Symptoms of missing oil pressure "barbell"
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,486
Likes: 1,032
From: Wichita, KS
Symptoms of missing oil pressure "barbell" What are the symptoms of of a missing barbell? I'm thinking I left mine out. Picked up a machined block from a friend and didn't think twice about it. Had no spare parts left over so I figured I was good to go! 
With all the plugs pulled cranking I get very miniscule oil pressure 3-4psi. And it will occasionally bounce up to 20ish then fall back to nothing. I tried pre lubing at oil port on the front of the engine... no luck. Doubt it's a priming issue. 100% sure I got he O-ring on the pickup in and seated properly. Pretty sure it's the barbell.
thanks.
With all the plugs pulled cranking I get very miniscule oil pressure 3-4psi. And it will occasionally bounce up to 20ish then fall back to nothing. I tried pre lubing at oil port on the front of the engine... no luck. Doubt it's a priming issue. 100% sure I got he O-ring on the pickup in and seated properly. Pretty sure it's the barbell.
thanks.
little to no oil pressure is a symptom. try pulling the block off cap on the side of the oil filter housing and get a mirror and a light in there. you may be able to see if it is in there or not like that
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,486
Likes: 1,032
From: Wichita, KS
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 8,486
Likes: 1,032
From: Wichita, KS
Wish I had! I dropped the trans/eng in together last weekend. Today I pulled the turbo kit, driveshaft, trans/flywheel/aft cover. Popped in the barbell from a spare motor and put it all back together. Hell of a day! I'm beat. Saw 40+ psi cranking with the starter thou and it's all back together.
I wish I would have known that trick a few years back. I wonder how many of us on here learned about this restrictor the hard way? lol
I went through the same exact process as you did except for, mine WAS installed in the block and all of this was for nothing...
I went through the same exact process as you did except for, mine WAS installed in the block and all of this was for nothing...
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
What are the symptoms of of a missing barbell? I'm thinking I left mine out. Picked up a machined block from a friend and didn't think twice about it. Had no spare parts left over so I figured I was good to go!
With all the plugs pulled cranking I get very miniscule oil pressure 3-4psi. And it will occasionally bounce up to 20ish then fall back to nothing. I tried pre lubing at oil port on the front of the engine... no luck. Doubt it's a priming issue. 100% sure I got he O-ring on the pickup in and seated properly. Pretty sure it's the barbell.
thanks.
With all the plugs pulled cranking I get very miniscule oil pressure 3-4psi. And it will occasionally bounce up to 20ish then fall back to nothing. I tried pre lubing at oil port on the front of the engine... no luck. Doubt it's a priming issue. 100% sure I got he O-ring on the pickup in and seated properly. Pretty sure it's the barbell.
thanks.
i think I forgot the plug too. My oil pressure cranks to 20then heats up and drops to 10ish my lifters or rocker arms make noise too think is cause of that?
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,303
Likes: 3,619
From: Central Cal.
Uhh, if you think you forgot it, you do need it! And very low pressure is a sure fire indicator of that.
Do a teardown and put it back in. If you read this thread you should know all this by now.
Do a teardown and put it back in. If you read this thread you should know all this by now.
Okay I know I'm bringing back a thread from the dead but I need one more piece of info as I just pushed ~4 quarts thru my engine (bug sprayer technique) and not a drop of oil came up thru the push rods which leads me to believe I have missing barbell syndrome... this is a fresh build and I'm guessing this piece was missed in the assembly.
I have a gen4 l92 block and I'm pretty sure the plug above the oil filter is the same one (gen3 vs gen4??) we are talking about here but what I don't know is what I'm looking for and where I'm looking for it.
I know what a barbell looks like just not sure exactly how obvious it's gonna be when I get in there so I thought I'd ask.
I have a gen4 l92 block and I'm pretty sure the plug above the oil filter is the same one (gen3 vs gen4??) we are talking about here but what I don't know is what I'm looking for and where I'm looking for it.
I know what a barbell looks like just not sure exactly how obvious it's gonna be when I get in there so I thought I'd ask.
I'll have the plug pulled tomorrow and I'll get a photo if I can.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 178
If you left the barbell out - no oil pressure since all oil going out the back of the block. Remove the oil galley plug just rear of filter on side of block and look inside. Should see the barbell thin shaft. These pics should provide insight how the barbell is fitted in the block and why it's there.
Thanks for all the help, appreciate the flow diagram too.
Okay so here is a pic of the view of a missing barbell when looking thru the removed oil plug above the oil filter
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LSVJRougvhvosEqVA
So I pulled it off the stand and pulled the back cover, you can see the barbell is indeed missing and that you would easily see the "bar" when looking thru the oil plug access hole, you could easily feel for the bar as well as the bar is close to the access hole.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jfoivUJ11p3SxvT79
* Way better than Forcefeds day
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TcyzCtsSLJ7NSSzu7
Got it back together and primed like a champ.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/eLT8b73eu24b1p6CA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cq4ETnsveXi1Hjrk9
Okay so here is a pic of the view of a missing barbell when looking thru the removed oil plug above the oil filter
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LSVJRougvhvosEqVA
So I pulled it off the stand and pulled the back cover, you can see the barbell is indeed missing and that you would easily see the "bar" when looking thru the oil plug access hole, you could easily feel for the bar as well as the bar is close to the access hole.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jfoivUJ11p3SxvT79
* Way better than Forcefeds day
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TcyzCtsSLJ7NSSzu7
Got it back together and primed like a champ.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/eLT8b73eu24b1p6CA
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cq4ETnsveXi1Hjrk9