In this episode Kate and Steve discuss Oil Pressure, Air Cleaners, Water Wars, and more. A few topics covered include: optimal oil pressure, proper filters to use, tail pipe size, flex plates, sealed up tires, oil changes, oil pressure, and so much more! Continue reading for all the answers! 

What is the Optimal Oil Pressure on a 602 Crate Engine with 10W-30 Oil?

Generally 602s run a higher oil pressure than 604s do. They cold start at probably 55-60 pounds. Running? Probably around 50 or something (with hot oil).

What WIX Filter to use on a 602 Crate Engine?

The WIX 501061R is our typical filter. Now, if you are a Crate Sportsman, they need a shorter style filter. That would be the WIX 501069.

We are running a northeast dirt 602, 6200 RPM rev limit. Beyea Headers with merge collectors, reversion mufflers, and three inch tail pipes. Is there any advantage going to four inch tail pipes?

Normally, no. How long does it got to be? If is has to be the length of the car, then yes, you would probably be better off going to a larger diameter tube. We've experimented with different muffler sizes and different extension lengths, but we haven't recommended putting any more tailpipe at the end beyond them. Some rules require that. So in other words, your rules dictate what point you must exit.

I'm looking for a good recommendation for a flex plate for the 602 it's on a dirt circle track, hobby stock. It's a 77 Camaro. I'm running a power glide with a TCI converter and a hibachi mini starter. I've used the GM recommended flex plate prior and have it crack on me. So looking for a good SFI rated option from TCI or QuickTime etc. 

Yeah, that's the bad part about flex plates is you know if you're running on like a dirt application that they'll eventually break those damn things. We stock the Allstar Flex Plate, and it's what we recommend. 

What does it mean when driver says his tires sealed up?

So essentially, you know if the tires got heat in it, from racing- obviously. And then you end up with like a long caution, you don't keep the tires warmed up enough. Then essentially, they could seal up. So in other words, you start losing traction, because what happens is the the stuff inside the tires and the chemicals inside the tire (natural chemicals inside the tire), they can no longer exit the pores of the tire. So once that happens, tires sealed up, and basically you got no traction. And if you don't have more surface area, once you lose that surface area, it just becomes, that's what you're trying to do is get as much grip.

That's why you're gonna see guys moving the car around a ton under under caution. Especially on a track where you're building a lot of tire temperature. So guys still are not a lot but a certain amount of tire temperature, you're gonna see guys moving the car around a bunch, trying to get those rear tires spun up, like in the in the dust, on whatever dusty part of the track they can get. You know, polar opposite to that. You know, you're running a day show somewhere. And you're trying to find find somewhere to cool them down. 

I changed my oil in my 602. It's Schaeffer's, 15W40 had three races on the old oil and all winter storage. My concerns are the oil was brown and not what I remember from the past oil changes. Just wondering what you think. 

Brown oil can come from fuel contamination, or sitting through the winter. I mean, it can be fuel contamination, it can be it can be anything like that. Generally brown oil is going to be you know, a certain amount of fuel. But you should be able to smell it if there's enough in there to turn brown. Unless it was brown to start with. I'm not familiar with what the 15W40 is from from Schaeffer's. If it's brown or green. I know, I don't usually open these up. And if they do get accidentally opened up, they're just a mess and they don't really have color, so I'd have to pull open a quart of each one. We might have to do a little experiment about what colors these are. At least it wasn't black. That's always a good sign. Black oil- bad. 

I got a three night old, three nights, also 602 and running the Daytona 15W40. And the oil pressure went down to 20 pounds after our race picks back up to 60 pounds when RPMs are up. Is that normal?

That would be normal because usually after the race, when you're like shutting the car down and you know, turn in the wrong direction getting off the racetrack, because there's loads of left turn pans. It'll actually draw the oil away from the pickup tube. And you can experience a low oil pressure situation for you know, just a second or two. If it's longer than that, and it's going back up I would I wouldn't be concerned about.

Have you done any testing with Lucas full synthetic on your Dyno? 

