oil pressure wont work!

[sr20hardbody]

ok finished the 3400 swap into my beretta a while ago and still havent been able to drive it cuz theres no oil pressure! when i first had it running there was pressure and everything ran fine then it just stopped having pressure dropped to 0 and i noticed the oil pump drive gear was popped out of the block! so i then realized my motor didnt come with the little bracket that holds it down so i made one and it turned out fine but still have no oil pressure and the top ends ticking like a time bomb!

what to do?! do i just tear the pan out and have a look? does it take a while for the pressure to pick back up? cuz i only let the car run for 30 seconds this time and it was still at 0 and ticking loud! i'd hate to tear the pan off and the rest of the suspension if its just cuz i didnt let it run long enough. what would you do? run it longer to see if it comes on or tear everything apart?

[Chris88CL]

Are you sure you replaced the hex key that connects the drive gear to the oil pump when you replaced the drive gear? Did you check it out to see if it was stripped or damaged? What about the camshaft side of the gear?

[sr20hardbody]

k 8 months later i decided to start working on this thing again.

so i tore the oil pan off and took out the oil pump took everything apart everything looks good and spins freely so no damage was done to those parts im not sure about the rest of the bottom end but im gonna throw it together anyway and see what it does.

now whats keeping me from going any further is i was told to use an oil pump primer tool but i cant find the one i need for this 3400 and i dont wanna try starting the engine dry and letting it get pressure on its own especially after its already ran with no oil pressure for who knows how long. so if someone can please shoot me a link or tell me where i can get one of these primer tools that would help me a lot cuz i already tried searching and all the pics i see of these devices dont look like they'll fit or they say not for hex drive oil pumps and thats what this engine uses.

[robertisaar]

hot rod or car craft did an article about making your own primer for DIS ignition setups... i believe it involved a cordless drill, a 5 gallon bucket filled with oil and another oil pump...

[sr20hardbody]

i tried looking it up but couldnt find it so i took some pics to show you guys what im dealing with. i left my oil pan off all winter like a dumbass and now the entire bottom end is rusted out which makes it even worse since its ran with no oil pressure for about 10 minutes idling but the rods never knocked just the top end ticked. so should i overfill the motor with oil and let it sit for a while?

i also have this extension that came with a drill bit set that fits but doesnt seal the entire opening like the pump gear drive does think it'll work to prime the engine? and which direction should i spin the drill?

[Superdave]

shove a rag around the bit and it should be ok.. i forget what direction to go but you'll know when it's pumping.. lol

[sprucegagt]

Your going to destroy a set of piston rings when that engine starts again. The cylinder walls are dry and have to much rust on them.

[sr20hardbody]

thanks for the replys

yeah all the rust has me concerned so im getting ready to go bolt the pan on then fill the engine up with tons of oil and let it sit for a couple days before i attempt to prime it or turn it over by hand and i think the pump spins clockwise on the drill guess we'll see.

[torq455]

i had the same thing happen to my stock 3.1. i was messing with two other things while changing the oil, and started the engine. i walked around up to the engine to hold the revs up and didn't remember the engine (rods) being that noisy. i don't think i've ever moved so fast in my life! shut it off, finished the oil change and i didn't think i'd ever get oil psi. i started it three time and let it run about 10 seconds each time, and finally got psi. my lifters were ticking pretty good to. in fact one was slightly damaged. it occasionally ticks when it feel like it. that was about three years ago. i figured the pump cavitated. i hate to admit that, but i'm not perfect.

[sr20hardbody]

so you ran with no oil pressure and 3 years later all good? if so sounds like a good deal! im really worried about mine though its like a 50/50 whether its gonna pull through or knock im keeping my fingers crossed

i was gonna put the pan on yesterday but got too humid so i thought i'd wait till today but its worse so im just gonna go throw it on and quit b/s'n i'll keep everyone posted

[torq455]

yep. well, 3 years doesn't say much. but it's been running fine for at least 20K miles. also had the oil plug out and the filter off to boot! though, my cylinders weren't as rusty as yours. if you plan on your rods living, and while the oil pan is off, why not take a little time to remove all of the caps and put some assembly lube on the bearings. won't hurt to squirt some oil all over what you can get to.

[sr20hardbody]

well im thinking i should fill the oil up to the normal level then try priming the pump after i see oil moving through the top end then i'll add tons more oil (15 quarts total) to let the bottom end soak before i try turning it over by hand. after that i'll spin it with the starter with the spark plugs out to get everything moving before the actual start. think this is a good idea?

[robertisaar]

is the motor still outside of the vehicle?

[sr20hardbody]

nope the motors been installed and was running untill this happened and im to the point where its either it goes or it blows so this is all i can think of without tearing everything completly apart

[sr20hardbody]

k i had another idea

since the 15 quarts of oil will most likely lube the bearings etc.. but not the piston rings what if i filled the spark plug holes up with 2 stroke oil and let the oil seep past the rings to coat the cylinders? im thinking 2 stroke oil since it burns with no residue and it should all burn up or blow out before the engine gets hot and thats what i've always done with my 2 stroke motors when storing them is fill the chamber up with oil think this will work?

i just cant get all the way up in there to lube everything and a spray bottle with oil does no good lol