump, you can get a few options. You need to pick the right pump depending on your engine and process. The rule of thumb is ten psi of oil pressure per 1000 rpm at the average operating temperature. For instance, if you love cruising the highway at 2,500 rpm, you must have 25 psi. At idle, the same engine may have ten psi or less.
High-volume pumps require only an oil cooler to keep the oil system running efficiently. Some engine builders like to use high-volume oil pumps on engines with wide-bearing clearances and high mileage. But running a street engine standard volume pump will be the best option.
An average daily driver won’t benefit from a high-volume pump. However, what is best if you want to know the high-volume oil pump vs. the standard? Let’s discuss the details below.
Standard Oil Pump
A standard oil pump can meet or exceed the OEM specifications. For most engines, standard oil pumps are fine. Also, this can offer enough pressure and flow for medium-performance engines from stock.
High-Volume Oil Pump
A high-volume pump can push extra oil through the system. It contains large gears to move extra oil per revolution. Basically, these pumps are suitable for performance engines with large bearings clearance. The added oil helps to maintain oil pressure and conduct heat. To lubricate add-on engine parts, you need a high-volume pump.
Racing engines generally have more clearance than street engines because they run much hotter. Increasing the oil capacity by adding an oil cooler and an HV pump may be a good idea.
Difference Between High Volume Pump Vs. Standard:
Accordingly, an std volume pump is more than acceptable for all street engines. A high-volume pump must produce more pressure than a standard pump because it’s pumping additional oil into the same space. So the pressure must increase compared to the stock pump.
High-volume oil pumps can move large volumes of oil at low pressure. They have a large impeller driven by a motor, which creates a flow of pumped oil through the system. Moreover, HV oil pumps are commonly used in gas and oil extraction and production.
In contrast, a standard volume oil pump will be OK on a rebuilt stock or lightly hopped-up engine with stock clearance. An HV pump will provide no added advantage and may hurt performance.
Engine pressure, engine oil system restrictions, and oil viscosity set oil flow. Both HV and standard pumps have the similar pressure relief spring. They will pump the same amount of oil at higher RPMs, where both will pressurize the relief spring setting.
High Volume vs. High-Pressure Oil Pump
The two types of pumps are high-volume and high-pressure oil pumps used in oil and gas applications. Although they share some similarities, they work on different principles and processes.
High-pressure oil pumps are designed to create high pressure in the oil. They consist of a tiny rotor that is driven by a motor. Making a high-pressure difference that is used to pump the oil through the system.
The main difference between these two oil pumps is the flow rate and pressure they produce. Mainly, HV pumps are designed to move large volumes of oil at low pressure. But high-pressure oil pumps are designed to create high pressure in the oil.
That means high-volume oil pumps are better suited for extraction and production applications. On the other hand, high-pressure oil pumps are better suited for distribution and transmission applications.
Pros & Cons Of High Volume Oil Pump:
Here we will discuss the pros and cons of high-volume oil pumps: Have a look:
| Pros Of High Volume Oil Pump | Cons Of High-Volume Oil Pump |
| High flow rate | Very expensive |
| Increased efficiency | Reduced fuel efficiency |
| Increased performance | Reduced oil pressure |
| Improved reliability | Decreased oil capacity |
| Better oil pressure | Limited availability |
| Easy to install | |
| Better oil circulation | |
| Reduced engine noise | |
| Reduced engine stress |
Melling High-Volume Oil Pump Problems
Mailing “high volume” oil pumps are actually “extra-high volume”. Standard pumps should suffice. A high-volume pump will only work to pump oil in the right direction if you take steps to prevent it.
You may ask why a double high-volume oil pump is even sold. The reason is that the 351C lubrication system needs to be revised. If you want to install a “high volume” oil pump in a 351C, you must take steps to control it. There is no guarantee that the extra oil is helping anything.
The engine mightn’t need an HV oil pump if you control where the oil flows. High-volume oil pump problems are like a dog chasing its own tail.
The only reason to go with a high-volume oil pump is if your engine is very worn. This puts unnecessary stress on your cam gear and distributor. Notably, if you can maintain 10 Psi per 1000 rpm, that is enough.
SBC High Volume Oil Pump:
SBC high-volume pumps have larger rotors or gears to increase oil delivery. Even so, it has larger bearing clearances for improved oil pressure. Also, large inlets and outlet ports easily manage increased oil supply. Precision machined cast iron cover plates are.
This pump moves 25% additional oil to ensure proper lubrication of critical engine components. Likewise, it’s ideal for basic rebuilds, high mileage, and racing engines. It uses a ⅝” diameter pick-up tube. Subsequently, this high-volume oil pump fits 1955 to 1999 small-block Chevy V8 engines.
Best Oil Pumps for 5.3LS
Let’s talk about the best oil pumps for 5.3LS:
Melling’s Shark Tooth Pump:
Manufactured by Mailing Performance, Shark Tooth pumps are designed specifically for the small-block Chevy market. It features helical cut gears and low intermediate shaft wear. Helical cut gears help decrease pressure pulsations and ensure fewer cavities, smoother output, and better flow.
Schumann’s New Oil Pumps:
This Schumann Sales & Service oil pump recycles to help prevent oil and energy waste. Similarly, this pump also helps solve oil flow return and aeration problems.
LS High-Volume Oil Pump:
Chevrolet Performance Oil Pumps are manufactured from high-quality materials by a name you can trust. In particular, this model is suitable for wet sump applications that need high-volume capacity.
This original GM oil pump is known as the “high volume” design used in 2007 and later LS4 5.3L W-Body applications. This pump uses a thicker rotor with a barely larger OD than the 12586665 standard volume pump.
Dimensionally, this pump is similar to the 12571885 high-volume oil pump but uses a different by-pass spring (42 psi).
Read More About Best Oil for 5.3 Vortec
Final Word:
Ultimately, a high-volume pump has more giant gears than a standard-volume pump. The gear on the left is Melling’s new shark tooth gear, while the gear on the right is a traditional straight-cut gear. In short, standard pumps are acceptable for you if bearing clearances are loose.
You can consider an HV oil pump with loose clearance and thin oil. But with clearances of .002-.0025 in the rods and .0025 in the mains, an HV pump is not required. However, here is the ultimate information about high-volume oil pumps vs. standard. We hope you can get the best information from this article. Thanks for reading this article attentively.
Read Also: What You Should Know About Low-Pressure Oil Pump 6.0