I did years ago. The stuff I tested I thought their break-in oil was actually pretty good. Again any name brand oil I believe is going to protect your engine just fine. When we were testing oil, we're testing for power. So what would make the most power and that was not in the top five. Well, and specifically for a crate engine is always what we want. So I mean, specifically for what we do with crate engine stuff, it was not a power producing oil per se. As far as protection, I think it works just fine. Again, they're break-in oil was was perfectly fine.

For a long race, say 50 Plus laps, should you run an oil cooler on a 602?

No, I don't believe so. Reason being, is most of the oils that we're running today, will protect that engine just fine. You know, with a high oil temperature, you know, above 300 degrees, let's say, because that's usually where these damn things run. But, I find more advantage to not having the loss of oil pressure that you're going to experience when you're running lines to a cooler and then having to run everything around with just the, you know, stock oil pump. So, so no, I mean, nothing that we run, not none of my kids stuff. I don't, I just don't recommend coolers anymore. We don't even run them on the 525 anymore, either.

How do you handle the possibility of pressurizing the floats when using the flat air cleaner bases? 

Honestly I've never seen that happen. I mean, unless you're just exposing the air cleaner to like direct air then that's not something I've ever seen happen. I mean, there's companies out there that make the make bases that are supposed to eliminate that problem in certain applications. Usually that's like super late models with you know, the carburetors hell carburetor and the air cleaner- everything's sticking out of the hood. So yeah, that's not something I've ever really seen happen in a you know, normally like in a crate application.

Does anyone sell a tool for scanning the engine seals during tech inspection?

Yeah, we wish. GM was supposed to but that never materialized. Supposedly on some series, there's like there's like a way to like you know, scanning, scanning the seals with your cell phone and getting the information. Well that's how it was supposed to be it was yeah, in theory, right. But you know, dirt racing, it's dark, it's night. Trying to get in there with your with your flashlight.

Are Walker Air Filters really better than all the rest?

I mean, I don't know that you're better than all the rest. I can tell you that they're better than K&N garbage. So, I mean, years and years ago, I was a big R2C fan. And, you know that company. I don't know what happened there. But they went to shit. So we had no choice but to switch to something else. And we've stumbled across Walker. And I've been perfectly happy with them. I think I think it's great product. I don't know if they're better than anything else. Now. I can tell you we've dynoed several air filters. And, you know, I mean, Walker is one of the best out there when it comes to you know, making power and still protecting the engine. 

The reason I like a walker so much is because it does not take a lot of oil there, whatever their filtration component is, it does not take a lot of oil to actually make that filter well. Whereas you know, I mean, you look at most dudes running the K&N and they got oil slathered on there like crazy and just to get it to filter enough and even then, you know, I mean, K&N is an engine builders dream. But what you'll really notice is like you know if you if you take a walker. We've done this before now. Several years ago Do you take a walker, run a race. So you K&N, run a race. Back to back both those filters, after the race, and the walker produces more power. Because the K&N is stopped up.

Do you know if any of your top five oils distributors distribute to Australia? 

It's a really good question. My suggestion would be to check Daytona 1, Schaeffer's, or Klotz.

I need to replace an oil pan on a 602 any suggestions?

Try not to because those things are stupid price from GM. If you're allowed to use a aftermarket pan, then I would definitely use an aftermarket pan. Champ makes all these pans for GM actually. If it's legal to do it, I 'd buy a champ pan. And put that on there. Because you're gonna save it ass load of money, if not cough up the cash, because GM is gonna want to ask it for one.

When using pump 85 and testing it to make sure it is E85. Do you recommend the Klotz Uplon fuel lube?

The Uplon is what you're what you're referring to, I believe. And that uplon stuff is like really good is actually designed for methanol. On most of the most of the E85 whether it's you know, out of drum or out of a pump, I haven't found it necessary to run that top end lube. If you're racing weekly and stuff like that, something like if you're running CHP or you know oxygenated race gas, it's, you know, then yeah, we normally recommend it. We've sold a lot of it for the oxygenated race fuels. For sure. Yep. But that's a really good question. And I haven't seen that one before.