Oil Pump Questions
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8
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Oil Pump Questions Hello. New guy here--my first post! I'll get to the point.
I am building a Factory Five GTM (for sale when complete--built to order if I find a buyer early enough). I have a '99 donor C5 with front damage. I've checked the block as well as I can with the engine in the car and it looks fine. The harmonic balancer was hit and bent. The crank is straight (as far as I can tell by watching the bolt in the end of the crank with engine running). Here's where I ran into a problem. I started the car and drove it into my shop and the oil pressure was fine. Put the front up on jackstands with the front tires hanging about 4" off the ground. Started the engine and had no oil pressure after about 5 seconds of running---shut engine off. Put car back down and started engine and after about 3 seconds, the oil pressure popped up to normal. Checked oil level--if anything, it's about 1/4" past full on the stick. Put car back up on stands and started---still no pressure.
I'm not at all familiar with Chevy stuff as I was a Ford mechanic for a Ford dealership for 5 years---sorry guys! Is the oil pickup at the front of the engine or what? Anyone had any similar issues or any clues as to the problem here? I've already pulled the balancer off, and I see no evidence of damage to the front cover or crank. Can you guys give me a clue here?
From what I've seen so far, looks like you guys have a great forum here. Thanks!
I am building a Factory Five GTM (for sale when complete--built to order if I find a buyer early enough). I have a '99 donor C5 with front damage. I've checked the block as well as I can with the engine in the car and it looks fine. The harmonic balancer was hit and bent. The crank is straight (as far as I can tell by watching the bolt in the end of the crank with engine running). Here's where I ran into a problem. I started the car and drove it into my shop and the oil pressure was fine. Put the front up on jackstands with the front tires hanging about 4" off the ground. Started the engine and had no oil pressure after about 5 seconds of running---shut engine off. Put car back down and started engine and after about 3 seconds, the oil pressure popped up to normal. Checked oil level--if anything, it's about 1/4" past full on the stick. Put car back up on stands and started---still no pressure.
I'm not at all familiar with Chevy stuff as I was a Ford mechanic for a Ford dealership for 5 years---sorry guys! Is the oil pickup at the front of the engine or what? Anyone had any similar issues or any clues as to the problem here? I've already pulled the balancer off, and I see no evidence of damage to the front cover or crank. Can you guys give me a clue here?
From what I've seen so far, looks like you guys have a great forum here. Thanks!
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
It's hard to believe that you can lose oil to the pick-up at this sort of angle---Looks to me that if you drove the car up on ramps to change oil or work on it---or heck, drove up a hill, you'd suck air!?!? Surely this has happened to others?
So, do you all think that if I stick on a new HB, I'll be good to go? Other than this "problem", the engine sounds great and seems to run fine. Thanks for your help.
So, do you all think that if I stick on a new HB, I'll be good to go? Other than this "problem", the engine sounds great and seems to run fine. Thanks for your help.
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 231
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From: Ontario, Canada
Originally Posted by vacextar
It's hard to believe that you can lose oil to the pick-up at this sort of angle---Looks to me that if you drove the car up on ramps to change oil or work on it---or heck, drove up a hill, you'd suck air!?!? Surely this has happened to others?
So, do you all think that if I stick on a new HB, I'll be good to go? Other than this "problem", the engine sounds great and seems to run fine. Thanks for your help.
So, do you all think that if I stick on a new HB, I'll be good to go? Other than this "problem", the engine sounds great and seems to run fine. Thanks for your help.
I hear what you are saying though.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
How close is the pick-up to the front of the engine? Anyone else have any ideas here? Other than the outer hub being bent, doesn't look like the inner hub of the HB was hit at all. Is there any way this could've damaged the pump or the pick-up tube? Should I just be safe and install a new pump?
