went to prime oil pump and no oil to the head

[dirtsdsm]

I just got done rebuilding my motor. I got it in the car and tried to prime the oil pump.. well I used my drill to spin the oil pump. When I did I eventually made the drill drag down but no oil coming out of the head. I took off one of the oil cooler lines and have oil coming out. And I noticed oil coming out of both lines when I spun the pump. I have ran the head and front case on the car before... Please help

 

[Paul@RTM]

My advice would be to keep it as simple as possible and use the soap dispenser method. (I'm pretty sure there's a writeup in the VFAQs). The big advantage of using this method is there's no need to worry if you're spinning the drill fast enough to get up to the head, etc. As long as you do it correctly, the soap dispenser method WILL work. It may take a long time and be a pain in the butt (you've got to pump that damn dispenser a bunch of times) but it can't miss, UNLESS (and this is the big unless) UNLESS something is wrong with your engine. (Like a blockage of an oil passage or oil bypassing the head due to it taking a path of much less resistance elsewhere). But the point is, you'll at least be able to confirm something is wrong and start tearing into the engine or whatever action is appropriate.

But I'm guessing if you've already done all you've described, you probably DO have a problem somewhere.

 

[901gtsi]

Another thing to try is, remove the brake booster hose fitting on the back of your intake manifold and screw it in where the factory oil pressure gauge sensor goes(on the oil filter housing), then run a piece of hose from the fitting to a hand pump and pump oil thru that port and see if oil is getting up there. it usally takes like 2 to 3 quarts of oil on a freash engine.

 

[dirtsdsm]

I went and worked in the car when I got off of work today.. and noticed when I pour oil in the head no oil drains down the oil drain passage in the front of the head. The oil just pools up in the head where the drain is.. the rear holes drain just fine .. thinking I'm going to have to pull the head off

 

[1bad4g]

I went and worked in the car when I got off of work today.. and noticed when I pour oil in the head no oil drains down the oil drain passage in the front of the head. The oil just pools up in the head where the drain is.. the rear holes drain just fine .. thinking I'm going to have to pull the head off

i actually thought the head gasket could only go on one way. but i guess iam wrong..
honestly i've never primed a 4g rebuild.
i only pack the oilpump with lots of vasoline. it will cause a strong vac..and shoot oil to the head very fast!.. fill the oil pick up in the tube and in the gearset..
bushurs website explains this on new engine start ups..

the soap bottle pump is a great idea.. you should see oil come out of the lash adjusters under the rockers..first. i've read that the pcv tude that goes into the intake mani is a perfect fit. remove it and the screw it in the ofh were the oil pressure sensor goes.

heck you could always. drain all the oil.. remove the drain plug..then pour a qt of oil in the filler cap.. if it don't drain out fast.. your head gasket is most likely on wrong.

 

[white92talontsi]

i actually thought the head gasket could only go on one way. but i guess iam wrong..
honestly i've never primed a 4g rebuild.
i only pack the oilpump with lots of vasoline. it will cause a strong vac..and shoot oil to the head very fast!.. fill the oil pick up in the tube and in the gearset..
bushurs website explains this on new engine start ups..

the soap bottle pump is a great idea.. you should see oil come out of the lash adjusters under the rockers..first. i've read that the pcv tude that goes into the intake mani is a perfect fit. remove it and the screw it in the ofh were the oil pressure sensor goes.

heck you could always. drain all the oil.. remove the drain plug..then pour a qt of oil in the filler cap.. if it don't drain out fast.. your head gasket is most likely on wrong.

What does it matter if the headgasket is on backwards.

It's funny because I was looking at this thread last night and the first thing that came to my mind was that the OP installed the headgasket backwards.

From what it sounds like I was probably right.

 

[BogusSVO]

The head gasket on backwards is very unlikley.

In this pic, note the oil feed in the upper left.
Head dowel in upper right and lower left.

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Now the HG is in the proper location.
The oil feed has a copper seal built into the gasket.

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Now with the HG flipped front to back.
Copper seal ring upper right.
Head bolt holes do not line up.
HG would not fit over head alignment dowels.

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HG flipped top to bottom
Copper seal ring lower left.
Head bolt holes do not line up.
HG would not fit alignment dowels.

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Now, with the HG flipped and upside down.
Copper seal ring in lower right.
HG would fit over the alignment dowels and the head bolt holes line up.
Also full blockage of the head oil feed port from block to head.

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But notice how none of the oil return ports are sealed.

By pouring oil down any of the oil returns on the intake side of the head, oil would leak to the outside of the engine.
Same thing if oil was poured down the center oil return on the exhaust side.

Also if the HG was on like this, about 1/4 of an inch of HG would poke out from between the block and head on the timing belt side.

 

[1bad4g]

What does it matter if the headgasket is on backwards.

It's funny because I was looking at this thread last night and the first thing that came to my mind was that the OP installed the headgasket backwards.

