75 lbs. oil pressure to ZERO in 10 seconds. WTF?

[Hubbarocks]

if you can get your hands on a scope, fish it thru the drain plug and you should be able to visually see the pick up tube intact.
i'm not sure you can see / touch it from that angel without?
worth a shot, to avoid pulling the oil pan with out cause.

 

[Mark Barnes]

if you can get your hands on a scope, fish it thru the drain plug and you should be able to visually see the pick up tube intact.
i'm not sure you can see / touch it from that angel without?
worth a shot, to avoid pulling the oil pan with out cause.

Ok, so I pulled the valve covers. Both sides- all rockers and pushrods tight and in place, no evidence of puking out a lifter.
Next, I decided to pull the oil pump because it was too tight to get to the relief valve nut anyway. After I got the pump out and removed the relief spring nut, I turned it over and the spring and plunger fell into my hand. No scoring or burrs seen on the plunger, although I could see some minute longitudinal scratches on it, so I know it had been moving in and out about 1/4" or so.
Next I took the advice of Geoff and blew some air back through the hole that goes thru the block to the pickup tube. It gurgled in the pan like it was still immersed in oil/ not broken, so now I'm pretty confused. Any ideas? I'm just about out...

 

[RemCharger]

You could take the cover off and look at the rotor.......
But it sounds like we're back to the pickup..

 

[Fran Blacker]

I'd lube up the pump with light clean grease and put it back on and try priming. If that doesn't work pull the pan and check for cracked pickup in threaded area. If that isn't it someone may not have tightened 1 of the 2 gallery plug behind timing cover and it fell out.

 

[Mark Barnes]

I'd lube up the pump with light clean grease and put it back on and try priming. If that doesn't work pull the pan and check for cracked pickup in threaded area. If that isn't it someone may not have tightened 1 of the 2 gallery plug behind timing cover and it fell out.

I hate this idea, but that is something I never considered. Thanks!

 

[Mark Barnes]

Well, I did the oil change this morning with a new filter, stuck the priming rod down there and spun it. Took about 5-10 seconds and was making 75lbs. of pressure. I can't figure it out. Is it possible that when I leaned on the brakes the oil sloshed forward and the pickup sucked air? I have no idea what else could have happened. The pic shows the pan and pickup I'm using.

 

[Tony Tee]

Maybe you should get an accumulator.
And does your oil pan have baffles?

 

[AR67GTX]

Kind of unlikely as that pan has a front baffle and it looks like you ordered a matching pickup with it. I just bought that same pan with a matching 1/2” pickup from Mancini and installed, the pickup looks good and measures out good.

I’ve heard of oil filters loosing their prime and not building pressure in the engine. Maybe one of those wired situations. I don’t fully understand how it happens but apparently it does. What filter do you have on it? If a Fram I would try something else.

 

[Mark Barnes]

Maybe you should get an accumulator.
And does your oil pan have baffles?

Single

Kind of unlikely as that pan has a front baffle and it looks like you ordered a matching pickup with it. I just bought that same pan with a matching 1/2” pickup from Mancini and installed, the pickup looks good and measures out good.

I’ve heard of oil filters loosing their prime and not building pressure in the engine. Maybe one of those wired situations. I don’t fully understand how it happens but apparently it does. What filter do you have on it? If a Fram I would try something else.

Wix 51515

 

[Billccm]

Kind of unlikely as that pan has a front baffle and it looks like you ordered a matching pickup with it. I just bought that same pan with a matching 1/2” pickup from Mancini and installed, the pickup looks good and measures out good.

I’ve heard of oil filters loosing their prime and not building pressure in the engine. Maybe one of those wired situations. I don’t fully understand how it happens but apparently it does. What filter do you have on it? If a Fram I would try something else.

Frieburger sometimes has to burp the oil filters. Still not sure why? Never happened to me.

 

[4speed68rt]

Ok, so does it make oil pressure now? Did it just lose oil pressure that one time?

 

[Hubbarocks]

maybe the oil pump had a stuck valve and you freed it up by taking it apart. did you polish out the scratch ?

 

[Mark Barnes]

maybe the oil pump had a stuck valve and you freed it up by taking it apart. did you polish out the scratch ?

Yep, only lost pressure once. I did polish the valve, but it didn't really need it. I just got done driving it around. 35lb. at idle 75lb. running. Guess I'll just watch it close from now on. No idea what happened, but I know I'm guessing it sucked air somehow.

 

[4speed68rt]

No harm, no foul!! At least now you know what the "inside" of everything looks like.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Nice it worked out! Maybe the pickup was uncovered and pump pushed the filter to be 1/2 empty. Enough oil drained from the pump into filter and lost its prime? What oil were you running? Wonder if that had something to do with it?

 

[Geoff 2]

Buy a lottery ticket while your luck holds!!

 

[GTXDAN]

Just something else to think about. Are you sure you have the right dipstick and the correct amount of oil in the motor. Seen this happen before to a buddy of mine.

 

[Mark Barnes]

Just something else to think about. Are you sure you have the right dipstick and the correct amount of oil in the motor. Seen this happen before to a buddy of mine.

Stock dipstick that wouldn't go in the last 1/4". 6qt. pan and matching pickup, so if the oil is to the full line, it's probably a little OVER full.

 

[Geoff 2]

Well if the D/stick is bottoming out......
Could the pan be too shallow? Bent the pick up during assembly....& you know the rest.

 

[Mark Barnes]

Well if the D/stick is bottoming out......
Could the pan be too shallow? Bent the pick up during assembly....& you know the rest.

My mistake, I meant the dipstick TUBE. Couldn't get it to go in the last 1/4".