Zero oil pressure - 4/23/24 update - oil changed and seems to be working fine

[thegreatjustino]

351W in a 1974 Bronco.

Ran fine last June when it was last driven

This month I start it up and have a bad lifter tick. Gauge reads no oil pressure. Hook up a test gauge, start it again, lifter tick has gone away, but still zero oil pressure.

Remove distributor and valve covers. Use an oil pump priming tool in a drill to spin the oil pump driveshaft counter clockwise. I can feel resistance build against the drill, but no oil emerges from the push rods.

Where do I start?

I don't mind pulling the oil pan, but if there's an easier place to start (clogged oil filter perhaps) I'd like to start with the simple stuff first.

 

[Hammer6672]

I think your gonna have to pull the pan.

 

[36Fan]

I would change the filter first.

 

[nvrstuk]

Exactly what 36Fan said, pull the filter and change it

Pull the oil sender and hook a small line up to it so when you crank it or start it you can see if you now have pressurized oil shooting out of it.

Then you dive deeper.

The first clue was lifter noise (after the gauge) lol You said you hooked a guage up to it...what did it read??

But it's not tapping now AND it's still running with hyd lifters. Check for oil pressure at the sender after changing the filter and put a guage on it if you have one. I always have one or two laying around.

No oil out the pushrods tho when priming... but change the filter before anything else

 

[thegreatjustino]

You said you hooked a guage up to it...what did it read??

Removing the oil pressure sending unit and threading in an oil pressure gauge, zero oil pressure.

I'll change the filter and report back this weekend.

 

[thegreatjustino]

To add a little more info here, due to the custom nature of this build, this does have a remote oil filter kit installed. So one more thing that could be causing problems or malfunctioning.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Take off the oil filter, spin the oil pump. Did you just make a big mess?

 

[73azbronco]

Ha^^^ But he is right. Those remote filters have a bypass valve that might be stuck

 

[bmc69]

Ha^^^ But he is right. Those remote filters have a bypass valve that might be stuck

None of the ones I use have any kind of bypass valve in the filter mount. The actual filter elements are same as used on the block directly.

 

[Steve83]

Try spinning the pump the other direction.

 

[ba123]

counter-clockwise is the proper direction.

you sure you ran the drill long enough?

sometimes a pump can take some time with a drill.

If you don't get oil pressure doing that, then I'd bet there is something wrong with your oil pump or pump installation (seal between pump and pump mount, seal between pump and pickup, or hole in pickup tube so it's sucking air instead of oil.

 

[36Fan]

Possibilities:
Remote oil filter is mounted up higher causing oil in filter and lines to drain back to pan? That will take some time to prime
Oil filter paper element has blockage inside?
Pick up in pan has something obstructing it?

 

[thegreatjustino]

Possibilities:
Remote oil filter is mounted up higher causing oil in filter and lines to drain back to pan? That will take some time to prime
Oil filter paper element has blockage inside?
Pick up in pan has something obstructing it?

The remote oil filter has been installed for the life of this build (going on a decade now) and was never an issue previously when the Bronco was driven, so the location isn't causing the problem. The filter could be. Or an issue with the pump or pickup itself. It's pouring here today, so I'll need to hold off until the weather clears to do any further diagnostic.

Try spinning the pump the other direction.

Turning the pump backwards just makes a sloshing sound in the oil pan.

you sure you ran the drill long enough?

sometimes a pump can take some time with a drill.

Zero oil pressure with the engine running. Using the drill and getting nothing out of the push rods is unlikely to change that no matter how long I run the drill. I did however feel noticeable resistance against the drill as the pump spun. Generally the oil begins coming out of the push rods shortly after you hit maximum resistance against the drill during priming. Not a drop here. Pressure builds in the pump, but something is preventing the oil from circulating through the system.

 

[73azbronco]

viscosity of oil?

 

[Viperwolf1]

Maybe lost an oil galley plug in the front of the block, behind the timing chain.

 

[ba123]

The remote oil filter has been installed for the life of this build (going on a decade now) and was never an issue previously when the Bronco was driven, so the location isn't causing the problem. The filter could be. Or an issue with the pump or pickup itself. It's pouring here today, so I'll need to hold off until the weather clears to do any further diagnostic.



Turning the pump backwards just makes a sloshing sound in the oil pan.



Zero oil pressure with the engine running. Using the drill and getting nothing out of the push rods is unlikely to change that no matter how long I run the drill. I did however feel noticeable resistance against the drill as the pump spun. Generally the oil begins coming out of the push rods shortly after you hit maximum resistance against the drill during priming. Not a drop here. Pressure builds in the pump, but something is preventing the oil from circulating through the system.

Oh wow, ok.

I'd remove the remote filter setup and put a regular filter on to test and then if that corrects it, figure out what's wrong with the remote setup.
—-
Just saw the part that you've had this on though,,,,I dunno. maybe ignore this part then and go back to the pump and pickup.

 

[thegreatjustino]

viscosity of oil?

5W-20, which is what was recommended based on this being a 90s era roller block.

 

[thegreatjustino]

I'd remove the remote filter setup and put a regular filter on to test and then if that corrects it, figure out what's wrong with the remote setup.

Due to the custom nature of this build, it's not possible to install an oil filter directly on the engine. Hence the need for the remote filter setup.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Maybe lost an oil galley plug in the front of the block, behind the timing chain.

The one at the back of the valley would be a bigger loss to the lifters.

 

[ba123]

I wouldn't run the engine again until you know it's solved.

If possible, I'd remove the filter and if you can put the remote filter end into something that'll catch oil and try priming to see if it's getting there. Seems most likely, it's blocked at the filter or before the filter, if there isn't a problem with the pump and pickup--you mentioned feeling the resistance so that's a plus, but I think the oil pressure port is after the filter.

Then, if oil flows through, put a filter back on and test again.

If you just put a filter on and test, it might work, but if it doesn't, you're not ruling anything else out. Meaning that with the filter off, and you see a lot of flow, you know it's getting there so the problem is not with the line to the filter and could be the line from the filter out or was the filter itself.