INTERNAL ENGINE MODIFICATIONS Valvetrain |Heads | Strokers | Design | Assembly

Drilling holes in side of lifter trays for better oil control?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-04-2012, 06:56 AM
  #1  
TECH Enthusiast
Thread Starter
 
WhiteChevy3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Drilling holes in side of lifter trays for better oil control?

I stumbled across this in the book, "how to build an ls engine."
I guess it would allow oil to drain back faster?
What do u guys think??
Old 04-04-2012, 07:03 AM
  #2  
TECH Resident
iTrader: (8)
 
JFOLM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 847
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

It has been talked about on here. Some seem to like the others and others don't. I do not have any experience with it. You would think GM would revise it if they saw it as a problem.
Old 04-04-2012, 08:46 AM
  #3  
TECH Resident
iTrader: (3)
 
swift700's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 938
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

The oil flows over the top of the trays and down eventually so it's not a big deal. I did not do the drill mod when I built my engine, and am glad I didn't. I don't think having the lifters partially immersed is a bad thing.
Old 04-04-2012, 10:07 AM
  #4  
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
Team Paulie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Montana
Posts: 631
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I heard the same thing,only takes a few mins to drill eight holes,but from I remember, anybody remember wheel to wheel in michigan? I heard they only did it in over 700hp or high RPM builds,didnt want the oil to sit around a foam up, I also heard in all the dry sump builds people do it too.
Old 04-04-2012, 10:53 AM
  #5  
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (28)
 
ZR1 DREAMING's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Ham Lake, MN
Posts: 8,277
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

Just be sure to put the hole side in the right spot or you won't get the benefit. There are numerous race shops that do this on every LS build.
Old 04-04-2012, 11:06 AM
  #6  
13 Second Truck Club
iTrader: (13)
 
A Low Dime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Arlington (DFW), Texas
Posts: 2,663
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by JFOLM
It has been talked about on here. Some seem to like the others and others don't. I do not have any experience with it. You would think GM would revise it if they saw it as a problem.
I wouldnt use that as a pro/con of drilling the holes. There are many many thing that GM should have revised to fix issues but haven't or never did.

Plus, it may benefit in performance applications for oil flow, not for. 100k+ mile vehicle.
Old 04-04-2012, 07:00 PM
  #7  
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
 
1Bear's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Jones Creek, Texas
Posts: 1,410
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
Default

Of course if I were going in far enough to remove the lifter trays I would replace them with new ones if they had any age to speak of just to aid in them not loosing their grip on the lifters for if and when you might do another cam swap later on, but especially if I was planning on drilling the drain-back holes, as the new plastic is less likely to crack than older plastic that may have become brittle from age and engine heat.
Old 04-04-2012, 10:47 PM
  #8  
TECH Enthusiast
Thread Starter
 
WhiteChevy3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Mixed reviews as I suspected...

@ 1bear, u can always use the dowel rod trick to make Sure the lifters stay up, that's what I recommend even if they are new trays, don't trust plastic to hold them....
Old 04-05-2012, 07:36 AM
  #9  
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (28)
 
ZR1 DREAMING's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Ham Lake, MN
Posts: 8,277
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default

Originally Posted by 1Bear
but especially if I was planning on drilling the drain-back holes, as the new plastic is less likely to crack than older plastic that may have become brittle from age and engine heat.
I have not noticed a difference in the plastic composite trays on a 0 mile motors and a 180k+ motor as far as the plastic composite cracking.

Originally Posted by WhiteChevy3
@ 1bear, u can always use the dowel rod trick to make Sure the lifters stay up, that's what I recommend even if they are new trays, don't trust plastic to hold them....
Yeah it's a always a gamble spinning the bump stick and hoping the lifters hold.
Old 04-06-2012, 06:43 PM
  #10  
On The Tree
iTrader: (6)
 
Pontiac Derek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

I did this mod on my solid roller 383 lst and i guess the real benefit is keeping oil in the pan via quicker drain back and because the oil can stay in those trays at high rpm, It may help if you have a big hi volume oil pump on a ls engine that lives at 6500+rpm a lot but by then you should get tie bar lifters!
So although I think it doesn't necessarily "hurt" anything I believe the benefits for 98%yoau of ls engines out there are so minuscule you wouldn't waste the time weakening your plastic lifter trays JMHAO!


Quick Reply: Drilling holes in side of lifter trays for better oil control?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:08 AM.