Is there a wrong way to re-install dist/oil drive?

[SteveInMs]

I've finished LIM job on the 3100 in my '98 Malibu. Put in a battery, crossed my fingers and turned the key. Started right up, but no oil pressure, no oil coming up through the pushrods. Lots of noise, rattles, taps and a pretty bad knock, but hey, it's gonna do some of that with no oil.

I put a new o ring on that distributor/oil pump dirve during the LIM process and I can't help but wonder if I put it in wrong. I can't remember if there was a keyway or slot on the end. I don't think so, but I thought I'd ask any of you guys who might know.

I didn't prime the oil pump before attempting to start it, but I revved it a couple of times, ran it as long as I dared (about 2-3 minutes). That should have primed it if it was going to pump anything.

Looks like an oil pump, man I am so not looking forward to that.

[geoffinbc]

Well I hope there was no damage. But as long as the oil pump drive engaged the oil pump drive shaft (8mm hex shaft) and it seated down with no hammering everything should be fine. Sometimes the drive shaft comes out when you remove the drive but can fall out later on the bench. I hope you remembered to reinstall it if this is the case.

[SteveInMs]

Well I hope there was no damage. But as long as the oil pump drive engaged the oil pump drive shaft (8mm hex shaft) and it seated down with no hammering everything should be fine. Sometimes the drive shaft comes out when you remove the drive but can fall out later on the bench. I hope you remembered to reinstall it if this is the case.

Is it a long rod? I don't recall anything coming out with the drive other than the drive itself. Looks like I'm going to pull the UIM and take a look anyway. Thanks

[60dgrzbelow0]

Oil Pump Drive Problem...

IIRC, the newer versions of the drive shaft assembly for the transverse V6 engines have a male slotted end on the Oil Pump Drive that mates up to a female version on the newer Oil Pump Drive shafts. I have been so afraid of a similar failure in my current 95 GM 3.4L OHV RWD build that I bought one of the Pre-Oiler Tools made for the Chevy V8s and 90* V6 engines and heavily modified it to work with the hex drive shafts of the earlier 2.8L, 3.1L and 3.4L engines. (Please see the attached images).

There are four things that can cause a Zero Oil Pressure Event:

(1) Dry Sump Oil Cavitation: This can occur where a new Oil Pump is installed and was never primed properly before being bolted up to the oil mount on the block. In the old days, mechanics used to disassemble the Oil Pump and pack it with either cup grease or petroleum jelly to guarantee that no air was trapped in the pump to prevent its priming and then replace the cover plate and torque it down to OEM specs. A second, less invasive priming method is to mix a quantity of organic, 30wgt motor oil and some GM EOS (Engine Oil Supplement), submerge the Oil Pump in a small bucket of the stuff and hand crank the drive to make certain it is throwing oil with no air is trapped in the unit before installation.

(2) A Broken Pump/ Misaligned Drive Gear: If the dual gears seize because of broken gears or a lock up caused by a piece of metal trash inside, the drive shaft can shear and the engine will seize not long afterward because of oil starvation. If the drive shaft was not inserted properly and mated ...the same outcome happens.

(3) The Oil Pump Pick Up Tube: If the tube is installed too close to the bottom of the oil pan, not enough oil will enter the pump via the partial vacuum caused by this problem. If the tube is set too high, air can enter the system. Liquid pumps function because liquids are incompressible...air is another matter...once air is in the pump gear box...no oil can follow. Cavitation and engine death soon follow.

(4) Low Oil in the Crankcase: If any of the above problems prevail in the presence of an insufficient amount of oil in the crankcase on start-up, the Oil Pump will cavitate and the engine will seize.

I would suggest that before doing anything else, drain the Oil and remove the Oil Filter. Cut the end off of the Oil Filter in a clean container and pull out the internal filter and examine it closely for metal artifacts using a magnet to determine which of the debris is iron or steel versus which of the particles are aluminum (Babbitt material) if you see anything dramatic there...you will have to tear things down and do a closer inspection to find out what is broken and what can be salvaged.

