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Review on πŸ”§ High-Performance Melling Oil Pump 10296 by Aaron Vang

Revainrating 5 out of 5

2010 Chevy Avalanche 5.3 Vortec 130,000 miles

The package included everything to install the oil pump. I had to buy an extra set of gaskets for the front cover and water pump. At the same time I installed a new water pump as I have 130,000 miles on this engine. I was on a car trip when the factory oil pump failed and the bypass valve stayed open. It came loose when I poured some Marvel Mystery Oil into the motor, but I replaced the pump anyway. I have included photos of what the factory pump gave me for psi and has had from day one. I've previously seen a range of 28-25psi at full temp during the winter months. This is a HD package, PSI has always been low due to the oil cooler. After setting the oil pump to full temperature I see the pressure is close to 40psi. Temperatures have also come down a bit due to the new water pump and full coolant flush, plus I've used a 180 degree T-Stat. Overall very happy with this oil pump, just installed it. Haven't tried it yet but I'm sure it will last. Melling is known for its quality products. I'm sure it will stand the test of time. Overall the installation took 2 days but I had some problems. About 8 hours a day I skipped removing the oil pan and front diff to get at the bolt holding the manifold. I was able to loosen this screw first, I used a 10mm curved wrench to loosen it. Then I tied a fish thread to it and pulled it out to the end with a hook. It took a lot of patience, but it worked. When I reinstalled it, I put that bolt in a more accessible hole, added a washer to push the tube into the oil pump, and used lots of red Loctite.

Pros
  • Cast aluminum housing CNC machined and hard anodized
Cons
  • Very expensive