Lets talk about how automotive or truck engine oil systems work. GotEngines.com will discuss with 2 of the 3 systems today.

1. Wet sump- splash system. Not used in cars for more years than I can remember. They have not used a splash system in lawn mowers fro 15 or 20 years. It served it’s purpose at the time, but is obsolete now.

2. Wet sump – pressurized system. This is the most common type of oil pump system in use now a days. The engine has an oil pan, which is full of oil. There is an oil pump with a pickup tube. The pickup tube is suspended in the oils so it can enter the pump, which pushes the oil through out the engine under about 40 to 60 pounds per square inch. This system holds about 5 quarts of oil.

3. Dry sump- pressurized oil system. Very popular among race cars, except Nascar, since the oils system is supposed to be essentially stock in function. It is very popular with Indy style race cars and several manufacturers, one being Porsche use the dry sump system. It is probably the best setup of all the systems, but realistically speaking it is not necessary to convert most street cars to dry sump. Dry sump systems use an external oil bottle or oil bag, there is no oil in the oil pan.

The oil pump itself is driven by a the engines distributor, or in some cases a belt or gear drive. The most popular method is a shaft from the distributor, that turns the oil pump the instant your car starts so there is no gap in pressure build up.

The oil circulates under pressure and has the duty of keeping the hydraulic lifters pumped up, and spreading the ‘Texas Gold‘ through out your motor so everything gets oiled and stays slippery. Interestingly enough, the oil actually make a micro thin barrier that keeps the crankshaft from physically riding on the crankshaft main bearings. In reality, the crank rides on a micro thin layer of oil, which does not allow the crank and bearings to make contact due to a thin film of oil produced by the pressure from the pump.

You can see how critical it is to have oil pressure the instant an engine starts up. Dirty oil in need of a change or a maintenance can cause viscosity and lubrication problems, not to mention excessive wear. That is why I preach engine maintenance so often. Of course if you fail to maintain your engine or the pump shaft fails, you will need to build a strategy to replace your engine.

If the unfortunate occurance happens, and you lose oil pressure and your engine goes south, the experts at GotEngines.com have an abundance of education and knowledge to help make a strategy on what engine suits you best. I call it ‘Benjamin Franklining’, they will ask questions about your needs and driving habits until they feel comfortable making a recommendation. Whether it is a used-second hand engine, a rebuilt-remanufactured-reconditioned engine or a new JDM engine.

Use our GotEngines.com blog as a guide on the proper ways to maintain your car. Nothing beats making the care of your ride important, avoiding unnecessary emergencies. Of course you can’t avoid all of them, so keep GotEngines.com in mind and write down the phone number 1-888-344-8044 in case you need an experts recommendation on an engine. As a matter of fact, there has never been more quality choices in replacements engines as there is now.