Oil system myths

One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to centrifugal pumps is that water or oil in a engine is “sucked” out of the oil pan or radiator. Which isn’t possible, what actually occurs is the is a pressure drop created by the impeller of a WP or in the case of a oil pump the rotation of the gears creates a lower pressure on the intake side of the pump which causes fluid to travel to a higher pressure. Atmospheric air pressure is 14.7 at sea level. It’s easier to understand it when you stick a straw in your glass of water or soda, when you “suck” on a straw, it travels up the straw because with your mouth you have lower the pressure on the suction side causing the fluid to travel up the straw. Unless your talking about positive displacement pumps which is a different animal.
but an oil pump in an engine isn't a centrifugal pump. it works by 'trapping oil in cavities which decrease in size as the rotors turn and then is released at the outlet port at greater pressure.
a centrifugal pump has a rotor spinning in a cavity and centrifugal force pushes the (usually) water to the outside of the cavity where the outlet is. up to a point a centrifugal pump can be dead headed (when a radiator is blocked for example) and it would cavitate whereas an oil pump if you did that would most likely break it's driveshaft.
neil.