Not being able to stick my head in the pan at 7000 rpm, I'd only be guessing. Whatever goes on inside the pan, the closer the oil level is to the crank, the worse it seems to be. I remember reading something Smokey said years ago and that was that if you had more than a quart of oil in your pan at RPM, you had too much oil in the engine. :idea: :idea:
What I do know is thaere are high pressure areas and low pressure areas in the crankcase and oil pan (think of the pan as an extension of the crankcase) and the higher the rpm, the more defined these areas are. Allow enough volume in the pan, and concentrate it on the high pressure side of things (allowing for expansion of that high pressure area) and the presure differentials become less, and the atmosphere in the crankcase is more stable. You also allow the oil being thrown to be drawn into that area, and away from the crank instead of bouncing off the side of the pan and reflecting back on the crank, just like a flat windage tray (parasitic drag). Clearly, if you had a pan 4' deep and 2' wide, there would be little effect on the oil in the bottom of that pan due to crankshaft windage and thrown oil.
AFA oil pumps, then best pump made can't pump oil from a dry pan. I think the pump is seldom the problem unless it's out of spec. It's always important to check the pump's clearances before you use one. They're definately not all the same. Usually. though, the pump is only a victim of a poorly designed pan.
Thanks Steel.................steve