gruslo50

Here's the deal...I had a motor built by my local shop only 4000 miles ago. I started losing oil pressure, so I parked the car and started examining. I found out that one of my lifters failed. I replaced the lifter, and put everything back together. Now the cars fires up just fine, but I'm not getting oil pressure. It's not the gauge, as I have one of my valve covers off, and am not getting oil up top. Any ideas guys?

cutlass_455

iTrader: (2)

Could be lots of things. Obviously the infamous pinched pickup o-ring. Bad pump somehow?? Rag in the pan?? Pickup installed wrong and 'fell off'.

First thing, change the oil and pay attention to what comes out. You said a lifter failed, what exactly happened, were you able to account for any 'missing' pieces of metal??

If you can, pull the pan and have a look, wiggle wiggle the pickup if you can....it shouldnt wiggle wiggle, so if does you got a problem there.

You could check your oil filter see if its getting oil into it.

Worst case is that failed lifter send some metal thru the system and the bearings and maybe the crank and cam have some damage too. Did you see the lobe on the failed lifter, was it scored or any other damage??

Could be lots of things, you just gotta start eliminating things on at a time.

Good luck.

gruslo50

I really don't want to take the pan off, but I will as my last option. When I drained the oil, there was a few chunks of metal stuck to my magnetic drain plug, and also some smaller specks throughout the oil. I normally put oil in my filter when I put it on, but being in a hurry last night I did not. I checked that and found that I was not getting oil into the filter, so I filled it up and tried again with no luck. The cam lobe did get a little scratched up also.

35th camaro

get ready for a complete tear down if you found metal like that in your pan.

calicuttc

if the car runs then just drive it as is.

Monte4ever

iTrader: (2)

I don't think I would do that unless its your DD.

cutlass_455

iTrader: (2)

Like 35th Camaro said its probly time for a tear down unfortunately.

The oil pickup suction strainer could be plugged off and that could be why you got no oil to the filter. Or the pump is damaged.

At this point the only 'real' way of knowing whats happened in there is to tear it down and clean and inspect everything.

What kind of lifters were you using?? How was your valvetrain setup?? Who set it up?? Maybe talk to your builder about it.

NC98Z

iTrader: (1)

Which lifter failed? You may have a cam bearing walking out the block.

VeTTeMaNC486

All this running with no oil pressure, no way would I ever trust that motor unless I pulled it down and inspected everything.

I wonder if part of the lifter that failed got tangled up in the pump.

Good luck.