Zero Oil Pressure

[Mikeflbmer]

All of a sudden I have zero oil pressure on my blue Alpine....any suggestions? will a bad bypass valve do this? I plan to drop the pan today and check the pump''''spun cam bearing maybe? How would I check for that?...Just when I was getting it back on the road..too...mike

 

[65sunbeam]

Hi Mike
Unscrew the oil pressure relief valve and make sure no crud is holding the plunger off the seat or making it bind.
Hopefully that fixes you up! Good luck. Eric

 

[Mikeflbmer]

I replaced the oil filter and oil cooler housings (with different bypass valves in them) I also pulled the valve and made sure it is not stuck....Then I dropped the oil pan, removed the Head off the oil pump...cranked it over (with spark plugs out) while lying under the car....I see the empeller of the pump turning.....I relpaced pump head, oil pan, refilled with oil, then removed oil pressure guage hose at the hole in the block just above the oil pump....I cranked it over again while lying under the car.....not one drop of oil coming out of the hole for the oil pressure gauge.......I cant figure it...unless it is a bad oil pump that somehow turns but doesnt pump....I feel like putting it back in the garage and covering it up for another few years.....before I get pissed

 

[Tom H]

Mike , when I rebuilt my Alpine motor a couple years ago, after rebuild I could get no oil pressure while cranking the engine- Until I primed the pump. Disconnected each of the oil cooler hoses and poured oil into them. Then I removed the oil filter and poured oil into the housing. Then I got pressure, still not much while cranking, but some. So try that and see if you get some flow. I assume you checked that the screen over the oil intake pipe on the pump was clean.

Tom

 

[steven]

I know it may be a stupid suggestion, if you removed the alum mounting the oil filter screw on and when remounting it it was reversed. It looks the same (however the dipstick hole is covered) and no oil pressure, the pump is pumping but can't get thru the passages in the oil filter mounting. I know it sounds silly but I did it.

 

[Mikeflbmer]

Thanks for the input...I was careful when reinstalling the filter block that it was the right way.....also this Alpine was up on blocks as I was sorting it out coming out of nultiple years storage...I had driven it around the block a few times and started it several times while on blocks....Had normal oil pressure...then all of a sudden it was gone....Isnt there a pin at top of pump near the gear? I will try priming it as you describe....If that doesnt work I am looking for a new pump......Mike

 

[RootesRich]

I see where you said you pulled the oil guage hose to check oil flow, but did you check to make sure the line itself wasn't blocked?

 

[tigretr]

If you pulled the pan and the bottom of the pump off and saw the pump turning while cranking that doesn't necessarily mean the pin driving the pump hasn't been sheared off. Just the drag between the shaft and the gear might be enough to spin the oil pump without any load on it. But trying to suck cold oil into the pump would certainly stall the pump and allow the gear to spin on the shaft.

Just from the helical nature of the gears, if the pin did shear it would almost certianly push the gear up or down the shaft. I can't remember which way the helix is relative to rotation, but if the distributor is keeping the gear from moving up, pull it and crank the engine to see if the gear climbs the shaft. You should also be able to see if the shaft is rotating with the gear.

This might just be one more test to try before performing the dreaded task of pulling the oil pan.

Also, if you think the oil block is on correctly, you can unscrew the oil filter and see if any oil comes out of it.

Good luck.

Brian

 

[agmason54]

ZippOP

Maybe all your oil leaked out.If it has oil in why not tow it down the street with the plugs removed before tearing into it? I would rev it out until it had OP or blew up but that's just me.....
Good luck
Agm

 

[RootesRooter]

Any chance the oil pump pickup tube has a big crack in it near the pump fitting and can't pull any oil? Seems like someone on this list a while back had that happen because of a broken weld on the pickup tube...

 

[Gordon Holsinger]

Hi Mike
Unscrew the oil pressure relief valve and make sure no crud is holding the plunger off the seat or making it bind.
Hopefully that fixes you up! Good luck. Eric

A trick that mechanics have used for years is to pack the pump rotors with Vaseline to create enough suction to get the pump working