New HELP Lost oil pressure. Update 9-9-20

Posted By: VOABIRD

New HELP Lost oil pressure. Update 9-9-20 - 09/04/11 10:53 PM

I have a 1970 Plymouth with a 440 six pack and 58,000 miles. I changed oil today and used Fram oil filter with 10w40 Castrol, I had been using Wix filters and 20w50 oil. I started the engine and it built oil pressure, went for a 15 minute drive and had it to the floor a few times.
I noticed there was no oil pressure and the lifters were rattling. I had the car towed home, removed the oil filter and it did not have oil in it. I removed the valve covers and it checked all of the push rods and they appear to be fine. Drained the oil, installed a new Mopar filter and filled it with fresh 10w40. The oil did not appear to have anything that looked like bearing material.
Still no oil pressure.

Good news. I could not build any oil pressure when I tried priming the engine with a drill through the distributor. I kept hearing gurgling and hissing under the intake manifold. After 2 days I thought about trying to drink through a straw with a hole in it and decided to pull the oil pan. The oil pick up tube was cracked where it threads into the block and broke off when I touched it.
A trip to the auto parts store for 2 pan gaskets and a $17.50 pick up tube and the bird is running. Thanks to everyone for their advise.
Thanks

Attached picture 6810709-ViperAvatar.jpg

Posted By: moretoys

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/04/11 10:59 PM

pull the dist. out and check the oil pump shaft.might have twisted/broke.Oil pump could have locked up.

Posted By: In_The_Pink

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/04/11 11:01 PM

Sounds like the oil pump pickup screen or tube is blocked/clogged. I would drop the pan and have a look.

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/04/11 11:31 PM

If your right handed put the FRUM oil filter in your right hand and throw it as far as you can.

Posted By: Anonymous

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/04/11 11:49 PM

After a few spirited runs with my 'Cuda's 440 a few years back, it lost oil pressure.

I clicked it off and walked the mile home.

I towed it home and still couldn't get pressure on startup.

I took the distributor and the intermediate shaft out and primed the pump with a cordless drill. It finally "caught" and everything was fine after that.

I must've got air in the pump is all I can figure.

I drove it for quite a while after that and never had the problem again.

Posted By: VOABIRD

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/04/11 11:56 PM

Quote:

If your right handed put the FRUM oil filter in your right hand and throw it as far as you can.

I agree, I was in a hurry and had the wife pick up a filter at Walmart.

Posted By: VOABIRD

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/04/11 11:58 PM

What tool do I need to prime the pump?

Posted By: Dodgem

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 12:00 AM

http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/oilpumprimsh.html

think it is 5/16 hex rod!

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 01:08 AM

Not saying you will get this lucky but a local racer at PRP made a pass and on the return road he lost oil pressure, shut it off and loaded the car up. The next day he put another oil filter on it and all is well. Good-luck.

Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 01:18 AM

I wold beet the farm you twisted the intermediate shaft off and that is what drives the oil pump. Pull the distributor and intermediate shaft. Bet the hex end is gone. It will be stuck in the oil pump so the pump will have to come off. Nota big deal to R&R the pump.

Posted By: ireland383

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 01:40 AM

Quote:

I wold beet the farm you twisted the intermediate shaft off and that is what drives the oil pump. Pull the distributor and intermediate shaft. Bet the hex end is gone. It will be stuck in the oil pump so the pump will have to come off. Nota big deal to R&R the pump.

check the shaft.

Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 02:01 AM

If the shaft is indeed broken I would either replace the pump or thoroughly disassemble, clean and inspect it. something got into it and jammed the rotors stopping the pump rotation and causing the shaft breakage.

Posted By: Silver70

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 02:01 AM

Quote:

If your right handed put the FRUM oil filter in your right hand and throw it as far as you can.

I changed oil in probally 1000 cars in my lifes and the only bad oil filter I ever got out of all of them was a wix!

Fortuneately for me, I found it while priming a fresh 493 stroker. Had I used the other for break in and switch to the bad one, it would have been ugly.

Posted By: VOABIRD

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 02:06 AM

Quote:

If the shaft is indeed broken I would either replace the pump or thoroughly disassemble, clean and inspect it. something got into it and jammed the rotors stopping the pump rotation and causing the shaft breakage.

OK, I pulled the distributor and and shaft and the shaft is not broken.

I cant find the prime tool today and probably not on labor day either. If anyone else has ideas please post them.

Posted By: Sinitro

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 02:13 AM

Double check the drive gear, some of these were made without being pinned and will spin if worn bad...

Just my $0.02...

Posted By: JDMopar

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 02:18 AM

If you have a spare 440 laying around,pull the intermediate shaft out of it and grind all of the teeth off of it. Wash it good, and use that for a priming tool.You will also need to make a tool with an end that fits the slot in the shaft, to use in the drill. I needed to do the same years ago, and just sawed the handle off of a straight screwdriver to use in the drill. Good luck.

Posted By: stumpy

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 03:04 AM

You need a reversible drill because it primes counter clockwise,

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 02:12 PM

get a 3/8" round rod & grind/deburr/clean an end to a 5/16 hex, dont have 2 b perfect just work on it w your bench grinder till it fits fairly good & as said prime CCW. If no go might take off the filter & try to add a bit of oil in the pump & reprime w filter off (drape a rag over the pump) but w it loosing psi out of the clear blue sky it sure sounds like the prob is upstream almost like an inside pipe plug came out but I cant see that happening. Pull the pipe thread plug on the pressure regulator on the pump & see if plunger/spring is still free. Holler what it ends up being EDIT if you grind a rod look at an allen wrench the same size to get where you want it

Posted By: THESHAKERPROJECT

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 03:51 PM

I never install a dry filter, always fill it half way when changing.

Posted By: 73rrak

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 04:09 PM

I don't know if you have one near you but Ace Hardware has 5/16 hex rod. I bought some from them years ago and still have it and use it.

Posted By: VOABIRD

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 04:26 PM

I got a magnifying glass and looked carefully at the freshly drained oil from my engine and it is full of very fine particles of metal. I don't see any color to the metallic pieces, their just shiny.

Posted By: In_The_Pink

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 06:14 PM

Well, you still need to find out why you lost oil pressure.

Posted By: MoparforLife

Re: HELP Lost oil pressure and dont know why. - 09/05/11 10:47 PM

Quote:

I got a magnifying glass and looked carefully at the freshly drained oil from my engine and it is full of very fine particles of metal. I don't see any color to the metallic pieces, their just shiny.

You will be very hard pressed not to find these in your oil. every time that engine si run there is a certain amount of wear going on.