I am very sorry that this has happened to you and I hope for the best possible outcome when you get to the bottom of the problem.

[SteveInMs]

IIRC, the newer versions of the drive shaft assembly for the transverse V6 engines have a male slotted end on the Oil Pump Drive that mates up to a female version on the newer Oil Pump Drive shafts. I have been so afraid of a similar failure in my current 95 GM 3.4L OHV RWD build that I bought one of the Pre-Oiler Tools made for the Chevy V8s and 90* V6 engines and heavily modified it to work with the hex drive shafts of the earlier 2.8L, 3.1L and 3.4L engines. (Please see the attached images).

There are four things that can cause a Zero Oil Pressure Event:

(3) The Oil Pump Pick Up Tube: If the tube is installed too close to the bottom of the oil pan, not enough oil will enter the pump via the partial vacuum caused by this problem. If the tube is set too high, air can enter the system. Liquid pumps function because liquids are incompressible...air is another matter...once air is in the pump gear box...no oil can follow. Cavitation and engine death soon follow.

Nice work and great information sir. I greatly appreciate it. I think some version of #3 above is my problem. I won't have time to find out until the weekend, then I'll dive in see if I can determine anything. If I had to guess, it looks like I'm in for a complete engine overhaul, or at the very least a bottom end rebuild.

Thanks again

[pocket-rocket]

Yeah, if I don't see oil pressure in the first 5 seconds of running an engine, I shut it down. I hope nothing got screwed up, so good luck on what you find. When doing something simple like an oil change, I don't have one of those preoiler primer deals, so I pull the ECM fuse and crank it until I see pressure, or if the engine doesn't spin long enough to shut the light off, I crank it for about 30-45 seconds (not continuously of course).

[geoffinbc]

You should always determine engine oil pressure during priming. Otherwise don't bother starting it. I had a solid 75 PSI before I started mine up. I made a drive plug out of an old distributor. I took the distributor housing a machine off the top section. Knocked out all the guts and bored a 3/4" hole right through it. Then after installing it in the engine I could insert a socket with an extension and prime the motor.

But if you just did I LIM job I don't see how a pickup problem could arise.

[Rarestace]

i would try reseating the oil pump drive cause if you didnt drop the pan i really dont see how the pick up tube is the problem

[turboD]

It's very possible that when you pulled the oil drive out, the pump rod came partially out of the bore, then fell into the drain-back hole next to the cam gear. You may be able to retreve it with a magnet and reinstall it.
If you look at the oil pump drive housing, the top groove is for the O-ring seal, the next groove is part of the rear lifter galley (cyl 1-3-5). As an added seal for the drive, you can install a V-8 Chevrolet distributor gasket. Some like to seal the housing with silicone sealant, but I like the gasket along with the O-ring. D

[hal.lyman]

Wow this project does not end, just when I thought I was done the nylon lines going into here cracked.... Oof! These are fuel lines that plug into the throttle body , are they return lines ? (fuel injected) and can I replace them with metal lines? They run under the upper plenum. What should I do?help! I really need to get this car back on the road. Thanks in advance for the feedback!

[Guest]

Those are vacuum lines, and yes you can replace them with metal lines. I use metal lines for most of my vacuum lines on my own vehicles.

[hal.lyman]

As i recall thethey had fuel in them, is that wrong ?

[hal.lyman]

If they are vacuum lines can they just be spliced and fixed add hoc or do they carry fuel?

[1988GTU]

If you have a fresh measurable amount of fuel in those vacuum lines, you may have a faulty fpr. Not liquid of any sort should be present in those VACUUM lines.

Those lines, if you are not aware, are vacuum lines.

The plastic vacuum lines that are brittle and breaking on you are to not contain any gasoline in them. It may have a smell of unspent fuel, but no actual fuel present.

Being how old those vacuum lines are, it is likely to have them snap.

[hal.lyman]

Sorry, what is an FPR? So it sounds like any decent vacuum tubing should do the job and I dont have to worry about highly pressurized fuel lines, that,s great. Are these also known as fuel return lines?