quote:

Originally posted by ts393c:
I ran the Melling like that. I kept breaking pick up tubes off. I found the billet pump on amazon last year for $199 so I bought 2 of them. Haven't had a problem out of them yet. Knock on wood!!

The flanged 2-bolt pickup?

I have about 4 other options before I seal this up....

I've had no issues with any of the pump housings yet, but all of my stuff is pre 2000 manufactured.
The oil pump housings I have personally seen broken were chinese stroker, internal balanced engines. I think there are some balance shops that aren't getting it right, or some combinations.

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:
There’s decades of history of the pickups breaking off, in addition to more recent reports of the casting failing too. That in itself should be enough to convince any serious bracket racer to use a billet pump in their engines.

Yeah, well, it's not how much you spend it's how you spend.

Billet pump is a band aid for a bigger problem.

If I have to take bracket racing seriously, I'll quit.

Of course if you've spent way above your head.....

AS 1320 race says, pumps can and have broken off. A 5.50 door car and above usually no problem. I wont say never, but not as likley. A Dragster running 5.0 and below has a big possibility of breaking off the oil pump. And for sure at 4.60 and faster. If in question use a bullet pump cause if the pump breaks off and you dont catch it it will take bearings, and roller lifters with it. If really in doubt use a dry sump.

A dragster of any speed should have a billet pump if you care about the engine. It's cheap insurance. The shake at the end of the burnout when the tires hook up leads to the pickup breaking off or the pump breaking. This is worse if you have Hoosiers or Goodyears on it. Better with MT.

A cast Melling pump broke on me at about 700' a few years back. Of course I couldn't get lucky enough to have it break off at the end of the burnout, but luckily I caught it before it spun any bearings. Now all three of our engines have Moroso billet pumps.

quote:

Originally posted by Goob:

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:
There’s decades of history of the pickups breaking off, in addition to more recent reports of the casting failing too. That in itself should be enough to convince any serious bracket racer to use a billet pump in their engines.

Billet pump is a band aid for a bigger problem.

:

Have to say NOPE, your wrong. I haven't used a cast pump for many many years after seeing a friend break his. The slower the car, the less important it becomes, a 10 second door car that 60's 1.30's vs a dragster going 1 flat makes a huge difference with oil smashing into the pump! Any kind of tire shake is also deadly to many things including a cast oil pump.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Valid point on the fast cars, gentlemen.

I was on the fence about a billet pump, but I also couldn't get the oil pan I really want right now, maybe next time.

It'll be fine.

For anyone following along, a 10553 is considerably shorter housing, less predisposed
for snapping in half.

This is the Prototype standard volume high pressure Melling billet equivalent pump, to the 10553. I picked it up from Melling at PRI in Orlando, 2008 or 09.

I talked to engineers at Melling, per their instructions a few times after running it.

Same oil pump I run today. It's not a sharks tooth pump, Shark tooth came later.

10055 is the old part#

10055st for shark tooth new part#

Standard volume high pressure

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike Rietow,

quote:

Originally posted by Goob:

quote:

Originally posted by ts393c:
I ran the Melling like that. I kept breaking pick up tubes off. I found the billet pump on amazon last year for $199 so I bought 2 of them. Haven't had a problem out of them yet. Knock on wood!!

The flanged 2-bolt pickup?

I have about 4 other options before I seal this up....

I've had no issues with any of the pump housings yet, but all of my stuff is pre 2000 manufactured.
The oil pump housings I have personally seen broken were chinese stroker, internal balanced engines. I think there are some balance shops that aren't getting it right, or some combinations.

Yes the 2 bolt and it was welded on too. Broke them on my dragster and door car. Billet cost more but the added safety of not loosing oil pressure and destroying a motor is worth it to me.

My 522 was originally built with a melling HV pump at my request being I had used them for 15 years in my 468 without issue but Tracy Dennis advised against it. Sometime into season 2 on this engine and the pickup box broke off the pickup tube. Swapped to the Moroso billet pump and never looked backed.

That Hoosier Tire shake breaks all kinds of stuff. Maybe you should get the right tire.

clueless comments from a nobody with a POS who ain’t got shyt worth taking about nor done shyt worth talking about!

Hoosier slicks are on more drag cars than all the other manufacturers combined and have won more bracket races, more divisional and world championships than all others.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 1320racer,

I don’t understand why anyone with a race engine, high power or not would use anything other than a billet pump.

quote:

Originally posted by TonyB6255:
I don’t understand why anyone with a race engine, high power or not would use anything other than a billet pump.

Nobody has seen a 10553 broken in half. There's a place for cast pumps, the risks are higher but there's a place.

If you frequently monitor your gauge, it'll never get you. It may cost you a weekend of racing or a race, but not a catastrophe.

I've caught two of em, before catastrophe struck. You lose oil pressure you shut it down, you don't run again when someone tells you, your gauge is probably wrong..

Anyone who drag raced back in the day when dry hops were the way, the light, the hope... like I did, is probably pretty decent at detecting no oil pressure.