chris.shea

A little history to my oil pressure woes. Oil Pressure Sensor gave out a couple months ago(Pegged Gauge Max). Decided best time to install was during the cam swap. New sensor goes in this morning as i am finnishing off the cam install.

Time to prime it.... zero oil pressure. Fanf_ckintastic!
Process of elimination time. I cant get my head around what it may be.
Added (undisclosed cam) Liberty performance dual roller timing set, 7.400" pushrods and springs.

I made sure the oil pickup tube had the o ring on it when i reinstalled the pump. made sure there was no binding, galling blah blah as it went on. timing set required shims on the oil pump but i dont think that can be the cause either.

My educated guess on the matter and yours is welcome too. The pump isnt creating enough vacume. So im thinking tear it all down again(Major PITA in a Vette) and packing the pump full of assembly lube. Im guessing the pump cant draw the oil up from the pan by itself while spinning the motor via starter.

Or... pour an *** load of cheap oil in till it fills the pan to the pumps height and it doesnt have to work as hard. assuming it works and makes pressure drain it back out and top off the 7qts of good stuff. dont think im brave enough to try this.

its all going to come down to me finnishing up the tear down again lookin for myself. My brother suggests i request your best guesses on the matter so lets hear them.

eallanboggs

iTrader: (1)

Are you sure that you have "zero" oil pressure. Is it the sending unit or gauge? You said you have gauge and sending unit problems. Are these both working properly now?

ChucksZ06

iTrader: (9)

These suggestions assume you have everything installed properlly. Having the plugs out of engine allows it to spin faster and is easy on starter. I turn mine over for maybe 10 seconds at a time and do that maybe 10 times...if no pressure then let it set a while, overnite is great then try it again...the time lets the air get out and makes it easier for pump to prime itself...I always get pressure before I fire engine...that is one thing I miss with sbc is the drill in the distribtor hole to prime the engine was real easy.

chris.shea

Sensor is brand new and gauge has never failed. left the balancer puller at the shop and am locked out. purchased a napa puller and that pos aint gonna work... tore the damn thing apart again and cant check behind the timing cover

ls1pwrdss

iTrader: (74)

i worked in c hevy dealer from 97 to 07 as a gm tech.
on the oil sending units only for the vette not the f body i have had them be bad rite out of the box. i know its frustrating because you have to keep removing the intake manifold. get another sending unit and see what happens.

-Joseph-

iTrader: (12)

You haven't started it? Very few I do will build pressure from cranking the motor via starter and need to be fired up for the pump to start working quickly. If it doesn't have oil pressure in 5-6 seconds after starting (slightly longer if the oil filter is dry) then there is something wrong.

Binding in the pickup tube causing o-ring to seal on only one side, pinched o-ring, loose cam plate bolts, or upside-down oil pump spacer are some I've heard about.

Then again it can just be a faulty sensor.

transAm-98

iTrader: (1)

If you didn't fill the pump with oil first it takes awhile to build pressure. Also if you put the oil pump spacers in upside down it will block most of the oil passage.

chris.shea

Didnt put pump spacers on upside down. the Felpro timing gasket kit came with 3 o-rings(red, green & black). Just pulled it out and it looks good. no pinches, nicks... nothing though its the stock one and minor flatsides(top n' bottom) from being compressed.

Read this so im going to run with it and see if a new gasket will solve it but im still tripple checking everything.
As for the sending unit there is no way... pulled the one from my car and checked with the same results.

Im just afraid to kill a cam or main bearing turning the motor over forever just to build pressure... its this curse i got... if somethings going to go wrong its going to happen at the worse possible time the goals to get some passes in sunday after we get a couple heat cycles through these new valve springs tomorrow after i finnish up the car. Tranny swap tomorrow to look forward too

NEMESISVETTE

iTrader: (2)

I just put a new TSP motor inn and fired it up yesterday in my vette. What I did as far as oil pressure check is fill the oil filter up, oil pump was lube up. I have put 3 motors in vettes and doing the starter no plug turn over to prime is a must but have yet to see it ever read oil pressure on the gauge. Just bump the starter 5 times for 10 sec with out plugs inn and fuel pump fuse pulled. After that hook it up and fire oil pressure within 5 sec everytime.

RZRSEDGE

iTrader: (21)

FWIW, I pack mine with petroleum jelly. Primes with the fuel pump fuse out within round three of five second turning over intervals.

Mike94ZLT1

iTrader: (3)

My new stroker (also in a 99 vette) did that. I could not get it to produce pressure off the starter. Finally I just said **** it and fired her up, and within 3 seconds I had oil pressure. I say start er up, if you've got nothing after 5 seconds kill it. There is enough residual oil on the bearings where you won't hurt it only running it for 5 seconds.

chris.shea

Packed the pump last night and test fit the green o-ring. was too big and wouldnt ever seat in the pump with the pickup tube so im using the smaller black one.

ShevrolayZ28

iTrader: (4)

Maybe I missed something from your post, Chris, but it sounds like you never started the car. Is this correct? If so, you would not see pressure just by turning it over with the starter whether there is something wrong or not.

chris.shea

No the original install i started the car and let it run 10 seconds and the oil pressure didnt even blip. I have this fear that im going to toast a bearing any time the engines running and i have zero pressure. anyways
Great Success

1 pulled off pump and pack with thick lube.
2 install new felpro black o-ring
First startup around 1:00pm with pressure climbing as the motor found idle. Dyno time tomorrow and maybe some track passes.
expect new thread with pics and video sometime this week.

RZRSEDGE

iTrader: (21)

Glad to hear it!

racecar

I would not run it without getting pressure first. I have tried that, and after 5 seconds with no pressure, the rods start knocking, that means it's time for new bearings.
When you removed the pump, is it possible that the pickup screen is too low in the pan now.
If that happens, you will have 0 pressure.

ShevrolayZ28

iTrader: (4)

lol congrats!

eallanboggs

iTrader: (1)

Just removing the oil pump doesn't change the position of the oil pump pickup screen since the oil pickup tube to oil pump mounting flange isn't the only place the tube is fastened. Maybe you have pressure and it's not registering. Sending unit, wiring harness and gauge are all possibilities. It takes a few seconds for the gauge needle to move after a tear down. I know those first few seconds can be nerve racking waiting for that needle to move. What about trying an old fashioned mechanical gauge to check for pressure before you blame the pump.