Patent ID: 8622717

Claim:
A high-performance oil pump for pumping oil in an internal combustion engine, comprising: a housing having one inlet for receiving oil and one outlet for discharging oil, wherein said inlet has a longitudinal axis; a pair of gears rotatably and matingly disposed within a pumping chamber of said housing for pumping oil from said inlet to said outlet, wherein said pumping chamber has a longitudinal axis; an inlet passageway extending from said inlet to an inlet side of said pumping chamber, wherein said inlet passageway has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said pumping chamber and said longitudinal axis of said inlet; an outlet passageway extending from an outlet side of said pumping chamber to said outlet; a pressure regulating circuit disposed within said housing redirects oil from said outlet side of said pumping chamber to said inlet passageway when the pressure differential between said outlet of said pumping chamber and said inlet side of said pumping chamber exceeds a predetermined level in order to reduce or eliminate cavitation of oil in said oil pump; said pressure regulating circuit having a pressure relief valve disposed within said housing; a redirect outlet passageway in communication with said outlet side of said pumping chamber and said pressure relief valve; a redirect inlet passageway in communication with said pressure relief valve and said inlet passageway; said pressure relief valve moveable between a normally closed position, wherein oil is prevented from passing from said redirect outlet passageway to said redirect inlet passageway, and an open position, wherein oil is allowed to pass from said redirect outlet passageway to said redirect inlet passageway; said relief valve moving from said closed position to said open position when the pressure differential between said redirect outlet passageway and said redirect inlet passageway exceeds a predetermined level; said relief valve disposed within a bore in said housing, and said relief valve having a spool valve structure that is biased toward said closed position; and a venting passageway extending from said inlet to said bore in said housing for receiving said relief valve in order to maintain atmospheric pressure on both sides of said relief valve.