No Oil To Top of Engine.

[Mudeblue]

Complete 383 engine overhaul with restoration project (Car from hell)! Engine started but am not getting any oil pressure measure based on reading with new electric oil gauge and am not getting any oil to top of engine. Unable to determine problem. Engine was not test run contrary to what the person who did the overhaul stated. I understand the oil pump can be driven by pulling the the distributor but don’t know if that is applicable to a 383. Suggestions/ideas? Thanks.

 

[Blusmbl]

Yeah- you need a long hex drive to spin the oil pump after you remove the distributor and the oil pump/distributor drive gear.

How long was it running for with no oil pressure? What oil filter is on it?

 

[Lefty71]

No oil to top of engine can be a spun or severely misaligned cam bearing (#4 bearing?), also could be internal threaded plug missing, near front cover on feeds from pump. Most likely tho on a rebuild is that the heads have now been swapped side to side, and the gunk never got cooked out of the oil passage in each head... ive seen that one many, many times. Check for pressure with a drill, dont try starting the car till you figure this one out.

 

[Jengel451]

Pull the sending unit and prime the pump. Getting flow but no pressure?

Be sure you remembered the front oil galley plug under the fuel pump rod. It's easy to miss....ask me how I know

 

[CBODY67]

Yeah- you need a long hex drive to spin the oil pump after you remove the distributor and the oil pump/distributor drive gear.

How long was it running for with no oil pressure? What oil filter is on it?

Seems like there is a particular relationship between the intermediate shaft and the camshaft involved that needs to be verified with #1 at TDC? Basically, whichever way the slot for the distributor drive is clocked upon shaft removal, put things back like they were prior to removal.

Was the oil pump packed with petroieum jelly prior to initial start-up?

At this point in time, might be best to pull the engine back out and fully inspect it, especially the bearings, and re-lube the cam lobes, too, possibly? Looking for things which could cause the issue at hand.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[Blusmbl]

Yes, it's easiest to rotate it around like this before you pull the distributor and oil pump drive out.

 

[mr gtx]

your relieve valve is stuck in the oil pump. unless you not going in reverse with your drill

 

[stubs300]

Is your Rocker arm shaft installed correctly? Oil holes need to point down. Good Luck

 

[halifaxhops]

Mopar Mitch had a good one the oil holes in the camshaft were not drilled out fully so one side was not getting oil to the rockers, that was hard to find.

 

[Jengel451]

A lot of conjecture going on, until @Mudeblue reports back on what has been tried etc, as a group we're tearing down to the block.

remember, he said there was zero oil pressure, cam bearings in the wrong spot, or block rocker shaft galley etc will still give oil pressure at the sending unit gallery, the oil goes from the pump to the front main and goes up the front of the block, there is a Y there, one gallery goes to the cam, the other goes to the passenger side Lifter Gallery, the lifter gallery goes to the rear where it goes across the back (Sending unit gallery is there) and over to the driver side lifter gallery and goes forward to the front of the block. The Rocker shaft gallerys do come from the cam branch mid way back so yeah, if something there isn't right, bearing isn't indexed, or cam oiling holes blocked you won't get anything up to the rockers, but you definitely should be getting oil pressure via the lifter gallery.

1. How long was it run without oil pressure? If it was a short stint you may have dodged a bullet, only way to tell is pop main caps, if it was less than 30 seconds go with it.
2. get an oil priming shaft and do the following before going too deep.
- spin it with a drill and see if you can feel resistance, pull the sender at the back of the block and spin it again, if you see oil you may have a galley plug out, if you don't, then start looking at the pump, it's easy to pull it and check it out and try a few things above.

But for the love of god, don't just walk away from this thread without giving a status, it kind of irritates folks that are trying to help.

 

[mr gtx]

it's really simply, first step you need to prime the pump with reverse drill and a oil priming shaft or old dist shaft if there is no pressure then the pump is not working, next step is to take the 15/16 nut off the pump that is pointing towards the rear of the car then the pressure spring will come out and then free the oil relieve valve.

 

[Mudeblue]

A lot of conjecture going on, until @Mudeblue reports back on what has been tried etc, as a group we're tearing down to the block.

remember, he said there was zero oil pressure, cam bearings in the wrong spot, or block rocker shaft galley etc will still give oil pressure at the sending unit gallery, the oil goes from the pump to the front main and goes up the front of the block, there is a Y there, one gallery goes to the cam, the other goes to the passenger side Lifter Gallery, the lifter gallery goes to the rear where it goes across the back (Sending unit gallery is there) and over to the driver side lifter gallery and goes forward to the front of the block. The Rocker shaft gallerys do come from the cam branch mid way back so yeah, if something there isn't right, bearing isn't indexed, or cam oiling holes blocked you won't get anything up to the rockers, but you definitely should be getting oil pressure via the lifter gallery.

