Troubleshooting Steps for Low/No Oil Pressure
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 56
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Troubleshooting Steps for Low/No Oil Pressure Well I built a forged LS1 motor with heads and cam and got it running. After a few hours of running with NO load (just tunning to have it run well) I noticed the oil pressure started dropping. It got down to 12psi at idle (it would still build up when revved) before I decided to stop. It started with 55psi at cold idle and 30psi when warm. So I changed the oil found a few metal shavings (Very fine) but when I started it again it read virtually no oil pressure. So I've decided to pull the motor as it sounds like a bearing issue to me, although the oil pump and/or oring could be the culpret although I doubt it.
So I wanted to ask if the following sounded like a good plan to find the problem. I'll pull the motor but I'm trying to avoid removing the heads and pistons if I can.
1) Take off Oil Pan
A) Inspect Oil pick up tube and o-ring
B) Check Main caps are installed in the right direction (Doubt it to be wrong)
C) Check for metal debris in Pan
D) Check Rods are facing the right way (Stock crank so probably doesn't matter as they are all facing the same way like the stock rods did as the stock crank has no fillet)
E) Take off Main caps and check the main bearings on the cap side.
2) Take off Crank Pulley and Oil Pump, and Timing Chain
A) Inspect Rod Bearings
B) Inspect other side of Main Bearings
C) Take out cam and check Cam Bearings
How does this sound to you guys. Do you think it will be possible to remove the crank while leaving the rods and pistons inside the cylinder?
So I wanted to ask if the following sounded like a good plan to find the problem. I'll pull the motor but I'm trying to avoid removing the heads and pistons if I can.
1) Take off Oil Pan
A) Inspect Oil pick up tube and o-ring
B) Check Main caps are installed in the right direction (Doubt it to be wrong)
C) Check for metal debris in Pan
D) Check Rods are facing the right way (Stock crank so probably doesn't matter as they are all facing the same way like the stock rods did as the stock crank has no fillet)
E) Take off Main caps and check the main bearings on the cap side.
2) Take off Crank Pulley and Oil Pump, and Timing Chain
A) Inspect Rod Bearings
B) Inspect other side of Main Bearings
C) Take out cam and check Cam Bearings
How does this sound to you guys. Do you think it will be possible to remove the crank while leaving the rods and pistons inside the cylinder?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
The reason I'm assuming it is not an oring is because it made great oil prerssure for the first few hours of running. I wouldn't guess that the oring would fail if it were working. But then again that will be the first thing I check. I did find a few thing hair like shavings on the magnetic drain plug. I don't know what is normal for a fresh engine though? Any idea if you can take out the crank with out removing the heads and pistons from their bores?
Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
From: Lake Havasu
Start with the bottom end. It doesn't sound like oring/pickup problems. As the engine componets heat up along with your oil, its a bearing indication not pump suction.
I am no expert but that Holiday Inn thing really works!
Hope this helps.
Mike V
I am no expert but that Holiday Inn thing really works!
Hope this helps.
Mike V
