[RESOLVED] 0 Oil pressure after sitting all winter

[billdo_83]

My car went down at the end of last october and it was running fine right before I dropped the tranny out of it. I rebuilt the tranny over winter time and did not start it again until last night. It started up fine but my oil light was on (was not on last year when I put it away.) I thought it was my gauge so hooked up a mechanical oil pressure gauge to both sensor taps on the oil pump and it was still 0. I drained the oil and there was no metal in the oil, it was just very black.

I was thinking of dropping the pan to see if the pick up was plugged. What would be the best place to start digging at?

 

[motorboat]

did you check your oil while your oil light was on? did you have enough? It probably would have turned off once you let it idle for a little bit and get the oil moved around. I would say try that first, but you already drained your oil it sounds like, so you might as well check the pickup.

 

[pj91gsx]

I would say the oil pick up tube. I have seen one with low oil pressure has a moss like sheet on it. Also, Im sure there is no thing as 0 oil pressure, if you think you have 0, even if you give it gas, you gauge or sensor has to be bad or disconnected.

 

[billdo_83]

Well I was thinking my gauge was faulty or the sensor, but after hooking up a mechanical gauge to both ports on the oil pump and having no oil climb the hose to the gauge, the faulty sensor theory went out the window at that point.

did you check your oil while your oil light was on? did you have enough? It probably would have turned off once you let it idle for a little bit and get the oil moved around. I would say try that first, but you already drained your oil it sounds like, so you might as well check the pickup.

I checked the oil before I started it up and it was barely on the dipstick, so I added oil to the proper amount and started it for the first time. Then saw the oil light, shut it off, checked it again and it was filled to the right amount.

Overall the car was idling for about 4 minutes total throughout the whole operating, it was idling enough for the coolant gauge to start to climb.

 

[Defiant]

Was it making a racket like a sewing machine stitching a coffee can? If not, you probably had pressure. A DSM out of oil pressure makes ten kinds of racket. Crack the oil feed port at the top right of the head and see if it's pumping. It's always possible both senders died, and that you had the mechanical gauge set up in error.

 

[billdo_83]

Was it making a racket like a sewing machine stitching a coffee can? If not, you probably had pressure. A DSM out of oil pressure makes ten kinds of racket. Crack the oil feed port at the top right of the head and see if it's pumping. It's always possible both senders died, and that you had the mechanical gauge set up in error.

It wasn't THAT loud. It sounded like it had louder than normal lifter tick. I had just assumed that the louder lifter tick was from having it sit for 8 months and starting it up. After having it run for 4 minutes I thought that it would quiet down but it didn't. That could also be from the oil being so old and black also.

I will check that out after dropping the oil pan so I don't need to waste more oil than I have to.

 

[mkgearhead]

I've has a couple of DSM's lose the prime in the oil pump after sitting. I took a gear oil pump (hand pump you can get at Autozone for $4) and attached a piece of small diameter hose to it. Then i removed one of the oil pressure senders and pushed the tube into the hole and pumped about 1/2 to 3/4 quart of oil into it. That will get oil onto the oil pump gears and it should start picking up oil and have pressure.

 

[pj91gsx]

your actually supposed to change the oil before you put the car in storage.

 

[billdo_83]

I've has a couple of DSM's lose the prime in the oil pump after sitting. I took a gear oil pump (hand pump you can get at Autozone for $4) and attached a piece of small diameter hose to it. Then i removed one of the oil pressure senders and pushed the tube into the hole and pumped about 1/2 to 3/4 quart of oil into it. That will get oil onto the oil pump gears and it should start picking up oil and have pressure.

I will give that a try on Monday when I get back to the shop. Great idea.


I have always changed the oil in the past before I put it into storage but this year I just thought, "The oil didn't have too many miles on it." But I should never do that again.

 

[billdo_83]

I primed the oil pump like was mentioned above and I have oil pressure again. Thanks guys works great.

 

[mkgearhead]

Glad we could help.