simpleman68

Yesterday, on my way home, the oil pressure gauge slowly dropped to 0.
Of course, the check gauges light came on and within 1 block, I shut her down immediately.
The valvetrain got chattery, so I expect because its not getting any oil.

Today I checked my oil level which is full and all looks good there.
Attempted a quick start to see if I got pressure and nothing yet, so I shut it down immediately again.

Any ideas? Car has 45k miles on it and is impeccably maintained.
Oil pump bad? Why does oil pressure drop if it is full with oil?
Scott

vettenuts

Could be several things, oil pump is one, the plate behind the cam gear is another.

Just a thought, if you pull the plugs and the fuel pump fuse, disconnect the coils and remove the oil filter you can try spinning the motor with the starter and see if it pumps out of the filter opening. That would at least tell you that the oil pump is pumping.

robvuk

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the prognosis is not good. You will be lucky if it's just an oil pump. Otherwise, it's most likely a spun bearing. If you track the car with less than a quart overfill, it's possible you had an oil starvation occurence that could have caused the damage. Tow it to the dealer. Good luck

Got uid0

common problem is the oil pressure sensor unit located under the intake

there is a how to posted here somewhere.. Had the same problem 30 dollar part 2-4 hour job

tiojames

I hope it is only the sensor, however with the valve train clatter it probably is a lack of pressure. The post above with the filter off will tell the tale very quickly.

simpleman68

I didn't think it was gonna be good news anyway, but a fellas gotta have hope....

I went to the Poconos after I had the car for 6 months for a day event. Probably had 10k on it at the time.
I've never tracked it since then.
I have made a few passes down the 1320 with it, but always with the right amount of oil in it.

A spun bearing would suck though....
Scott

simpleman68

I'll try this one as soon as I can.
Thanks for the input.
Scott

simpleman68

I'm sure its more than a sensor because of the noise.
The exhaust also had a louder note to it as well. Kinda like the cat back had a leak in it. That was a weird symptom as well.
Scott

see5

Oil pump is pretty common problem and not that hard to fix if it did not run long with low pressure. Do a cam while you are in there.

simpleman68

I'm hoping it is the pump. There was no knocking that usually accompanies a spun bearing.

The pressure dropped from normal ~50 to nadda in seconds and bounced back up to 20 psi and back to 0 a few times, so I'm hoping for the oil pump problem.

I already have a head and cam package. About the only other thing I could do while they're in there is forge that beyotch for FI

Its going to Cartek and I'll post any updates.
Scott

Dope

Stuck relief valve in the oil pump I'm guessing. If you spun a bearing you'd hear the bottom end noise.

Dope

mean lx

Usually, you'll hear a unique knocking if a bearing spun. However, maybe you caught it soon enough for minimal to no damage to the engine and no audible knock. I agree, the pump is bad as evidenced by your gauge and the extra valvetrain noise you observed. Good luck! James

pauly1119

I spun a bearing a few years ago and you could hear me from 2 blocks away. A friend of mine had the same problem and replaced the oil pump. Has not had any problems since. Good Luck! I hope thats all it is.

simpleman68

Thanks all for the feedback and encouragement.
It'll be eating at me until it gets fixed.

Of course, if the engine were to be toasted for one reason or another.......I'd just have to find it in the budget to go forged on a bottom end rebuild.....

Dave, you better not be readin' this.
Scott

RED99

Yeap, sounds like an oil pump failure to me. But the question now is, did the relief valve stick, or did something go thru the pump that caused it to go out. You should examine your oil filter, and maybe even have your oil analyzed. Just to see what kind of metal you have or had flowing thru the motor.

Dan_the_C5_Man

The way these pumps are designed, the only thing that can really "fail" is the pressure relief valve. Probably gummed up with shavings or similar.

Either that, or somebody forgot a few paper towels in the oil pan! (longest-thread-in-Internet-history-over-on-LS1Tech reference)

vettenuts

Hmmmmm, I don't know about that. I think the BMW guy who lost his oil cap on the road and used a sock that he took off his foot to fill the oil cap hole that then got wrapped around the cam shaft might be the longest, and it also spread to every auto discussion board on the internet, poor guy

dougbfresh

Buddy of mine was working on his 69' Stang and had some old underwear in the hole where the distributor was. He spun the engine with the starter and the his old short got wound aroung the cam, took us a while to get them from around the cam. I still poke at him about his Ford eating mens underwear.

keliente

How long has the cam been installed?

Bill Curlee

TTT

Please let us know what it turns ouit to be.

BC