From what it sounds like I was probably right.

alot if its backwards.. but i thought it would be very noticable..
iam wondering if there is debrie in the main oil gally stopping oil flow somewere..

 

[Paul@RTM]

Nice pics BogusSVO, I guess the head gasket can go on wrong, though it still kinda looks "wrong" so it shouldn't be easily missed. Whoda thunk it?

 

[curt-s]

Only other two things I can think of it being concerning the head at this point: damaged/blocked pressure regulator in the head or a head bolt/stud is somehow blocking the feed. Beyond that, the feed hole on the block side could be blocked.. it's a big list of unlikelies, really. For something to block the gallery to the head, it would have to be a pretty big "wtf".

 

[BogusSVO]

There is one main oil galley that runs from front to rear of the block.

This galley feeds the mains and the front BS.

Towards the the rear of the block, the head oil feed ties into it.

Now if the rear oil galley pulg was not installed, the oil would go into the bell area.. then the floor.

Was RTV used when the front case or the OFH was installed?
If yes, then a ball of rtv may break loose and clog the oil galley.

 

[Spyderman7]

Did you clean all oil passages in the block prior to build including the one that is goes vertically to the head?
I have seen blocks that the feed going thru the block up to the head will be clogged up with rust and will cause this.
IF somehow you put the head gasket on wrong I would go back thru the motor and tripple check everything again to make sure you didnt put anything else in backwards

 

[obsidian]

I had this exact same issue. I had to fill the engine up with 2-3 gallons of oil and then spun the oil pump. Worked like a champ. Then I just drained the oil and fired her up.

 

[BogusSVO]

Did you pack the oil pump with greese?

 

[sidewaystsi]

Another area to go back and check would be the flange where the pick up tube meets the pump assembly.Bad gasket/or crack in the pick up tube itself.That would cause poor suction and or lack of oil to the the pump gears.

 

[Eg6s]

Did you ever get this misery solved?

I had this exact same issue. I had to fill the engine up with 2-3 gallons of oil and then spun the oil pump. Worked like a champ. Then I just drained the oil and fired her up.

Do you know what was causing the problem? Obviously the increased pressure from over filling fixed it, but do you know what the initial problem was? Plugged galley?

 

[dirtsdsm]

could having a 2g head on a 1g block be part of my problem

the head that is on the block now has a marking of G6

 

[BogusSVO]

You should get some oil to the head, even if you did not enlarge the head bolt holes of the 2g head on the 6 bolt block.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/cylinder-head-short-block/341885-oil-port-mod-2-4g63t.html

 

[dirtsdsm]

When i get the head off im going to do the mod

 

[obsidian]

Have you tried any of the other advice? Pulling a head is a lot of work when all you have to do is spend $20 for some extra oil and give it a shot.

 

[BogusSVO]

I personly do not see how over filling the engine with oil will make it prime.

As long as the oil pick up screen is submerged in oil, it should pick up oil, thu the pump, into the OFH and out and into the oil galleys.

Now if the gasket between the oil pick up screen and oil pump is missing, and the over fill of oil covers that, it will prime, but mask the problem.

Once the oil is returned to the proper full level, it will loose prime, and suck air at the missing gasket.

 

[dirtsdsm]

obsidian... as stated earlier in the thread i have oil going to the filter and oil cooler.

 

[Spector5]

Wouldn't he notice it's on backwards when he first initially filled the engine with oil and nothing or a small amount was draining to the pan after checking oil levels? I mean if it was collecting as he's said and if it was on backwards, ANDDDD knowing how fast people dump oil in the fill cap wouldn't it have been noticeably overfilling? Just a curiosity of mine! I'm having a similar is, but it's not enough oil going to the head, it lightly pools our of the squirts and barely puts any on my cams.

 

[obsidian]

I personly do not see how over filling the engine with oil will make it prime.

As long as the oil pick up screen is submerged in oil, it should pick up oil, thu the pump, into the OFH and out and into the oil galleys.

Now if the gasket between the oil pick up screen and oil pump is missing, and the over fill of oil covers that, it will prime, but mask the problem.

Once the oil is returned to the proper full level, it will loose prime, and suck air at the missing gasket.

I used to think the same thing but if the oil pump is empty or mostly "dry" then it is much easier to get the air around the the vanes and not let is build the vacuum to initially grab the oil.

However, over filling it will force the oil into the oil pump, thus negating any chance of it not being able to get that initial prime, and when you turn it, viola you have oil pressure!

I did this twice now and both times it worked like a champ. Just don't start the engine. I used the crank and starter to build the pressure and it worked within 3-4 tries.

KuckFatrina on here was one of those guys. His engine never lost the oil prime again and fired right up with oil pressure every time afterwards.

 

[dirtsdsm]

Im still working on figuring out the underlying problem. Currently i am fighting getting a head stud out it stripped the hex head ojt of the stud..

 

[dirtsdsm]

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Pic of the block after i removed the head

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you can see oil pooling in the front hole not sure what wrong