Where is my oil hideing?
 

After looseing 2 expensive engines in the last two to oil related destruction I installed Murphy oil level sight glass gauges with high and low level alarms. When run at about 4000rpm and above my low limit alarm, set at the 4 quart level in a 7 quart pan," 10 quart oil system with filters lines and cooler& stat." Do I realy have all that oil hanging out in the upper end of my engines? Is this normal and nothing to worry about. My engines run cold! even with a 180* stat on the oil cooler and 180* on the engine, they are staying closer to 130* I'm running Brad Penn 10/40 should I be running a thin synthetic like Royal Purple 0/20??? The engines are strong 383 strokers with Dyers 671 blowers and are run in a wide range of sea water temps 42* Puget Sound to 75*lakes.

short answer is yes, there is that much oil hanging out in your engine. I fear you losing another engine to some other problem though... You went really overboard on this one imo...

How much oil is normaly in the upper end of a small block chev at high rpm? Most engines have no way to measure this. Years ago I had a Porsche 911rsr with an oil level gauge and it moved around a lot under various running conditions.

Not sure about how much oil you are keeping in the top of your engine but your oil is as good as you can get. I know that it is debatable but your brad penn oil has all the zinc your cam needs to live. I am not 100% sure but i dont think the rp has it.

One engine shows this level issue more than the other. the only diffrence is that I Glyptol coated the inside of the block to improve drain back like the Nascar guya do, it seems to make a big difference.

The Rp does have ZDDP

Do you use screens in oil drainback areas like in the cam valley? That can slow drainback. I opened up the drainback holes in my AFR bigblock heads, looked way too small. Since then I've heard of other doing it too.

No screens in the drain backs and I ground away the excess casting flash and smothed the drains in both the blocks and heads. I am running Moroso valley pans to help keep the intakes cool but they are no where near the drains.

what is your oil pressure? i have baan spinning mine to 6200 for over 13 yrs,,,at that rpm im at 50 psi and 15-25 at idle depending on the last run..i dont have any coolers..if your oil pressure is above 50 psi at cruise then it will drane your pan in no time..

These are new engines with stock clearences, and standard pressure Moroso noncavitating pumps. 60psi. at cruise 40warm at Idle.