Oil Pump Choice for 5.7 Vortec

Okay so I just purchased the holley timing cover, fel pro oil pan gasket, and the cloyes c3092 timing set!!
I need help choosing the proper oil pump now!! The motor is staying stock with stock cam so I just need a solid replacement. I was told in other threads that the newer melling m55 oil pumps are made thinner and have cracked. Can someone point me to a good oil pump! It's for my 97 Suburban 5.7 vortec 2wd.

I've not read many reviews, including good ones, about that Holly timing cover. I was eyeing it myself, but I think there was mention of some fitment issues.

Most say they had zero issue, and who wants to pay 40-50 bucks for a plastic timing cover? Figured I would get a solid built one. I did read you need to check for water pump clearance and you may need to grind the tabs a tad to clearance the water pump. And oil the seal and put the crank sensor on before installing.

97Burban57 said:

Most say they had zero issue, and who wants to pay 40-50 bucks for a plastic timing cover? Figured I would get a solid built one. I did read you need to check for water pump clearance and you may need to grind the tabs a tad to clearance the water pump. And oil the seal and put the crank sensor on before installing.

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I used the aluminum cover as soon as I found it because I got tired of putting a plastic cover on every 2-3 years. GM, Dorman, Pioneer, did not matter, ALL were garbage. ZERO fitment issues here. Put a little oil on the o-ring and the crank sensor slides right in.

As for the oil pump, M99HVS is all I use in small blocks or a M77 with a matching pickup. I also use an ARP pump stud after having had a stock oil pump bolt that was too long touch a main bearing and cause it to munch on itself.

Can you use the m77 in a sbc vortec??

97Burban57 said:

Can you use the m77 in a sbc vortec??

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As the man said it fits small blocks.

Gotcha, just thought it was weird that a BB oil pump would bolt right up to a SBC!!!

97Burban57 said:

Gotcha, just thought it was weird that a BB oil pump would bolt right up to a SBC!!!

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It bolts right in with minor clearencing of the windage tray. Line the tray up with the oil pump prior to install and you will see where the big block casting is much thicker and the tray and pump casting touch. I used a carbide cutter on an air powered grinder to clearence the windage tray.

M77 pump with the included L88 oil pressure spring, bolt on 8.25" pickup in the 5 qt pan, ARP oil pump stud, with a long milodon windage tray and a moroso pump baffle is what I have in my 383. It carried ~30 psi at idle and 60+ @ 2,000 rpm with 5w30 in the pan. Since my 383 spends alot of time at lower rpm lugged down pulling a load, I wanted good oil pressure off-idle to help keep the bearings cool and lubricated. I used the same pump in a stock L30 305 even.

Thanks man, all excellent info!!

You can buy the "Kit" with an M77 pump, the steel sleeve driveshaft, and a pickup tube for an 7.5"--8" oil pan as M-99HV-S. The ARP mounting stud/nut is a great addition.

I bought the pieces separately; the oil pump pickup tube in the M-99 kit is Melling 305S

There's some bad info on the Internet suggesting that this pump has been specially designed for small-blocks with a small-block-style oil pickup tube location. Nope. Just a plain ol' M77 big-block pump.

Also "fits" the W-block if you get a pickup tube to suit.

Folks have been stuffing BBC pumps under SBC main caps for decades. Not popular any more, but it does have some advantages. I've never done this, but I'm gonna try it and see what happens.

I don't know why you'd start a new thread on this. I'd have kept it in the same thread you already had going.

As said in the other thread, Melling has dozens of SBC oil pumps of standard, +10%, +25% capacity, high pressure, regular pressure, fancy internals, fancy housings. The only one I'd absolutely avoid is the weak-casting one.