No oil pressure

Tiny
ITBROKE
  • MEMBER
  • 1977 CHRYSLER NEWPORT
  • 6.6L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 60,000 MILES
Lately I started this beast and immediately saw that the oil pressure light stayed on. I shut it off and began my search for the problem. When I removed the sending unit and turned the engine over, no oil came out of the hole. I removed the oil filter, turned the engine over and found that the oil pump is working. Have you ever heard of a Fram oil filter blocking the oil flow due to some manufacturing defect? Is the next step pulling the oil pan and checking bearings?
Monday, April 20th, 2020 AT 8:41 PM

36 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
If you noted oil pressure with the filter off, have you replaced the filter? As far as an issue or defect, I'm not familiar with one. Has the vehicle been sitting? Is the oil clean and full?

This is the year make and model vehicle I learned to drive in. It's a big one. LOL

Let me know. Also, let me know if you heard any knocking or ticking from the engine when the light was staying on.

Take care,
Joe
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Monday, April 20th, 2020 AT 9:46 PM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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The engine has been run on occasion through the winter. Lots of oil. I shut the engine off real fast when the light stayed on. My next step is a new filter when I get to town. Will putting air through the oil pump show anything?
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Tuesday, April 21st, 2020 AT 6:40 AM
Tiny
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Honestly, I don't see how that would show anything. I would first try replacing the filter to see if that takes care of the problem. If it doesn't, let me know and we'll pull the oil pump and see what is happening. However, you indicated there was oil pressure when you removed the filter, so in all honesty, it sounds like a filter issue.

Let me know what you find or if you have other questions.

Take care,
Joe
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Tuesday, April 21st, 2020 AT 6:01 PM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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I changed the oil and installed a new filter. However still no oil pressure. I have never heard of oil pumps failing suddenly. Have you?
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Friday, April 24th, 2020 AT 4:13 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Under normal conditions, no, but this vehicle isn't driven daily. Didn't you tell me oil shot out with the filter off and cranking the engine?

At this point, we may need to remove the oil pan to see if the pick up tube/screen is blocked. That is another possibility.

Joe
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Friday, April 24th, 2020 AT 6:48 PM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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The vehicle isn't driven daily. I did get oil flow with the filter off and cranking the engine. I changed the oil and filter and still have no oil pressure when I ran the engine for a short time. I tried fishing a wire around inside the oil pan through the drain hole but didn't hook anything. I suppose I could pull the pump and test it against AutoZone"s specs.
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Friday, April 24th, 2020 AT 10:35 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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That is odd. I have to be honest. It sounds like the pump is bad. There could be restriction on the pick-up screen, but the only way to know is by removing the oil pan.

Joe
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Saturday, April 25th, 2020 AT 10:33 PM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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Thank you for your replies. This is a problem that is not necessarily solved with a simple "replace a component" and you're done. It looks like oil pump removal is next and we'll see if anything is plugged or broken. It could be after 40+ years.
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Sunday, April 26th, 2020 AT 9:50 AM
Tiny
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I agree. It needs taken apart and inspected. I'm hoping it's something simple like the screen is plugged. If that is the case, I would remove the pump as well and inspect it.

If you have the chance, let me know what you find. I'm interested in knowing.

Take care,
Joe
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Sunday, April 26th, 2020 AT 7:43 PM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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With much effort I got the pump removed and measured some of the clearances. The clearance at one wear spot on the cover was a tight.002. At the tip of one lobe of the rotor to the inner lobe of the outer race it was.012. The others were within specs. After the fun of looking for a piece of pipe for a suitable extension handle for my ratchet and a pry bar to hold the socket in place so I could get the pump off, I think I will try to jury rig a vacuum setup to see how easy it is to draw up oil from the pan. If it is easy to draw up then the problem has to be the pump or further up the line. Someone had mentioned a burr on the pressure valve in the pump that caused low oil pressure but I'm not that lucky this time.
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Monday, April 27th, 2020 AT 9:17 AM
Tiny
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Was everything in the pan including the pick-up tube?

Joe
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Monday, April 27th, 2020 AT 11:48 AM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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I haven't pulled the oil pan yet. I'm wondering if the few low specs I have for the pump would indicate that it got to the point that it would not put oil through the engine because it was easier to leak back to the pan.
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Monday, April 27th, 2020 AT 12:13 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Anything is possible. Considering when there is no restriction (oil filter removed) you get oil coming out which is stopped when you reinstall the filter, it may be the cause.
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Monday, April 27th, 2020 AT 6:00 PM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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Thank you for your input. I'm leaning to getting a new oil pump and trying it. If further work on the engine is needed to fix this, a new pump should go on anyway.
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Monday, April 27th, 2020 AT 7:56 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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I agree. However, most people wouldn't say that. Once it's out, replace it. You don't want to take things apart again in the near future.

If you have the chance, let me know what you find. I'm interested in knowing.

Take care,
Joe
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Monday, April 27th, 2020 AT 8:45 PM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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Will do. My neighbor gave me another tip. He suggested trying to turn the pump drive from the bottom to see if the gear and drive rod are still firmly connected up top. I'll give that a try tomorrow.
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Monday, April 27th, 2020 AT 8:52 PM
Tiny
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Sounds like a plan. Let me know what is found.

Joe
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Monday, April 27th, 2020 AT 9:19 PM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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The drive gear and shaft are all in one piece so that's another item eliminated.
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Tuesday, April 28th, 2020 AT 8:39 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Good morning,

If I could throw my 2 cents in here, when you removed the filter and oil came out when you started it, that means there should be pressure somewhere.

Since it did not come out the sender hole, did you check to be sure there is not dirt or debris in that passage? That is an area that I would blow back air to see if the passage is blocked.

Also, when you replace the pump, I would pack the gears with luber plate to get the pump to prime quicker.

Did the engine make any noise when you did start it in the beginning?

Roy
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Thursday, April 30th, 2020 AT 4:39 AM
Tiny
ITBROKE
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I'll try the air pressure trick and see what happens. When I noticed the check engine light I shut it off real fast. I have the defective muffler off so the engine made a lot of combustion noise that may have covered it up.
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Thursday, April 30th, 2020 AT 8:40 AM

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