Oil light/pressure post oil pump removal/install

[TexasSpider]

Hey guys,

I have an 83 Pin 2.0 FI. Long story short, I had to remove the oil pump to get the oil pan off with the engine in the car. Everything is back together (I was changing the timing belt and other items). I had read somewhere that if the oil pump has been messed with, one must use the starter to crank the engine with the ignition wire disconnected so oil starts recirculating. I did this a few times hoping the oil light would go off but it did not. I reconnected the ignition wire and started her up but the oil light was still "on" and oil pressure was at the bottom. I shut her down after a minute as I don't want to run the engine if the oil pump is not working.


Questions: Should I run it longer to see if I get oil pressure, when do I risk engine damage? Was I supposed to fill the oil pump before bolting it back on (I remember reading this but seemed impossible)? Any ideas on what to do?

Thanks

[124JOE]

did you make certin the aux oil shaft was in the right place when you did the timing belt?
the 1 oclock position-----#6

[TexasSpider]

I'm pretty sure it was when i put the belt back on.

However, I do remember when i was taking the bolt off the aux cam pulley (the oil seal behind it was leaking), I had a hard time getting the bolt off so I used an impact wrench which spun the pull accidently . I put it back to 1 o'clock but was surprised by how easy it moved.

[TexasSpider]

Ok did some research:

The best way to prime the pump was to spin the aux cam with a drill with engine at TDC when the belt was off - too late for this, i really don't want to do another timing belt job.

Another method is to fill the oil filter and crank the engine with the ignition coil disconnected - this is what i was trying without much luck.

Last option seems to involve overfilling the oil pan (putting 7 quarts of oil in the engine), which submerges the pump and then draining the excess once oil pressure is established. I'm going to try this tomorrow, will let you know how this works.

[Autoricambi]

There is another way. Pull the oil pump drive gear w/ a magnet, long needle nose pliers and the help of a small monkey. Then take a bit of 5/16 fuel hose (at least thats what I recall) and attach one end to the oil pump shaft and the other to the drill.

Start slowly and work your way up in speed.

Ramzi

[TexasSpider]

Thanks Ramzi.

I'm a bit confused, could you clarify what you mean by "Pull the oil pump drive gear"? Do I need to take the pan off? Isn't the oil pump tied to the aux cam so spinning it would involve spinning the engine unless the timing belt is off?

[Ramzi]

On the driver's side of the block is a plug which replaced the distributor when it was moved to the exhaust cam box. That plug holds down the oil pump drive gear... On the photo above its above the 6

Ramzi

[majicwrench]

SOmething is not right. Cranking the engine you should get oil pressure within 30 seconds. If you RAN engine for 30 seconds and no oil pressure, something not right. Is a nice touch to fill oil filter and prime pump, but not neccessary. You may want to pull that little cover over the gear and crank engine, make sure it is really spinning. And you can over fill crankcase, if you have a cracked pick-up tube that may help. Pull oil filter and see if it has any oil in it. I'm not so sure about pulling gear and trying to prime pump with a hose??? Methinks is goona be a waste of time. Starter motor turns pump just fine.
Wise man to not run engine very long with no pressure.
Keith

[TexasSpider]

aha, i see said plug. Now if i can just find a small monkey .

I will attempt this tomorrow. I used to think that the oil pump is engaged to the aux cam and thus will not spin alone....

[131]

aha, i see said plug. Now if i can just find a small monkey .

I will attempt this tomorrow. I used to think that the oil pump is engaged to the aux cam and thus will not spin alone....

The auxillary shaft turns a gear that the spline in the oil pump fits into. If you remove the plug and then the oil pump drive gear, Ramzi's piece of hose will fit over the spline on the oil pump shaft and spin the pump without any other engine bits moving. In the shop I used to work in we had an oil pump drive gear with the gear teeth ground off and a shaft welded on that came out the distributor hole so a drill could be used. Ramzi's piece of hose is a much simpler solution.

[TexasSpider]

OK I feel like an idiot.

I'm trying to remove the plug that covers the old distributor hole. I took the 13 mm bolt and cover bracket off but the plug won't come off. It spins freely but I can't pry it off. Is there a trick to this, there are two radial marks on the cover that may be a clue that it needs to be pointed in a certain direction before it can pop out but I can't figure it out. Can someone with more brain cells help me out.

[TexasSpider]

please ignore the last post, got the cover off with two small screw drivers on each side.

[TexasSpider]

SUCCESS!

Ramzi's trick for priming the pump worked. Got the oil light to go off and she is running great.

I took the plug off, pulled the oil pump gear with a magnet, stuck a foot long piece of fuel hose on to the oil pump drive and spun it using a drill. I could tell when the oil pump was primed as spinning became tough. Putting the oil pump gear back on was tricky and I had a heart-stopping moment when it almost slipped off the magnet into the abyss of the oil pan but luckily it stay on and I eventually stuck it in its place.

After 3 weekends wrestling with the oil seals, gaskets, dented oil pan, sending the radiator to be cleaned, making a bracket for the new rad fan, replacing the STUPID heater valve, changing the timing belt, etc., etc., it felt awesome to take her for a spin

Thanks Ramzi, Joe, Keith, and Mick

[majicwrench]

Don't thank me, I would have bet that spinning the pump would not have brought up the pressure, if you had the engine running and still had no pressure. At any rate, thrilled that there was an easy solution!
Keith

[Ramzi]

Really it worked.??? I just made that whole thing up.

Just kidding. It's an old 11th hour trick. But now you know why I recommended a monkey with small hands..... That gear can be tricky.

Glad it worked

Ramzi