1. How long was it run without oil pressure? If it was a short stint you may have dodged a bullet, only way to tell is pop main caps, if it was less than 30 seconds go with it.
2. get an oil priming shaft and do the following before going too deep.
- spin it with a drill and see if you can feel resistance, pull the sender at the back of the block and spin it again, if you see oil you may have a galley plug out, if you don't, then start looking at the pump, it's easy to pull it and check it out and try a few things above.

But for the love of god, don't just walk away from this thread without giving a status, it kind of irritates folks that are trying to help.

Noted.

 

[Mudeblue]

Spin the oil pump to test oil pressure.

 

[1970FuryConv]

Spin the oil pump to test oil pressure.

And screw an oil pressure gauge into the the sending unit port. See what you've got without the gauges on the dash.

 

[stubs300]

Spin the oil pump to test oil pressure.

Makes sure you spin it counterclockwise! Good Luck

 

[NitrousTuner1]

Rocker shafts installed wrong.
Oil filter needs burped.
And dealing with all the other unknowns off your postings DEFINITELY Needs to be primed with a drill anyways...
Summit or Jegs you'll have it in a couple days.

 

[Bryon Mason]

I just went through this with mine, pulled the oil sending unit, ran a drill in the pump, was flowing oil but no pressure. Pulled the valve covers and i had a broken rocker, pulled the intake and the lifter was out as well. New rockers from 440 source fixed the problem. Made a video of me and my son replacing everything.

 

[Mudeblue]

Complete 383 engine overhaul with restoration project (Car from hell)! Engine started but am not getting any oil pressure measure based on reading with new electric oil gauge and am not getting any oil to top of engine. Unable to determine problem. Engine was not test run contrary to what the person who did the overhaul stated. I understand the oil pump can be driven by pulling the the distributor but don’t know if that is applicable to a 383. Suggestions/ideas? Thanks.

As requested by Jengel451, problem identified and resolved. The shop/person completing the restoration requested a friend who is a Mopar expert of 40 years to assist.

Step #1 = Spun NEW oil pump; no pressure registered on testing gauge. Pulled pump. Bad pump; purchased new and installed.

Step # 2 = Spun pump. No oil to top of engine. Pulled pan and checked oil pickup. Pickup fine.

Step # 3 = Pull radiator, fans, a/c, alternator, power steering pump, water pump, and timing chain cover.

Step # 4 = Using finger, check oil reservoir plug. NO PLUG (one facing down)!

Step # 5 = Install plug, spin oil pump, 75 lbs. oil pressure, oil circulating through entire engine.

Step # 6 = Numerous exclamations of happinesses having learned the engine did not have to be pulled.

Step # 7 = Button engine up, refill with new break in oil, start and run engine, running and sounding great!

Step # 8 = More exclamations of relief.

Step # 9 = Curse engine rebuilder who made such a stupid mistake and refused numerous requests to visit restoration shop to make an evaluation, Curse original shop that started the restoration, claimed the engine had been test run, and from whom I had to extract the car after two years and who has proven to be one of the biggest con man and crooks in Phoenix area.

Step #10 = Express more exclamations of relief for having found and resolved the problem and having found a reputable shop to take on the restoration project when the car was in pieces and boxes. He has brought it to the final stages of completing the restoration and exclaimed many times during the process “these …. Mopars are a bunch of ….. and when this ….. thing is done, I will never ….. work on another one of one of these ….. things. Despite all of the trials we have encountered, he persevered and it he is my hero! !

That’s my story’

 

[Jengel451]

Nice. Unfortunate series of events though.

My guess is the pump was fine, pulling the sender at step 1 may have saved you from pulling the pump and pan. Regardless, you have it running now!

 

[Mudeblue]

Nice. Unfortunate series of events though.

My guess is the pump was fine, pulling the sender at step 1 may have saved you from pulling the pump and pan. Regardless, you have it running now!

Once we started the project, we started with the most easiest and most obvious and went from there with the hope we did not have to pull the engine. Given the bad luck we have had with the whole process and no longer having faith in those that went before, we were not going to leave any rock unturned given the limited additional effort required. But she is running and that is a major concern eliminated. Thanks for your thoughts.